The strategic priorities and goals were derived from a process that involved initial interviews with all Presidents of LSSF institutional members. After creating an original draft of 18 strategic priorities identified, the top four were selected by consensus at the Inaugural Meeting of the LSSF Executive Committee Meeting on September 23, 2011:
Goal 1
Establish a shared communication portal, technology platform, research core facilities, and institute of commercialization
- Create a distinctive brand, encompassing:
- A unified vision for Life Sciences South Florida from a cohesive region
- A common definition understood and shared by everyone and widely communicated inside and outside the region
- A strong message about the region’s assets
- A summary of our collective strengths, weaknesses, focal areas, products or services
- Develop a shared platform for technology and research infrastructure and a central technology transfer office:
- Assess research infrastructure, technology, resources, facilities, and programs
- Build cost-effectiveness and efficiency by sharing research infrastructure, resources, facilities, best practices and programs
- Provide seamless access to a wide array of technologies across the region for researchers applying for R01 grants
- Tap into “unused capacity”: institutions with technologies that are not used to full capacity and can be shared with others to maximize overall research productivity
- Create a shared technology transfer office with branches at different institutions
- Create a financial, legal, and administrative model to enable shared platform and communication:
- Draft a cross-institutional MOU to enable sharing to occur
- Develop a three-tiered financial structure with internal price; collaborative price (for Life Sciences South Florida members, without IDC); and an external price (for institutions outside of LSSF, full costs including IDC)
Goal 2
Conduct an extensive asset map and cluster analysis
- Identify research and industry clusters in the region
- Identify strengths and synergies with member institutions
- Scrutinize three important domains: neuroscience, metabolic disorders, and cancer
- Identify and analyze gaps: for example, gaps in computational approaches, bioinformatics, and other areas
Goal 3
Recruit, develop, and retain talent in the region
- Use the strengths of universities and institutions to recruit the best students in Medicine, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and other areas
- Make available to students and investigators the combined expertise and assets of the region
- Apply a regional approach which significantly increases opportunities for students to find specific resources, technology, or expertise in their scientific area
- Develop a region-wide internship program with opportunities for cross-fertilization of talent
Goal 4
Create, develop and strengthen programs designed to increase STEM student and workforce development within the region
- Strengthen K-20 STEM career pathway:
- Develop and implement STEM pipeline programs beginning in elementary and middle school, leveraging assets of universities, state colleges, and research institutes
- Define what jobs are in the pathway, starting early pipelines in advance of college years.
- Enhance workforce development throughout the continuum:
- Build programs from one-year certificate to postdoctoral
- Survey industry and determine gaps in curricular programs and skill sets of graduates
- Leverage public and private funding to fill gaps in workforce training
- Develop and strengthen teacher preparation programs in STEM for pre-service and in-service teachers.