College of Medicine

FACULTY RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Mission

The purpose of the Faculty Research Advisory Committee is to advise the Senior Vice President for Biomedical Education and Research on matters relating to research by developing and annually revising a long- and short-range strategic plan for basic and clinical science research at Downstate Medical Center. This process will involve a review of the general research environment as well as specific research programs, policies and support services; the development of new research directions; and the setting of research and funding priorities.

Responsibilities of the Committee will include, but will not be limited to:

• development and maintenance of a research component to the College of Medicine's strategic plan
• evaluation of and recommendations for research investment needs
• ethics in research
• evaluation and recommendations regarding requests for emergency research support
• development of a process for and conducting an ongoing evaluation of space utilization for research
• research activity as it relates to tenure
• other policy development/implementation issues related to research as may be appropriate

Members

The Senior Vice President shall appoint 18 faculty members who are active in sponsored research. The Senior Vice President shall seek nominations from the Executive Committee of the Faculty and Professional Staff and the Department Chairs. Appointments, including the appointment of the Chair of the Committee, will be for three years (initial appointments will be staggered so that the terms of all members do not expire concurrently). Committee members may be reapppointed.

• M.A.Q. Siddiqui - Anatomy and Cell Biology (Chair)
• Ovadia Abulafia - Obstetrics and Gynecology
• MaryAnn Banerji - Medicine
• Stacy Blain - Pediatrics
• Edmund Bourke - Medicine
• Brahim Chaqour - Anatomy and Cell Biology
• Helen Durkin - Pathology
• Miriam Feuerman - Biochemistry
• Steven Fox - Physiology/Pharmacology
• Christopher Hellen - Microbiology and Immunology
• Mahmood Hussain - Anatomy and Cell Biology
• Jonathan Marmur - Medicine
• Sue Mirra - Pathology
• Todd Sacktor - Physiology/Pharmacology
• Henri Tiedge - Physiology/Pharmacology
• Vacant
• Keith Williams - Physiology/Pharmacology
• Tracey Wilson - Preventive Medicine

• JoAnn Bradley, Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Roger Cracco - Vice Dean for Research
• Susan Schwartz-Giblin, Dean of the Graduate School
• Fred Hammond, Chief Financial Officer
• Eva Cramer, Vice President for Biotechnology and Scientific Affairs
• John Allen, Assistant Vice President for Scientific Affairs

Subcommittees

The College of Medicine's Faculty Research Advisory Committee has established three subcommittees to carry out its short- and long-term responsibilities. In addition, Committee member "task forces" may be established from time to time to deal with issues requiring immediate action.

Each subcommittee will meet regularly, or as needed, and is encouraged to involve as appropriate, other faculty on an invitation or open attendance basis.

• Enhancement of Research -- This subcommittee will review and evaluate the issues and potential solutions/methodologies that investigators and the institution might employ enhance the quality and quantity of research undertaken at Downstate Medical Center. Recommendations will provide the basis for the full Committee's input to the research component of the College of Medicine's strategic plan.
  
  M.A.Q. Siddiqui - Anatomy and Cell Biology (Subcommittee Chair)

• Research Investment Priorities -- This subcommittee will: 1) implement a review and recommendation process for the allocation of specific institutional funds (i.e., bridge funds, GRI matching funds); 2) review faculty proposals for sponsors which limit the number of proposals from individual institutions and other institutional research related issues which require "peer review;" and 3) review and make appropriate recommendations regarding space usage and allocation within the College of Medicine.
  
  Steven Fox - Physiology (Subcommittee Chair)

• Ethics in Research -- This subcommittee, acting on behalf of the Senior Vice President for Biomedical Education and Research, will review and make recommendations as appropriate in cases of alleged scientific misconduct and potential/real conflicts of interest.
  
  Helen Durkin - Pathology (Subcommittee Chair)