Goal 2: Objective 2.1 | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

Goal 2: Supporting Research and Innovation

Grow the impact of the college’s research scholarship at least proportionate to overall University research impact growth over the next five years.

Objective 2.1: Catalyze new research that applies HHD expertise to solving critical and emerging societal problems. Capitalize on excellence within the college, addresses expertise gaps, and/or complements available University resources.

Action Item 2.1.1

Build community, mobilize activity, and develop plans for college response in key emerging research domains (e.g., environmental health; aging and neurodegeneration; racism and social injustice; implementation science, and data science)

Implementation Tasks

Task 1: Form a faculty-led task force that is charged with identifying emergent high-priority research opportunities. Task force composition should include representatives from each academic department and research center. Two or three priorities should be targeted in the first year of the strategic plan.
Task 2: Hold open Listening Sessions with faculty to hear response to the topics selected.
Task 3: Based on information above, organize special interest groups (SIGs) for each identified priority in order to mobilize activity, build collaborations, and spearhead publication and proposal writing.
Task 4: Identify resources to support faculty grant activity in these areas (e.g., seed funds, priority of grant writing teaching buyouts).

Responsible Party: Office of the Associate Dean for Research; Faculty Task Force

Metrics: (1) Number of HHD faculty participating in at least one SIG; (2) Number of departments/centers represented in SIGs; (3) Number and dollar amounts of grants proposed and awarded in each SIG identified.

Start and End Dates: Fall 2021 – Spring 2022; ongoing

Action Item 2.1.2

Improve channels of communication and support an expertise database that will allow us to organize groups for rapid responsivity to leading edge opportunities and challenges

Implementation Tasks

Task 1: Create and maintain an HHD database in faculty methodology expertise
Task 2: Investigate potential for expanding the database more broadly for faculty content expertise, interest, and activity, using resources available in the “Pure” system as a starting point

Responsible Party: Office of the Associate Dean for Research; HHD Communications and Marketing

Metrics: (1) Faculty methodology expertise database developed and piloted; (2) Number of searches and hits on the database; (3) Number of new connections and collaborations formed following implementation of the database.

Start and End Dates: Summer 2021 – Fall 2022; ongoing

Action Item 2.1.3

Enhance engagement with Penn State Research Institutes, colleges, and cross-college research consortia around the pursuit of strategic co-hires and other collaborative investments

Implementation Tasks

Task 1: Promote outreach from HHD Research Centers to establish cross-college collaborations
Task 2: Prepare an annual report of HHD research activities and promote with key constituencies including Research Institutes, OSVPR, and other colleges.

Responsible Party: Office of the Associate Dean for Research

Metrics: (1) Number of faculty affiliating with cross-college corsortia; (2) HHD Annual Research Report distributed.

Start and End Dates: Fall 2021 – Spring 2023; ongoing

Key Performance Indicators

Number of grant proposals and awards in identified critical and emerging areas increased.