First Louisiana

8/7/2019 First Louisiana

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Based on unanimous recommendations of representatives fromresearch campuses statewide. FIRST Louisiana has been adoptedby the Board of Regents. th e coordinating and planning authority{or higher education. FIRST Louisiana provides the organizingframework for th e research component o f the Regents MasterPlan for Higher Education, which will t arge t re search foci andinvestment {or the coming decade. The plan is also an integralpart of the research and economic development component ofthe Louisiana Gaining Resources and Autonomies for Diplomas(GRAD) Act, a law proposed by the Governor and enacted by th elegislature ;n 20 I0 to measure campus performance and success.

Fostering Innovation through Research in Science and

Technology in Louisiana (FIRST Louisiana) is a statewideplan tha t will help chart di rect ions for insti tut ionalplanning and provide a foundation for a comprehensivestatewide approach to science and technology research,development and innovation. This framework wiltguide Louisiana's post.secondary education researchcommunity and industrial and public-sector partnersto strategically increase research productivity and buildcapacity in areas of long-term importance to the State.

By 2025, Louisiana's universities will leadth e State's dynamic innovation economy

through the advancement of Scienceand Technology research and education.

The plan is guided by a vision that places higher education as the leader in driving the State's dynamic innovationeconomy through th e advancement o{ science and technology research and educat ion. It is grounded in the basic

and applied sciences that lay th e foundation for sustained innovation. It leverages th e State's investments in people.tools and ideas across targeted multi-disciplinary areas, including materials science and information technology andbiotechnology, known for cutting-edge research and innovation that significantly impact research competitiveness aswell as attracting existing and emerging industries.

The plan includes strategies to enhance national competitiveness in translational research domains that relate to bothenabling science and technology and State and federal priorities Including the environment, biomedicine. agricultureand th e digital world. Strategies are also identified to enhance the competitiveness of existing industries in the Stateand to foster the growth of new and emerging industry sectors in cooperation with Louisiana Economic Development.

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Foundational Sciences

Basic and applied sciences that layth e foundation for long-termsustainability of th e academic

and innovationenterprise.

High Growth Target Industry

Transformative industrysectors that address State

and national needs.

21" Century Building Blocks

Building blocks for newadvances driven by scientific

discoveries of th e 20thcentury.

Core Enabling S&T Research

MultiMdisciplinary areas forcutting-edge research andinnovation that can impact

existing and emergingindustries.

Translational Research Domains

Research areas that are ofstrategic importance to

lousiana and/or the

nation.

Core Industry S&T Sectors

Existing sectors that could growthrough strategic research

and innovation.

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Foundational science and engineering research provides critical basic knowledge and understanding outof which translational innovations can grow. Advances in basic science provide avenues to of new,potentially useful applications. These applications, in turn, can result in innovative products and processes,even entire industries.

,,-.~- 0 , Basic scientific research is largely funded by the federal government. To be competitive for this funding,

faculty must develop their research programs and laboratories over years of consistent focus andinvestment. Science and engineering departments, usually organized by discipline, provide the structure through whichnew research faculty are hired, supported, and evaluated.

FI RST louisiana's engagement of a broad array of scientific and engineering disciplines is critically important to shapinglouisiana's future intellectual capacity and talent for innovation. Without a stable, broad and engaged foundation infundamental and applied scientific research, the sustainability of innovation over the long term is impossible. Therecruitment and retention of top research talent in the foundational sciences are the moS[ essential activities of any innovationecosystem.

FIRST louisiana focuses broadly on the foundational science disciplines that feed the State's industrial and translationalresearch targets: physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, computational science, earth sciences, agriculturalsciences, biological sciences, biomedical science, and the social. behavioral and economic sciences.

louisiana's research universities have already built a strong foundation ofacademic programs in each of these disciplines.These existing programs, bolstered by continued infusions of research talent, provide an essential platform to supportFIRST Louisiana's success.

TARGETED FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCES

Physical sciences Biological sciences

Mathematics Biomedical science

Engineering Social sciences

Computational sciences Behavioral sciences

Ear-th sciences Economic sciences

Agricultural sciences

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Atoms and molecules, genes and proteins, and bits and bytes, all major advancements of the 20th century,are the building blocks for innovation in this new century. Recent scientific discoveries and advancementsin equipment and facilities have spurred scientists and engineers around the world to deploy these bUilding

blocks to impact every aspect of life today. And th e possibilities for the future are unlimited.

