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Discovery Park Membership Overview
In fall 2001, President Martin Jischke received a commitment from the Lilly
Endowment for funding to develop Discovery Park. Discovery Park will support
and house innovative large-scale multidisciplinary activities that are essential
to understanding and solving the complex issues in society today. Specifically,
Discovery Park will enhance interdisciplinary research in nanoscience, bioscience,
learning, and e-enterprise with strong support for entrepreneurship among
faculty and students. The long-term vision is to transform the generation
of knowledge and the integration of knowledge in Indiana businesses and
communities.
The creation of this highly innovative discovery, learning, and engagement
cluster is well underway. Ground has been broken for three of the five currently
planned facilities: the Birck Nanotechnology Center, Bindley Bioscience
Center, and the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. Funds are
being raised for Discovery Learning Center and the e-Enterprise Center.
I have been appointed as an Executive Director to direct Discovery Park
and to coordinate and integrate the activities of each center. Directors
and Co-Directors have been appointed for each Center: James Cooper and Richard
Schwartz, co-directors for the Birck Nanotechnology Center; Joe Pekny, director
for the E-Enterprise Center; V. Jo Davisson and George Wodicka, co-directors
for the Bindley Bioscience Center; Richard Cosier, director for the Burton
D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship and Jonathan Harbor and Margaret Rowe,
co-directors for Discovery Learning Center.
Funding is available for faculty research and programs that further the
mission and vision of Discovery Park. The selection of faculty to receive
funding from the individual centers will vary by center. The first two centers
will utilize faculty membership lists as a mechanism to distribute information
and to solicit applications for funding while the Bindley Bioscience Center
will use a list of "Affiliates" to solicit applications for funding.
The enclosed materials describe, specifically, what is meant by the terms
"member" or "affiliate" and list the benefits and responsibilities
of such association. In general, an application to be a "member"
or an "affiliate" of a center in Discovery Park indicates that
a faculty member's research program is directed towards the mission of an
individual center and that the research is multidisciplinary involving faculty
from outside the principal investigator's academic home. Moreover, an application
to be either a "Member" or an "Affiliate" of a center
signifies a commitment to further the goals and mission of Discovery Park.
Faculty may be associated with more than one center and are encouraged to
submit multiple applications for either membership or affiliation. Submission
of an application to one center does not associate the faculty member automatically
with the other centers in Discovery Park.
A significant benefit to membership or affiliation in a center of Discovery
Park is the connection with the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.
This Center is the link between Purdue faculty, staff, and students and
Indiana communities and businesses. Courses and workshops will be offered.
The staff will facilitate contacts for faculty entrepreneurs with funding
sources. Additionally, the facility will be a meeting ground for faculty
from many disciplines and will host activities designed to bring faculty
together.
Discovery Park was the inspiration of President Martin Jischke and has the
strong support of Provost Sally Mason. The directors are excited about the
opportunities for Purdue faculty that Discovery Park provides. Faculty involvement
is critical to the success of the centers and to the broad vision for Discovery
Park. I encourage you to read the enclosed materials about the Birck Nanotechnology
Center, the e-Enterprise Center, and the Bindley Bioscience Center and to
reply to the membership and/or affiliation call wherever you see linkages.
You do not need to apply again if you are already a current member. New
ideas and programs are being created at a rapid pace. We hope to have wide
faculty involvement that includes representation from many disciplines.
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