Convergence

BU Task Force on Convergence Outlines New Strategy to Boost the Impact of the University’s Research

Report is the result of a yearlong effort and interviews with 200 faculty; BU leaders will review and determine specific policies moving forward

Boston University has taken a major step toward unveiling a new strategy that BU leaders expect will create a more resilient and ambitious research enterprise focused on tackling some of society’s thorniest and most vexing challenges. 

After a year of fact-finding, the BU Task Force on Convergent Research and Education has submitted a report outlining several recommendations the University can follow to embrace convergent research, building upon its strong foundation of interdisciplinary collaboration for future impact.

The report, which will now be reviewed by University leaders, describes convergence as the “intentional integration of methods, perspectives, and expertise across traditionally distinct disciplines, [which] enables new approaches and scalable solutions to complex societal challenges.”

“Convergent research is fundamental to who we are and what we have been able to accomplish as an institution,” says BU President Melissa Gilliam. “It will continue to be a driver for the University, as one of our strengths and a cornerstone in our vision for the future within our new strategic framework, Charting Our Future.

“I am grateful for the hard work and insights of the members of the Task Force. I am pleased by their diligence in seeking the input of the broader community. The report is a starting place; I look forward to seeing how our community will build upon their ideas and find new ways to blend disciplines and ways of thinking in pursuit of novel solutions to major challenges.” 

Convened last March, the task force included faculty members with expertise that spans the breadth of the University’s schools and colleges. It was cochaired by Kenneth Lutchen, vice president and associate provost for research, and Darrell Kotton, David C. Seldin Professor of Medicine, a Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and the founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine of Boston University and Boston Medical Center.

“Many research universities are navigating unprecedented challenges,” Lutchen says. “To remain competitive, we must position our faculty for success and impact while deliberately diversifying our funding portfolio. A convergent research strategy leverages Boston University’s highly collaborative faculty, who are already working across disciplines to tackle society’s most complex challenges. Convergent research provides a pathway to drive meaningful impact and build a more resilient and ambitious research enterprise.”

Members of the task force interviewed deans, department chairs, center directors, hospital partners, and more than 200 research-active faculty across BU’s campuses to evaluate convergent research opportunities, potential barriers to implementing those opportunities, ways to attract new faculty, and processes that will enable convergent research to thrive at a University-wide scale.

“Our report was shaped by a deeply collaborative and inclusive process,” Lutchen says, one that allowed the members of the task force “to capture the full breadth of faculty expertise and highlight the exciting ways Boston University faculty are shaping solutions to today’s critical challenges. The report is the result of these exhaustive efforts, and its recommendations will be reviewed by University leaders to determine specific plans and policies moving forward.”

“The recommendations put forward by the task force, and our renewed focus on convergence,” University Provost Gloria Waters says, “will build on our legacy of highly interdisciplinary work by breaking down barriers that inhibit our ability to work across disciplines and departments and creating structured opportunities for collaboration that will enrich our research enterprise and strengthen faculty work, recruitment, and retention moving forward.”

Among the findings in the 48-page report, the task force identified eight major convergent research themes that engage faculty across the University and where BU already demonstrates strength and clear potential for national leadership. Each is built upon an existing foundation of cross-BU collaboration and education.

Those themes, which Gilliam announced during her Presidential Address in January, are:

In recent years, BU has launched successful initiatives to promote convergent research and collaboration. The Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, for example, was created as a novel academic unit focused on computing, data science, and AI methods, intentionally hiring faculty who are housed across 23 departments in 11 schools and colleges—from engineering to law.

Meanwhile, administrators in many of BU’s schools and colleges have adopted hiring strategies that focus on attracting faculty whose research cuts across disciplines. And BU is home to a number of University-wide institutes and centers that specialize in interdisciplinary and convergent research, spanning topics such as sustainability, infectious disease, and global development. In September, the University launched the You Are Why effort, which includes fundraising for convergent research and support for PhD students, as well as a call for industry partnerships that help advance research.

The task force report emphasizes that the University should continue to foster individual faculty pursuing deep knowledge and critical expertise in specific fields.

“I am deeply grateful to the task force, including my cochair, Darrell Kotton, for their dedication, insight, and hard work in bringing this effort to fruition,” Lutchen says.