Louisiana researchers from many disciplines and institutions ar e already actively engaged in research thatis leveraging these building blocks. Through a combination of federal. state. and private investments overthe past tw o decades. Louisiana is well positioned with cuttJng*edge Infrastructure to effectively competein these areas. Continued success in securing funding and talent at the highest levels is dependent onmaintaining existing infrastructure and keeping pace with constant and rapid advancements in tools andtechnologies.

Major research facilities including th e Center forAdvanced Microstructures and Devices at Louisiana

State University. th e Institute for Micromanufacturing atLouisiana Tech University, and th e Advanced MaterialsResearch Institute at the University of Ne w Orleansprovide high-tech tools for Louisiana's materials scienceand nanotechnology researchers.

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Atoms &

. .Molecules

Louisiana has excelled in Biosciences research, resulting in th e expanSion ofoutstanding basic, applied, and translational research facilities at Louisiana StateUniversity, Pennington Biomedical Research Center , th e HealthScience Centers,TulaneUniversity, and at other institutions across th e State. The Louisiana Gene TherapyResearch Consortium, Tulane Center for Gene Therapy, Louisiana TherapeuticPeptides Center, South Louisiana Institute for Infectious Disease Research, LouisianaVaccine Center, LSU Agricultural Center; Louisiana Tech Biomedical EngineeringCenter, and Feist-Weiller Cancer Center are just some of th e related units thatprovide core infrastructure for biomedical and biotechnology research.

Th e Louisiana Optical Network Initiative providesLouisiana's researchers with one of the mostpowerful and robust cyberinfrastructures in theworld. The

h i g h ~ s p e e doptical network connects

all universities to high-performance computers inLouisiana as well as to leadership-class computerson the National Science Foundation's Teragrid. TheLouisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise makesa

w o r J d ~ c l a s svisualization environment available to

researchers and industry.

While the existing collective materials, bio- and cyber-infrastructure in Louisiana prOVides a world-classscientific research environment, it could be quickly outdated without significant and persistent investment.It is imperative that Louisiana continue to maintain, upgrade and expand this infrastructure so ou r facultyand partners have access to

s t a t e ~ o f - t h e - a r ttools that allow them to advance both fundamental and applied

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Major scientific advancements of the 21st century are leading us deeper and deeper into miraculously tinyand complex environments: microchips, genes and genomes, atomic components and subcomponents. Ou rrecently discovered ability to understand, see, measure, manipulate, and build objects at very small scales

has ted engineers and scient is ts to design and develop innovative materials, devices, and systems neverbefore imagined and in high demand in the marketplace. Th e fields of materials science and nanotechnology,biosciences and biotechnology, and infannadan sciences and information technology are have providedessential advances to enable innovations at these scales.

Materials Science an d Nanotechnology

The National Nanotechnology Initiative is currently investing almost $2 billion peryear in research and development across multiple Federal agencies, reflecting boththe impor tance and the impact that nanotechnology is expected to have in virtuallyevery sector of th e economy. Ne w materials developed through nanoassembly ornanofabrication can improve the performance and functionality of many manufacturedproducts or enable th e development of new products.

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Biosclences an d Biotechnology

Our ability to manipulate genes and proteins is generating new advances in bioscienceand biotechnology. Medical researchers are developing new tools for the prevention,detection and diagnosis of diseases for improving general health and well-being.Biologists ar e creat ing new plant species with improved resis tance to disease andmicro-organisms for prevention of harmful effects, as well as essential new productslike biofuels.

InfoNnotion Sciences an d Information Technology

High performance computers prOVide scientists with new tools for investigating endlesshypotheses, and accelerating discovery and innovation across science and technology.Through virtual modeling, simulation, analysis, and visualization of complex phenomena,researchers are able to explore more options in shorter periods of t ime than could bedone experimentally. And through high-speed networks, researchers can transmit vastamounts of data to share th e discovery process with collaborators globally. .... r '

Most significant innovations occur a t the interface of traditional disciplines, and frequently have applications across multipledomains. These innovations are sometimes referred to as core enabling science and technologies. Research led by louisianascientists and engineers provides several real-world examples: a novel process for nanoassembly of molecules generatingnew technologies for biomedicine, biofuels and specialty coatings; research into a particular protein leading to vaccinesfor humans as well as applications in veterinary medicine; and th e development of new "cybertools" enabling advances inbiotechnology and materials science.

