Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Cover Page Name of the Program ____Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology______________________________ Program as used in this prioritization process can be a specialization, section, division, field of study, center, degree program, etc. The unit head, in collaboration with others as appropriate, must determine the level of analysis required. How long has the program existed: The Hawai‘i Marine Laboratory began in 1951 and was officially created and re-named the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology by the Hawai‘i State Legislature in 1965. The program would fall under which of the following Vice Chancellor’s offices? ______ Academic Affairs ___X _ Research and Graduate Education ______ Student Services ______ Administration, Finance and Operations How does the program fit into the larger administrative unit? (Describe in two or three sentences.) HIMB is a research institute in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. Briefly describe the program (no more than half a page): The Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) is a unique resource to the State of Hawai‘i, UHMānoa, and SOEST. It is the only site in the world where living coral reefs and deep ocean communities lie within a short distance of a technologically advanced laboratory environment complete with functional genomics capabilities, LC-Mass Spectrometer, and seawater for rearing marine organisms. HIMB faculty with 14 tenure/tenure-track faculty, 2 faculty education/;outreach specialists, and 2 faculty supported on three year rollover contracts trains 64 graduate students and 25 postdoctoral fellows. HIMB hosts the Pauley Summer Program and K-12 curriculum development and training programs for the Hawai‘i Department of Education and NOAA, and provide the research for management of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). Our scientists collaborate with Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Moorea in French Polynesia, France, and Russia. HIMB has been identified in two prior NSF funded Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitiveness in Research (EPSCoR) proposals as a focus for tropical ecosystems and evolutionary genetics research. If funded for a third round, HIMB will continue to obtain funding for its ecogenomics research. The reason for this funding is the recognition that HIMB scientists have ready access to the 35 million hectare Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument where more than 70% of the nation’s reefs reside. These resources along with those of the Main Hawaiian Islands span 1,523 miles (2,451 kilometers) southeast to northwest across the Tropic of Cancer with a gradient of anthropogenic stressors in the south to the relatively pristine environment of Kure Atoll. Because of the isolation of the Hawaiian Archipelago, its marine environment boasts one of the world’s highest levels of endemic species. Hawai‘i terrestrial species have long been known for spectacular species radiations representing all stages of the diversification process, but we know very little of these processes in the marine environment. The Hawaiian archipelago is an ideal setting for studies of evolution, speciation, and location adaptation to diverse environmental gradients. It is critically important that UH provide the leadership and technology to assess and characterize the relationships that govern the variety and abundance of organisms in these ecosystems. HIMB is an integral part of these efforts. HIMB scientists are also recognized as leaders in the field of marine mammal acoustics, sensor development, environmental monitoring, biogeochemical processes of coastal and oceanic systems, and ecological assessments of the marine environment. SOEST PRIORITIZATION RESEARCH - Program Name: Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) CENTRALITY AND ALIGNMENT: Max Score = 28 UHM Vision/WASC Alignment UHM vision (Hawaiian, Asia-Pacific, natural environment) Strengthen global leadership Advancing area of strength Land-Sea-Space Grant Addressing an area expected in a land/sea/space institution Statute or Regulation Meets statutory or government regulations State Needs Addressing needs identified as high priority in the state Engages stakeholders that are a priority to UHM QUALITY/INTEGRITY: Max Score = 44 Quality Activities Training and public service work Accountability metrics and routinely uses them Quality Facilities Good plan for adequate investment in facilities Facilities and equipment availability and condition Quality Research Obtaining highly competitive contracts/grants Research with prestigious natnl/intn universities Positive impact on UHM research reputation Quality Faculty/Staff Awarded external academic recognition Jointly authored publications Faculty/staff publish high number of reviewed papers Steady increase in number of citations CRITICAL MASS: Max Score = 16 Peer Comparisons National/international recognition/visibility Fundamental Trends Award amounts and number of contracts/grants Faculty/Staff Size Number of staff associated with ORU Ability to Deliver Staff expertise adequate to meet program needs EXTERNAL DEMAND: Max Score = 48 Needs/Trends Current trends show demand for research Call on staff to provide expert opinions in past 3 yrs Policy impact on state/nation Increase in economic well-being of state/nation Enriching training and public service Responding to scientific needs of state/nation Work has resulted in products with external demand Work resulting in technology commercialization/patents score % total 96.429 4 4 4 EXTERNAL DEMAND: Continued Partnerships Partnerships with key external stakeholders Partnerships with native Hawaiian communities Work used by corporate/business interests Work used by government interests score % total 4 3 3 4 4 INTERNAL DEMAND: Max Score = 28 Reliance of Others 4 4 3 95.455 4 4 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 87.5 4 92.857 Collaboration with faculty/staff from other units Symposia/workshops/seminars value/attendance Experiential Learning/research opportunities for students Facilities and Services Use of facilities, tools/labs by other units Enhance Research Opportunities for faculty/staff in other units Supports graduate students and postdocs New areas of academic expertise COST/REVENUE GENERATION (PRODUCTIVITY): Max