Research Update Newsletter
From UChicago Argonne, LLC
November 13, 2007
This Month in Research Update:
- Office of the Vice President for Research and for National Laboratories (OVPRANL) News
- 300,000 awarded for Joint University-Argonne Strategic Collaborative Initiative Research Projects
- Science Policy Council holds first Fermilab meeting
- New Director Selected for University Research Administration
- Events
- University November Highlights
- Research in the News
- Gary S. Becker receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Three Chicago scholars named AAAS fellows
- Roger Myerson wins 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics
- Gene screen patent leads to 'Deal of Distinction' for University of Chicago: Licensing to Mayo Clinic aids colorectal cancer patients
- Transgenics transformed: Maize mini-chromosomes can add stacks of functional genes to plants
OVPRANL News
$300,000 awarded for Joint University-Argonne Strategic Collaborative Initiative Research Projects
The University recently awarded $300,000 ($75,000 per project) to researchers and scientists at the University and Argonne National Laboratory for new joint research projects through the University’s new Strategic Collaborative Initiatives (SCI) program for Argonne.
The following proposals were selected for funding on the basis of the importance of the work; whether the collaboration creates a more powerful or convincing research program in support of Lab/DOE missions than could be achieved by working independently; and potential to achieve an ongoing collaboration:
- “Intermediates in the combustion of alternative fuels,” Laurie Butler (The University of Chicago) and Stephen Pratt (Argonne National Laboratory)
- “Measuring atomic-scale motion in membrane proteins,” Eduardo Perozo (The University of Chicago) and Lee Makowski, (Argonne National Laboratory)
- “Atomic layer deposition of II-VI and III-V semiconductor materials on films of colloidal semiconductor particles,” Phillippe Guyot-Sionnest (The University of Chicago) and Jeffrey Elam (Argonne National Laboratory)
- “Elucidation and control of actinide trafficking pathways in mammalian cells,” Chuan He (The University of Chicago) and Mark Jensen (Argonne National Laboratory)
The University-Argonne SCI program was developed by the University as part of the laboratory management contract for Argonne. A similar program for Fermilab was also developed by the University as part of the management contract for Fermilab. Grant recipients for the Fermi program were announced last month. The University contributed $225,000 toward these projects, including one that involved an Argonne scientist.
The University has committed $1.5 million per year, and $7.5 million collectively, over the five-year periods for both management contracts toward the establishment of SCIs that include collaborative research projects, strategic joint appointments, and joint institutes. The SCIs provide flexibility to both Laboratories in developing or expediting progress in promising programmatic areas in support of Department of Energy missions while simultaneously benefiting the scientific and educational missions of the University and the Laboratories.
Strategic Collaborative Initiatives provide additional opportunities for collaboration between University researchers and scientists at Argonne and Fermilab. Through shared efforts, we hope to create more powerful research programs in areas that support the scientific priorities of both laboratories.
Science Policy Council holds first Fermilab meeting
The Science Policy Council, a group that supports research and joint appointments between Argonne and its Illinois academic partners, recently expanded its role to include similar activities on behalf of Fermilab. The change was prompted by the University’s new role as co-manager of Fermilab (in partnership with the University Research Alliance).
“The purpose of the council is to mobilize area academic resources to benefit the Laboratories and to participate in activities to expand science and technology in the Chicago area,” says Don Levy, Vice President of Research and National Laboratories, The University of Chicago. “Given the synergies that already exist between Argonne and Fermilab, and the possibility for future collaboration, it made sense to expand the scope Science Policy Council to include Fermilab.”
The Council devotes four meetings annually to advancing collaborations, at Argonne and, for the first time, two additional meetings will be dedicated to Fermilab. The first of the Fermilab meetings was held last week. The Council’s membership includes:
- Eric A. Gislason, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Illinois at Chicago;
- Bradley Moore, Vice President for Research, Northwestern University;
- Donald H. Levy, Vice President for Research and for National Laboratories, The University of Chicago;
- Robert Rosner, Laboratory Director, Argonne;
- Michael Turner, Chief Scientist and Director, Strategic Planning at Argonne; and
- Charles F. Zukoski, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Fermilab meetings will include additional members:
- Pier Oddone, Fermilab Director;
- Young-Kee Kim, Fermilab Deputy Director;
- Rathindra Bose, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, Northern Illinois University; and
- Ali Cinar, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate College, Illinois Institute of Technology, Director, Complex Systems and Dynamics Research Center, IIT.