Core enabling technologies ar e high-impact, high-yield, so fostering interdisciplinary research that leads to such discoveriesis a priority for louisiana. FIRST louisiana places a major emphasis on th e growth of multi-disciplinary research centersof excellence with potential to develop these cross-cutting ideas and results in the context of louisiana's existinginvestments and strengths in materials science and nanotechnology, bioscience and biotechnology, and information scienceand information technology. Research that emerges from these centers of excellence will play an essential role in drivinginnovation for louisiana's existing and emerging industry sectors. 6


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Uke most areas, louisiana has particular research needs that grow out of its unique location, history,culture and opportUnities. FIRST louisiana focuses on research domains that are of strategic importanceto louisiana, but also align with the existing and prospective needs of business and industry. This dualfocus ensures that FIRST louisiana serves the State and its citizens while and by focusing on business andindunry needs. It enables louisiana's research community and industry base to be more competitive nowand in the future through applications of enabling science and technologies emerging from louisiana'scenters of excellence.

FIRST louisiana's translational research Is focused in the energy, coastal, environmental, digital, biomedicaland agricultural domains. These areas represent louisiana's traditional industrial strengths (energy andagriculture), recent growth industries (digital and biomedical), and high-priority issues (coastal andenvironmental) for the State.

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. " louisiana hilS one of the nation's longest coasdinesand the world's most navigable waterways. Thesefeatures have provided the State with economicopportunities from recreation and tourism to seafood andaquaculture to shipping and ports. The coast also presentsspecial challenges as it is subject to hurricanes. inundation,erosion, and enviroomental attacks. Research of coastalphenomena is no t only essential for the continued viability ofdependent industries, but for the protection of louisiana's landmass and future economic growth.

COASTAL

louisiana is one of the nation's leading energy

states and a major global supplier of oil andgas. The challenge of recovering oil and gas fromdeep reservoirs has created new needs for researchand innovation. louisiana also recognizes the importanceof alternative sources of energy such as nuclear materialsand biofuels. In the future, it will not only be importantfor louisiana to be a major supplier of biomass for fuelbut also to use its intellectual capacity to be a leader inbiofuel production. distribution. and innovation.

ENERGY

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ENVIRONMENTAL

louisiana is one of the world's largestpetrochemical producers largely because of itsproximity to the Gulf of Mexico's coast and itslarge petroleum and natural gas reservoirs. As wasmanifested in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. a delicatebalance must be maintained between tapping louisiana'snatural resources and the impacts of related industrieson the environment. louisiana has much at stake andmuch to gain by being a national leader in environmentalresearch and development.

DIGITAL

The digital domain is louisiana's most recentresearch frontier. It has been bolstered byLouisiana's major investments in advancedmaterials, cyberinfrastructure and related academicprograms. Computers, storage devices, networks and softwareare transforming every industry sector and creating newsectors never before envisioned. louisiana has the ability andmomentum to make major contributions in the digital domain.

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BIOMEDICAL

louisiana has a high percentage of citizenswho suffer from obesity, diabetes, cancer andrelated diseases. Significant health care costsare imposed on our citizens and the nation as aresult of these diseases. It is imperative for louisianaresearchers to discover cures, develop treatments, andpromote health and quality of life for ou r citizens, and inso doing, to improve health care for aiL

AGRICULTURAL

Agriculture has been a driver for Louisiana'seconomy for more than 200 years. louisianahas a rich soil, an abundance of water, a favorableclimate. and convenient distribution systems foragricultural produce and timber. The state will continue tosupply the nation with agricultural products throughout the21 st century. Louisiana researchers have and will continueto play important roles In ImprOVing the productivity of agribusiness and the value of agricultural products.

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C o~

SEC 0 S

louisiana's eXlstmg industry sectors are largelyan outgrowth of the state's natural resources andlocation. These sectors are in different stages of

growth or decline, bu t all retain a critical mass {oreconomic viability. Very few of these sectors have asignificant focus on science and technology researchand even fewer have corporate research anddevelopment operations in louisiana. It Is importantthat FIRST louisiana recognize. encourage, andsupport research and innovation that could impactthe long-term Viability and growth of these industries.