Score = 36 Revenue Generation Generates more revenue vs. expenses Leveraging substantial external funding Operating Expenses Favorable operating expense/costs Core labs/facilities support by external funds Administrative Costs ORU typically funded by agencies with higher indirect costs Efficiency/Productivity Research/scholarship as compared to other units Participation in educational and public service Amount/number of awards as compared to other units Support of Graduate students on external funds 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 94.444 4 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 89.583 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 SPECIALIZED NICHE/COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Max Score = 20 Uniqueness/Signature Uniqueness in state/nation Area of excellence or emerging area of excellence Record in meeting needs of Hawaii and indigenous people Reputation/Peers National or international recognition Competitive Advantage Scholarship level as compared to similar programs Grand Total Score (%) = 100 4 4 4 4 4 93.636 Centrality and Alignment: HIMB’s research mission is directly linked to advancing the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) vision and is an integral part of strength areas identified in the institutional proposal, i.e., marine sciences and evolutionary biology with Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific orientation and unique location. It also retains a high quality reputation in addressing an area typically expected in a land-sea-space grant institution. At the recent 11th International Coral Reef Symposium which is held every four years and represents the penultimate meeting for coral reef researchers, HIMB scientists were responsible for 32 invited presentations. By far, HIMB’s contributions at this meeting surpassed any other institution. Our scientists produce over 100 peer-reviewed publications per year (average 7 publications per faculty member) and in 2008 HIMB faculty members attracted an average of $429,820 in grant funds. Moreover, HIMB is highly linked to efforts to meet statutory or government regulations. The Hawai‘i Marine Laboratory refuge is one of the oldest marine reserves in the state and HIMB has an implicit responsibility to use this reserve for scientific purposes for the state. Hawai‘i Revised Statute 188-36 provides regulations for this responsibility. Two initiatives that have been identified as high priority by the Governor’s office are the Hawai‘i Innovation Initiative and the Hawai‘i Ocean Resources Management Plan. These plans call for workforce development with an increase in science and technology majors at UHM. Data cited in the Innovation Initiative indicate that UHM graduates in science and technology subjects have remained relatively constant over the past 7 years. The State has embarked upon an effort to increase student participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) academies. HIMB is working with the Hawai‘i Department of Education and NOAA to provide relevant marine science curriculum. HIMB was a participant in the development of the Hawai‘i Ocean Resources Management Plan that was adopted in 2006. The majority of HIMB funded projects are directly related to the plan’s goals which include the planning and development of sustainable commercial aquaculture in coastal areas and ocean waters and the expansion of ocean science and technology. Quality/Integrity HIMB faculty members provide education and public service work in high demand in the state and beyond. They serve on state, national, and international advisory panels. HIMB outreach and education programs provide training for teachers and students from K-12, undergraduate and graduate students, and the public in ocean and coastal zone stewardship and coral reef biology. Accountability metrics have been established and implemented and HIMB routinely engages in self review. In 2004, the HIMB faculty and staff met to develop a strategic plan for the next 5 years and beyond. An assessment of the benchmarks developed in this plan is performed annually. In 2008, as a result of another strategic planning session with Steve and Marylyn Pauley, HIMB adopted a sustainability initiative and has instituted an active recycling program for bottles, cardboard, plastics, and paper as well as metal recycling with the City and County convenience center. HIMB has critical facilities and equipment needed to carry out its mission. However, these facilities are in need of improvement and plans have been developed for investing in these facilities. HIMB’s newest building, the Edwin Pauley Marine laboratory building is now ten years old and has the dubious distinction of being the most energy inefficient building at UHM. We have worked with the Vice Chancellor of Administration to re-commission the building and repair the building’s envelope and provide more energy efficient air handling system. HIMB’s energy bill for 2008-09 is estimated to be $492K. UHM and higher administration is aware of this cost and the need to reduce this by installation of energy efficient equipment. We have sent in requests for maintenance and repair on an annual basis. HIMB has been successful in obtaining highly competitive contracts and grants. In the last 5 years, nearly $26m were awarded to HIMB faculty for research. In 2008, the faculty generated $6,877,119 in grant funds, an average of $429,819 per faculty member. Further demonstration of the quality of the research effort is the engagement of many colleagues in collaborative research and the number of prestigious predoctoral and postdoctoral awards made to HIMB trainees. HIMB publications have shown a steady increase in citations related to HIMB’s work, from 1261 in 2000, 2149 in 2005, to 3154 in 2008. The accumulated citation indices for the faculty indicate that the average annual citation per faculty member is 197 (3157 citations in 2008 for 14 tenure-track/tenured faculty + 2 rollover faculty). Critical Mass HIMB faculty are leaders in their fields. All have served on numerous NSF, USDA, and NOAA grant review panels. Among the senior faculty, all have assumed leadership roles in their respective scientific societies. The HIMB faculty identified the following major research efforts where HIMB can excel in its scientific contributions: 1. Coastal and Pelagic Ecosystem Processes Involving