Research, Discovery, and Innovation Task Force

Approved key financial and reporting decisions, including HERD Optimization (FY26), UTHSA/UTSA F&A base-year alignment, Blue Ridge consolidated reporting (FY25), and HERD consolidated reporting (FY26); F&A rate extension submitted and implementation underway.
Completed policy, program, and operational reviews across Commercialization & Innovation and Research Operations, validating shared campus pain points, aligning program direction, updating institutional data, implementing proposal templates, and completing a policy inventory, with recommendations moving into FIT working groups.
Advanced faculty-focused initiatives, including the Health Research Challenge event, assessments of research faculty onboarding, promotion and tenure, and development, progress toward final recommendations and award selections, and the launch of the Research Analytics Working Group, with Research Security & IT planning underway.

Jan 2026

Launched early integration priorities, including a shared researcher database, topical interest groups, joint research centers, cluster hiring and the “Day 1” Research Integration Campaign.
Established new working groups (Research Analytics, Research Security & IT) and advanced existing ones in finance, operations, commercialization and faculty experience—laying the foundation for a more collaborative research enterprise.
Task force members operationalized working groups, provided input to cluster-hiring opportunities, evaluated operational input of early win opportunities and challenges and developed a Day 1 Research Integration Communication Campaign Plan.

Sep 2025