Interdisciplinary research (IDR) centers and institutes are created to tackle the thorny problems in science and society that transcend the silos of traditional academic disciplines. A center-level initiative also increases visibility of the campus and participating faculty, which can be leveraged to attract additional support from government and industry sources. Loren Walker joined the Research Liaison and Development (RL&D) team in 2005, and has since contributed to this department’s efforts to develop services and resources intended to give campus IDR initiatives an edge in an increasingly competitive environment.

The establishment of centers and institutes is an important step toward creating interdepartmental connectivity, inter-institutional/private sector collaboration, and problem-driven research programs that are the hallmarks of a truly interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial research university. “But there is a big hurdle to clear between research vision and first-round funding," says Loren. "When faculty seek to develop a center-level initiative, RL&D can help by drawing on the experience, connections, and resources within the Office of Research and by doing some of the leg work, which allows faculty to stay focused on their research and teaching."

“Our goal is to make these initiatives more competitive,” says RL&D Director Marla Michel, “thereby increasing the number of well-funded centers and institutes on campus.” As a central research office, a corollary to RL&D’s goal is to document and ultimately institutionalize the best practices of facilitating IDR initiatives. “We are fortunate to have some exemplary cases to learn from right here at UMass Amherst,” Michel continues. “We want to build on the experience of past successes and failures for the benefit of the entire campus community.”

However, because every initiative is unique, each requires a somewhat different set of services and resources. “It’s a real challenge to move from simply documenting the IDR center startup process to creating resources that faculty can use,” Loren explains. “My colleagues in RL&D and I have been working to deconstruct past efforts in order to identify the phases, benchmarks, and hurdles common to IDR initiatives. We’d like to create a ‘map’ of sorts to guide our efforts going forward.”

Loren came to campus in 2005 shortly after finishing a report on the economic development potential of the medical device industry in the I-91 Corridor region of western Massachusetts and Connecticut. He holds a MS in Biology from Portland State University in Oregon where he previously worked as a researcher in an agricultural biotechnology firm and subsequently as a freelance science writer. Loren draws on this experience and his passion for science to create a customized approach to support nascent IDR initiatives on campus. “There’s no shortage of talent and energy here,” he says. “I’m thrilled to be part of a group committed to helping campus faculty achieve their interdisciplinary research ambitions.”