Coral Reefs 2. Marine Animal Sensory Processes and Ecology 3. Marine Evolutionary Genetics 4. Physiology and Diseases of Fish and Corals. In order to realize this excellence, HIMB faculty will work collaboratively with other units and seek to recruit faculty in the research areas (2) and (4). External Demand In the report “Innovation and Technology in Hawai‘i: An Economic and Workforce Profile” (October 2008) produced by the Hawai‘i Science and Technology Institute, the Ocean Sciences Market segment in Hawai‘i and in the Nation continues to be a strong market driver. Since our students also develop skills in environmental technologies (1.7% expected annual growth rate) and aquaculture biotechnology (3.2% expected annual growth rate), HIMB faculty members are critical to the continued training and capacity building required for this projected growth. Moreover, HIMB faculty are routinely called upon to provide expert testimony for different government agencies including the Senate Commerce Committee, the Marine Mammal Commission, NOAA Scientific Advisory Board, the Ocean Studies Board of the National Research council, NOAA’s Oceans and Human Health initiative, ocean acidification and climate change, and management of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. HIMB research led to the changes in the policies governing the regulation of the marine protected areas. The Ecological Acoustic Recorders developed by the marine mammal program have been invaluable in monitoring boat traffic in the monument and documented, for the first time, the presence of humpback whales in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Internal Demand HIMB faculty members hold their tenured positions in HIMB, but their academic homes cross UHM Colleges and Schools. HIMB faculty members also serve on the graduate student committees for faculty in these departments, serve on committees that are integral to these departments, and collaborate on research proposals that are jointly funded. In addition to the direct collaborations, HIMB hosts symposia, workshops, and seminars routinely for the benefit of its faculty, the faculty at UHM and UH-Hilo. The annual Pauley Summer Program brings in scientists and graduate students from around the world to participate in marine research. Every 3 years HIMB hosts the International Workshop on Conservation Genetics, considered one of the most important workshops in conservation genetics. As part of the research effort with Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, HIMB cohosts a symposium with the PIFSC annually and hosts monthly brown bag meetings with DAR, Fish and Wildlife Services, and NOAA. Many of the HIMB faculty members are involved in providing experiential learning opportunities for high school and undergraduate students as well as providing research training for DOE science teachers. HIMB scientists, through grant funds, support a functional genomics facility that is used by other scientists including faculty from UHM, UH-Hilo, USGS, NOAA. We also have a seawater system and an aquatic rearing system that supports researchers from Zoology, Botany, DAR-DLNR, CSU Northridge, U of Wisconsin, UCLA, and EPA. Costs/Revenue Generation (Productivity) HIMB extramural funding has been growing with the Institute. The average of the last four years of grant funding has been over $5.58m, while total operating costs have been hovering around $3m. While generating more revenue than expense, HIMB has higher operating expenses than other Mānoa “on campus” units, as it is responsible for its own facilities maintenance, grounds-keeping, janitorial services, utilities, fuel and maintenance agreement costs. These costs amount to approximately $1.27m per year. Since most units at Mānoa have these services furnished as part of the F & A costs, HIMB (which pays full on-campus indirect costs) functions at a distinct disadvantage. If all things were equal, HIMB would have costs closer to $1.7m and compare very favorably with similar units. All the research in all the labs at HIMB is supported by extramural grants or, in the case of the core genomics lab, user fees. HIMB has been highly successful in acquiring infrastructure over the past 5 years using extramural funds, fully equipping the genomics lab and augmenting the equipment in other labs both in number and sophistication. One building is slated to be refurbished totally with extramural funds and new holding pens for pelagic fish are in the early stages of installation. Specialized Niche/Competitive Advantage With projected global warming and ocean acidification, the work at HIMB is critical to the study of carbon cycling in the ocean, the future of coral reefs in tropical environments, and effect of reef loss to ocean fisheries. Kāne‘ohe Bay is of particular importance because it is an increasingly urbanized embayment that houses one of the only tropical habitats within the United States. Further, HIMB is located within the bay and within ten miles of the University of Hawai‘i. Therefore, within close proximity of HIMB is easy access to state of the art biological laboratories, a world class oceanography department and an ocean engineering group. The juxtaposition of a national resource such as Kāne‘ohe Bay, an urbanized environment that increasingly impacts the bay, yet provides for needed access to electricity, building supplies and infrastructure and the expertise of a world class marine laboratory and university is extremely rare. This combination of resources makes HIMB a unique and invaluable resource where transdisciplinary research can succeed and provide maximum results. The NSF EPSCoR program is evaluated each year for its progress. This is the reference that was made for the program at HIMB: “.. the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) research facility can immediately form a nucleus for the development of a Center proposal that not only links other investigators in Hawai‘i, but also partners with other institutional facilities of a similar type on the mainland. The uniqueness of the marine habitat in Hawai‘i makes such a Center proposal a natural. Few of these awards are successful in the initial application, but the MAP team believes that it is important for this focal area to become more visible and position itself for a center award. Strategic planning now for a submission within a year should be a high priority.”