Significant progress has been made across UAB’s Research Strategic Initiative over the past year, according to the initiative’s leaders.

President Ray Watts and Chris Brown, Ph.D., UAB’s vice president for Research, will share these successes and ongoing improvements in a town hall meeting at 10 a.m. March 19 in the Alumni House (register online). The agenda also includes an update on today’s landscape from Watts and an overview of annual action plans developed by each of the initiative’s six working groups, which have been tasked with addressing infrastructure opportunities in specific areas. (See a list of the groups and their members on the Research Strategic Initiative website.) The town hall also will include an extended period for questions. Submit your questions prior to the town hall meeting using this link.

Progress and process improvements

Some highlights of progress over the past year include:

• School and college strategic plans have been submitted and aligned with the initiative’s goals and aims, ensuring a cohesive approach to future developments.
• Key leadership positions have been filled, with Kevyn Merten, Ph.D., now on board as senior associate vice president for Research Operations and David Kimberlin, M.D., named associate vice president for Clinical Trials Operations.
• Implementation of UAB’s new electronic research administration system, myUABResearch, is well underway, with the first phase (covering grants, agreements and conflicts of interest) set to go live in November 2025. The new system promises to streamline and enhance research administration processes across the UAB research enterprise.
• Three UAB Presidential Faculty Scholars have been recruited, and additional applications are being reviewed by the Research Strategic Initiative’s Faculty Recruitment Committee.
• Capital projects that will significantly enhance UAB’s research infrastructure and capabilities are coming online, including the McCallum Research Building (now fully occupied); phase two of the Science and Engineering Complex, Gorrie Hall, (scheduled for completion in May 2025); the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building (scheduled for completion in May 2025); and the Biomedical Research and Psychology Building (scheduled for completion in 2027).

These and other efforts aimed toward enhancing efficiency, transparency and accountability throughout UAB’s research and clinical trials processes will be shared at the town hall.

Learn more about current and planned improvements from each working group at the town hall meeting at 10 a.m. March 19; RSVP here.