CORE INDUSTRY SCIENCE &TECHNOLOGY SECTORS

InformationTechnology and Services

Agricultureand

Bia-productsEnergy and EnvironmentHealthcare

Petrochemical

Transportation. Constructionand

ManufacturingAerospaceArts and Media

HIGH GROWTH TARGET INDUSTRY

louisiana's higher education institutions and economic development organizationsrecognize the need to target th e development of industry seetors that offer newopportunit ies for rapid growth and high wages for ou r citizens. These sectors are

typically knowledgebased and born from or attracted by innovations resulting fromacademic research. They may also include spin-outs from existing companies withhigh levels of innovation activity. Such companies are highly dependent upon a readysupply of highly skilled knowledge workers associated with research universities, aswell as experienced entrepreneurs and access to early-stage and venture capital.

Materials & ChemicalsEnergy Production

Coastal ResilienceDigital Media

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Cyber SecurityBiomedical

Bioengineered Solutions

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High Growth

Target Industry

Materials & ChemicalsEnergy Produaion

Coastal ResilienceDigital MediaCyber SecurityBiomedicalBioengineered Solutions

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Materials Science & NanotechnologyComputational Science &Information TechnologyBioscience & Biotechnology

EnergyCoastalEnvironmentalDigitalBiomedicalAgricultural

PetrochemicalEnergy & EnvironmentalInformation Technology & ServicesArts & Media

Healthcare ~riculture & Wood Productsnsportation. Construction & Manufacturing

PhysicsChemistryMath

EngineeringComputer ScienceEarth ScienceAgricultural ScienceBiologyBiomedical ScienceEconomic & Social Science

Atoms & MoleculesBits & BytesNucleic & Amino Acids

Core IndustrySAT Sectors

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The goals, strategies and potential means of support for FIRST Louisiana initiatives differ byfocus area, and ar e summarized below.

GOAL I Foundational SciencesTo retain, cultivate and attract world-class talent.

Pr imary St ra teg ies

Increase the number of eminently qualified research faculty

Increase the number of STEM doctoral graduates Increase the pipeline of highly trained STEM students

Implementing Strategies

Establish research mentoring programs for junior faculty

Provide competitive start-up packages for faculty Plan and expand initiatives for recruiting endowed super-chairs

Provide supplemental institutional doctoral fellowships Expand undergraduate research experiences

Investment Strategies

Institutional investments

FoundationalSciences

BoRSF competitive opportunities: Endowed Chairs, Professorships,Graduate Fellowships, and R&D programsCompetitive federal grants

GOAL 2 21 It Century Building BlocksTo lay the foundation for sustained Innovation by developlnl and maintalpllJ8leadership-class infrastructure and facilities for fundamental research.


Plan expansion of shared-use infrastructure resources acrossinstitutions

Maintain leadership-class research infrastructure


Identify needs and funding sources for developing and maintainingcritical infrastructure/instrumentation and renovating facilities

Build major new shared-use research facilities


Statewide infrastructure investments

21" CenturyBuilding Blocks

Major shared equipment enhancements 10


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GOAL 3 Core Enabling Science &: Technology ResearcllTo accelerate the g ro wt h o f r es ea rc h a nd innovation cen ten of ex,technology areas that are applicable to existing an d emerginl lndust ty

Primary Strategies

Stimulate high-levels o( innovation

Pursue multi-insti tutional center grants

Implementing Strategies Provide incentives for high levels of innovation

Create clusters of innovation on and across campuses

Promote innovative models (o r technology transfer and

commercialization Establish collaborative multi-institutional R&D centers including

industry partners


Institutional investments

Core Enablinj!.S&T Researcfi

BoRSF enhancement

Competitive federal grants

GOAL 4 Translational Research DomainsTo link, leverage an d build upon statewide R&D resources In areasthat ar e of strategic importance to Louisiana an d th e nation,


Target niche areas aligned with resources, strengths, needs and opportunities

Invest resources to build capacity In areas o( competitive advantage


Organi ze State, regional and national conferences In target areas

Provide matching fundingf or major grant opportunities in target areas

Promote multi-institution and multi-state R&D initiatives


EPSCoRIIDeA and other competitive Federal grants

BoRSF special init iat ives

Designated Federal, State and industry funding

Cluster hires

TranslationalR e . = hDomains

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Primary Strategies

Foster U/I/G collaborative R&D and stimulate innovation

GOAL 5 Core Industry Science & Technology SectorsTo enhance th e competitiveness of core industry sectors through Innovationsfrom louisiana's R&D enterprise.

Encourage small-business formation to acceleratetechnology development


Establish a s ta tewide ent ity for promoting and integratingU/I/G R&D

Expand upon networking environments for academia andindustry

Institute an industry ties R&D grant program


Industry R&D funding

Sta te industrial t ies funding and tax credi ts

Federal technology transfer funds

GOAL 6 High Growth Target IndustryTo foster th e growth of technology-based businesses in targeted areas alignedwith university R&D strengths.