The first Fermilab meeting, held on October 19, focused on Fermilab’s current efforts and plans for the future. Fermilab is a single-purpose Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory that currently receives forty-five percent of DOE’s particle physics budget. At the meeting Oddone and Kim described the findings of a recent steering group report. The group, comprised of Fermilab scientists and physicists from across the country, was charged with proposing a plan that would keep the U.S. a leader in particle physics in light of the impending shutdown of Fermilab's Tevatron and the initiation of research at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland, which will succeed the Tevatron as the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
The steering group report stressed the importance of Fermilab science to the success of the LHC, as well as its role in the effort to make the International Linear Collider (ILC), a proposed next-generation electron-positron collider, a reality as soon as possible. An international team of scientists has proposed an aggressive timeline in which construction would start in 2012 and take seven years. The LHC will require strong international management and support; the steering group proposed that Fermilab jump-start this effort by creating technology and infrastructure that would bolster the project and make a strong case for locating the project in Illinois.
If the ILC is delayed by a couple of years, the group recommends that Fermilab develop a more intense proton source for its current neutrino program by building on the existing accelerator complex. Should the ILC timeline stretch further into the future, the group calls for building a new facility, currently called Project X. Project X would combine a new linear accelerator with the lab’s existing accelerators to generate high-intensity beams of protons that would give Fermilab's scientific users a new way to study the world of neutrinos and precision physics. With its ILC technology, Project X would spur U.S industrialization by building an accelerator that used the advanced technologies necessary to build the ILC, reduce costs of ILC components, and advance accelerator science for future applications in particle physics and beyond.
The group recommended starting the initial research and development for Project X in a way that would expedite development of the ILC and the industrial base needed to build it. Oddone estimates that this R&D will cost about $50 million, take a few years, and require the equivalent of 30 to 40 full-time employees spread across various labs and universities. [For a more detailed description of Fermilab’s path to the future, please click here.]
The Science Policy Council discussed working together on accelerator design including the technology for the ILC and efforts to train new generations of accelerator physicists and engineers. The issue of joint appointments was also raised and Kim described efforts underway to add a number of new joint appointments between Fermilab and member universities.
With its expanded focus, the Science Policy Council will continue to work toward the goals of enhancing the scientific capabilities of both Laboratories, strengthening the state's technological base and workforce preparation, and improving Illinois' ability to compete for federal research funding.
New Director Selected for University Research Administration
Carol A. Zuiches, assistant vice provost for research, executive director, office of sponsored programs, University of Washington, has accepted the position of Associate Vice President, Research Administration at the University of Chicago. Effective Jan. 2, 2008, Zuiches will lead University Research Administration (URA), a group that reports to the Vice President for Research and for National Laboratories and is responsible for providing review and institutional endorsement of all applications, negotiation and acceptance of awards for sponsored funding, grant and contract management, information services, and training. In her new role, Zuiches will be responsible for oversight and management of all research compliance and research-related policy matters.
In her current position, Zuiches directs the University of Washington’s pre-award sponsored programs office (OSP). OSP is the single pre-award office for the university and administers sponsored programs for all colleges and branch campuses. Her responsibilities include administrative review and final approval of proposals and awards, grant and contract negotiations, subcontract development and negotiation, monitoring, development and implementation of University policies regarding research, coordinating with the Technology Transfer office and legal counsel, implementing and monitoring University compliance with terms of awards, monitoring developments at federal agencies, maintaining the grant and contract database and preparing routine and special management reports involving all aspects of sponsored programs. OSP staff includes 33 full-time and approximately 10 part-time and temporary staff. The Human Subjects Division reported to her through 2004. As executive director, Zuiches acts as Authorized University Official on all sponsored agreements.
Zuiches is a member of several committees at the University of Washington, including the Business Advisory Group for the System to Administer Grants Electronically, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/UW Administrative Operations Committee, and ex officio member to the Faculty Council on Research. She is also chairs the Export Control Committee.
In addition to the above, Zuiches’ professional activities include membership in National Council of Research Administrators, Society of Research Administrators and Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, and the Association of University of Technology Managers; treasurer, Astrophysical Research Consortium, UW administrative representative to the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP), and co-chair of FDP federal contracts task force.
Prior to her position with University of Washington, Zuiches held positions of increasing responsibility at Washington State University from 1986-2000, including director, Office of Grant and Research Development. Her past positions also included program officer, assistant to the director, Office of Sponsored Program Development, State University of New York-Binghamton, and Policy Analyst, Performance Development Institute, Washington D.C.
Zuiches earned her B.S. in General Science from the University of Portland and her Master’s in Education in Educational Leadership (Higher Education Administration) from Washington State University.
“As we look to the future and consider the increasing importance of research administration both here and abroad, I can think of no better person to lead that effort than Carol,” said Donald H. Levy, Vice President for Research and for National Laboratories. “The breadth of knowledge and experience she brings to the position will enable the University of Chicago to continue to develop and expand critical URA resources and programs. I look forward to working with her.”
