Commitment II

Broadening Interdisciplinary Research and Impact

The work of a Christian research university must be informed, first and foremost, by its faith commitment. It is crucial that Baylor be recognized as a global expert on issues at the intersection of Christianity and society. As Christians, we are uniquely called to love God and neighbor, to be faithful and wise stewards of God’s creation, to care for the sick and wounded, to feed the hungry, and to stand up for and attend to the needs of “the least of these.” In doing so, Baylor has an opportunity to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world.

Contributing meaningfully to society’s greatest challenges through research will require us to think and act beyond our comfort zone, to move beyond our siloed areas of interest and expertise, and to embrace collaboration at the intersection of where a global Baylor meets a diverse and complex world. To do this, we must recruit, develop and retain talented faculty, staff and students who pursue innovative interdisciplinary research and scholarship in existing areas of strength. We must focus resources and program development in areas through which research growth will lead to greater impact on student learning, contribute to the growing need for professionals and provide solutions to immense challenges facing our world. We should take full advantage of Baylor’s location in the center of the “Texas Triangle,” an area of enormous growth in population, economy, research and technology that includes Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston, and focus our work in areas in which the University can effectively partner and compete for and retain talent.

Commitment II Strategies are focused on building systems to support growth in existing areas of research excellence and developing new areas, supported by an infrastructure that values innovation and elevates interdisciplinarity.

Strategies

1. Strengthen distinctive areas of interdisciplinary research excellence by hiring and retaining world-class faculty and staff.
2. Cultivate research strength in areas focused on human health.
   1. Prioritize growth in health-related research across disciplines.
   2. Develop research strength focused on areas such as chronic diseases, preventative health, bioengineering, mental and behavioral health, health access and delivery, rehabilitative health, global public health, and bioethics.
3. Build on existing expertise in the sciences and engineering that align with the research, educational and economic opportunities in the Texas Triangle and beyond.
   1. Build on the emerging strengths in materials science and engineering.
   2. Develop new areas of research expertise in bioengineering and advanced materials and manufacturing, with particular consideration for aligning with the growth of research in the Texas Triangle focused on space exploration and semiconductors.
4. Develop expertise around the data sciences, emerging technologies and the human interface with technology.
   1. Foster interdisciplinary research on ethics and emerging technologies.
   2. Advance research in the use of artificial intelligence across disciplines and integrate cutting-edge data science and technologies into Baylor’s educational programs and operations in ways that are effective and ethical.
5. Build upon existing research and teaching strength around human flourishing.
   1. Expand research focusing on world Christianity, specifically its global nature, reach and relevance.
   2. Build upon research focusing on the interface between food and economic security in Texas, Latin America and across the globe.
   3. Grow research focusing on disabilities and leading to greater inclusion in congregations, communities and professions (e.g., special education, disability ethics, disability and the arts, disability and environment).
   4. Cultivate initiatives that integrate the arts and humanities into larger initiatives of human flourishing.
6. Extend research strength and impact in environmental health and sustainability.
   1. Enhance research focused on water quality and quantity, air quality, renewable resources, climate, and other factors impacting God’s creation.
   2. Build research strength focused on the interconnectedness of environmental factors and human health and flourishing.
7. Facilitate collaboration across the University’s colleges, schools, departments and administrative units with strategic hiring and with support for large, interdisciplinary research projects.