Primary Strategies

Establish high-tech industry sectors in emerging areas


Recruit earlystage entrepreneurial companies

Stimulate entrepreneurial activit ies Develop and marke t intellectual property


S ta te innovation seed funds and tax c red it s

Industry and investor funding

Federal SBIR, STIR and TIP funding

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FIRST Louisiana will leverage funding from federal, state and privatesources to accomplish its major goals. The communication of theses ta tewide direc tions and prior it ies will lead institutions to align

strategic plans, resources, and future investments in ways that supportFIRST Louisiana's goals. The focus area strategies and goals will providedirection to campuses in ensuring research activities are within thescope of the statewide plan.

Board of Regents Support Fund programs can play an important rolein advancing FIRST Louisiana initiative!l as well as in promoting multiinstitutional collaborations. In particular, the Endowed Chairs forEminent Scholars, Endowed Professorships and Graduate Fellowshipsprograms support th e recruitment and retention of talented facultyand students to Louisiana institutions. Research & Development andEnhancement programs support new faculty as they develop their research programs and laboratories. The Industrial Ties

Research Subprogram supports collaborative research between university faculty and industry partners that is essentialfor successful transfer of information and technology. Special programs may also be established through the Support Fundfor critical FIRST Louisiana priorities no t sponsored through th e traditional programs. Success In securing Support Fundgrants will ensure the competitiveness of Louisiana researchers and help to leverage both federal funds and private-sectorinvestment.

The Louisiana Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (Louisiana EPSCoR). supported by the NationalScience Foundation, provides leadership essential for building statewide research and workforce capacity. Louisiana EPSCoRwill playa key role in aligning statewide initiatives with th e goals of FIRST Louisiana to target and leverage EPSCoRiIDeAand other major federal grants. University faculty should become increasingly competitive for federal funding as researchinfrastructure and centers in the plan's S&T target areas are enhanced.

Some federal funding is also available to support collaborative industry/university research. Small Business InnovationResearch (SBIR) and Small Technology Transfer Research (STIR) grants are supported by most federal agencies. Otheragencies such as the National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) offer special programs to support TechnologyInnovation Partnerships. The National Science Foundation has opportunities such as the Grant Opportunities forAcademicLiaison with Industry program and th e Partnerships for Innovation program which provide direct support for industry/university collaborations.

The Louisiana Legislature and Governor have provided some funding for major strategiC infrastructure advancements thathave been central to development of FIRST Louisiana's core strengths. The Louisiana Innovation Council is expected toprovide additional support in the future. In addition, th e State of Louisiana provides strong encouragement of industryresearch through R&D ta x credits.

Blue Ocean Initiative

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Louisiana Economic Development conducted a study in 2009 that reviewed national industry characteristics~ ~ . .

trends, resulting in th e Blue Ocean Initiative which targets six "blue ocean" sector themes and twelveg r o ~ . . . . - $

{orL o u i s i a n ~ ~ ~ e 1 I l J !

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S 3 l l i ~ u i s i a n a ' straditional strengths and

{ o c ~ son

r e s e a r c h ' ) and

w o r k ~ ~ ~ t ' T h 3 . tSrlng

n e w : c a p a ~ J t ~ : s : : !_'

~ t a t e .Th e Blue Ocean themes Include

N e x t W a ~011 and Gas,

Wa"'6f""w-a-nagement, Renewables and Energy Efficiency,' S ~ l t y

Healthcare, Next Generation Au et and Digital Medial

~ ' f J . ' o l i l l 1Development. Th e growth of companies in these se!=t:ors will be enabled by innovati s emerging {rom the

research con . FIRST Louisiana's Translational Research Doma .


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FIRST Louisiana is an important step forward for Louisiana. providing a comprehensive framework for scienceand technology development and investment across universities, private industry and government. Rooted inth e State's existing investments and economic and educational priorities, the plan positions higher educationinstitutions in the vanguard of Louisiana's growing high-tech economy, and maps a future which takes traditionalstrengths in 2lstcentury directions. This will create critical new opportunities for th e State's businesses andindustries, its universities, and its citizens. By investing in th e comprehensive FIRST Louisiana framework, we arepoised no t just to join th e new cen tu ry o f innovatlon, bu t to lead it.

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