Susan Boone will continue to serve as interim-director, URA, through the end of the year. Zuiches succeeds former URA Director Mary Ellen Sheridan who retired from her position as Associate Vice President for Research and URA Director on August 31 after thirteen years of service to the University.
Events
University November Highlights:
- The 66th Compton Lecture Series: Every Saturday morning beginning September 29, through December 8, 2007, lectures start at 11:00 a.m. (No lecture on November 24th). Lecturer: Nathan Gemelke, first-year James Franck Institute Research Associate and Grainger Fellow, collaborating with Cheng Chin; Topic: "Shining Light on Ultracold Atoms: Illuminating Complex Matters": Kersten Physics Teaching Center, 5720 S. Ellis Avenue, Room 106, Chicago, IL 60637. For more information click here.
- Life Lung Learning: All You Need To Know About Lung Cancer in Two Lessons: Wednesday, November 14 and 28, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, The Atrium, The Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine (DCAM); The University of Chicago Hospitals, 5758 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, IL 60637
These free, two-part presentation/discussions will provide an introduction to lung cancer sponsored by the University of Chicago and the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, including a comprehensive overview on lung cancer prevention, treatment, diagnosis, screening, research, the future of lung cancer care, and resources available to patients and their families in the Chicago Region. Teams of experts (physicians, social workers, scientists, etc.) will provide the latest and best information available. For more information or to obtain a final schedule with topics by date, please visit www.uccrc.org. Refreshments will be served.
- Oriental Institute Museum: “European Cartographers and the Ottoman World 1500-1750: Maps from the Collection of O.J. Sopranos”, Exhibition: Friday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, March 16, 2008, Gallery tour of the exhibition: 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.
- Smart Museum of Art: “Looking and Listening in Nineteenth-Century France”, Exhibition: Tuesday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, March 23, 2008, Panel discussion: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8
- International House: East Meets West Piano Concert, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, A Glimpse into Asia through Asian-Inspired Music
- Court Theatre: What the Butler Saw: Thursday, Nov. 8 through Sunday, Dec. 9
Full November Highlights: http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/071101/calendar.shtml
Research in the News
Gary S. Becker receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Gary S. Becker, a University of Chicago economist and pioneer in applying the economic theory of human capital to show ways in which individual and family decisions are made on the basis of economics, will receive the 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, the White House announced Monday. President Bush will award the Medals of Freedom to Becker and seven others at a ceremony Monday, Nov. 5. Full story.
Three Chicago scholars named AAAS fellows
Three University scholars—Raphael Lee, Ursula Storb and Robert Zimmer— have been awarded the distinction of fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are among 471 members who have been awarded the honor this year for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Full story.
Roger Myerson wins 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics
Roger B. Myerson, a University of Chicago economist and an expert on game theory, was named Monday one of three winners of the 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
He was recognized for his contributions to mechanism design theory, initiated by co-winner Leonid Hurwicz of the University of Minnesota, and which Myerson further developed with others, including co-winner Eric Maskin of the Institute for Advanced Study, another recipient of the 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics. Hurwicz was a researcher with the Cowles Commission from 1950 to 1955 when it was located at the University of Chicago. Full story.
Gene screen patent leads to 'Deal of Distinction' for University of Chicago
Licensing to Mayo Clinic aids colorectal cancer patients
UChicagoTech, the University of Chicago's Office of Technology and Intellectual Property, has received a 2007 Deal of Distinction Award from the Licensing Executives Society of U.S.A. and Canada.
The award stems from an agreement signed in late 2005 between the University of Chicago and the Mayo Clinic. The deal licensed the UGT1A1 diagnostic screen that predicts a patient's risk of side effects from a standard first-line treatment for advanced cancers of the colon and rectum. Mark J. Ratain, M.D., the Leon O. Jacobson Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, and colleagues developed the UGT1A1 test. Full story.
Transgenics transformed: Maize mini-chromosomes can add stacks of functional genes to plants
A new method of constructing artificial plant chromosomes from small rings of naturally occurring plant DNA can be used to transport multiple genes at once into embryonic plants where they are expressed, duplicated as plant cells divide, and passed on to the next generation -- a long-term goal for those interested in improving agricultural productivity.
In the October 19, 2007, issue of PLoS-Genetics, a team of academic and commercial researchers show that their "maize mini-chromosomes" (MMC) can introduce an entire "cassette" of novel genes into a plant in a way that is structurally stable and functional. Early results, the study authors say, "suggest that the MMC could be maintained indefinitely."
"This appears be the tool that agricultural scientists, and farmers, have long dreamed of," said Daphne Preuss, PhD, professor of molecular genetics and cell biology at the University of Chicago and chief scientific officer and president of Chromatin, Inc., the makers of the MMCs. Full story.
Link to other recent University of Chicago news stories.
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