An Update from UMB's Research Task Force
Dear UMB Community,
I am writing today to share a thoughtful letter sent this week by two of our Distinguished University Professors, Drs. E. Albert Reece and Robert K. Ernst, on behalf of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Research Task Force.
As you may recall, UMB launched the Issues Management Advisory Group (IMAG) in January to assess how federal policies and other developments might impact the University. Through this effort, UMB also established several task forces designed to focus on key areas including research, communications, and international programs.
I echo Drs. Reece and Ernst in commending all who have contributed to these crucial efforts.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
I am sharing their original message here:
Over the last 10 months, there have been many disruptions and potential harms to the academic research enterprise across the United States. As funding has slowed or been terminated, the impacts have trickled down and are threatening the integrity of the research training and workforce pipeline. These impacts may reach out years into the future. If institutions of higher education cannot support students by funding graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral research training programs, the United States will face a shortage of well-educated and qualified biomedical scientists and health and human service workers. This will have consequences for the health and well-being of people throughout Maryland, the United States, and across the globe.
The Research Task Force would like to acknowledge and affirm the effective work that UMB’s deans, chairs, directors, and PIs have undertaken to find creative and unique solutions to continue funding and educating the next generation of scientists. To date, many programs at UMB have found ways to retain existing scholars and support incoming cohorts. This is not an easy task, but it is critical to the long-term pipeline as well as the reputation of UMB.
Sincerely,
E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, and Robert K. Ernst, PhD,
on behalf of the Research Task Force
