Illuminate
Baylor’s pathway to becoming the preeminent Christian research university is guided by the foundational pillars of Illuminate, the University’s strategic plan. Adopted in 2018, Illuminate serves as a roadmap to pursue research and scholarship marked by quality, impact, and visibility, within an environment where Baylor’s Christian mission can flourish. Baylor recognizes the opportunity to lead in ground-breaking research to address significant global challenges while meeting the highest standards of conduct expected by the sponsors who entrust the University with research funding.
Our pathway is also guided by the pursuit of research opportunities in the Illuminate signature areas of interdisciplinary focus including health; data sciences; materials science; human flourishing, leadership and ethics; and Baylor in Latin America. Research and collaboration in these areas spans all schools and colleges across the University.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR), under the leadership of the Provost, has shepherded strategic initiatives aligned with Illuminate that provide resources to support faculty, staff, and students directly in their research endeavors, as well as to scale the facilities and compliance infrastructure required to support the growth in research.
The timeline below reflects highlights from these ongoing initiatives.
2018
- Academic Strategic Plan, Illuminate, set for 2018-2022
2019
- Funding for Centers and Institutes, startups and other seed funding aligned with research objectives.
- Lab to Market Collaborative operationalized.
- Management of research facilities centralized.
2020
- Hiring of University Research Administrator (URA) team completed.
- Key post award responsibilities transitioned from Finance to OVPR
2021
- The Illuminate strategic plan was reinforced for another five years by the Board of Regents through the adoption of Illuminate Forward.
- Conversion to project portfolio management in new ERP system (Ignite) completed.
- Postdoc hiring program launched.
- Processes for graduate student tuition and insurance streamlined.
2022
- Research Integrity Officer (RIO) named in OVPR.
- New eRA system selected.
- Research training
2021
- The Illuminate strategic plan was reinforced for another five years by the Board of Regents through the adoption of Illuminate Forward.
- Conversion to project portfolio management in new ERP system (Ignite) completed.
- Postdoc hiring program launched.
- Processes for graduate student tuition and insurance streamlined.