Indiana University

Position Summary

As the state’s premier urban research institution, Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI) is committed to being a welcoming campus community that reflects and enacts the values of diversity, equity and inclusion that inform academic excellence. We seek candidates who will not only enhance our representational diversity but whose research, teaching, and community engagement efforts contribute to diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning and working environments for our students, staff, and faculty. IUI condemns racism in all its forms and has taken an anti-racist stance that moves beyond mere statements to interrogating its policies, procedures, and practices. We hope to identify individuals who will assist in our mission to dismantle racism so that everyone has the opportunity to succeed at IUI.

IUI seeks a visionary founding Executive Director of the new Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing (H2W). The Executive Director, reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor for Research at IUI, must have a strong track record of research and leadership in a field of relevance to the Institute.

Since its founding in 1820, IU has built a globally recognized reputation for world-renowned research and creative excellence while serving Indiana, the nation, and the world. Comprising the university are IU Bloomington, IU Indianapolis, five regional campuses, two regional centers, nine School of Medicine campuses, and several Global Gateways connecting the university to the world. IU received $777.74 million in sponsored funding in FY 2023, of which $551.1 million was for research.

IU has committed to expanding IUI’s already extensive academic and research portfolios, enhancing talent attraction and retention, and investing millions of dollars in the campus. The campus’s location in the state capital of Indianapolis—the 16th largest city in the country—and its proximity to IU’s School of Medicine—the largest medical school in the country—and multiple Fortune 500 companies in the Life Sciences create unparalleled opportunities for collaboration with bioscience, technology, and health industry leaders.

Already, the university, the state, and federal funders are investing heavily in IUI, as evidenced by plans to establish a new Science and Technology Corridor (SciTech Corridor). The SciTech Corridor will leverage expanded research programs, new laboratory space, and robust STEM degree programs to attract faculty talent and grow enrollment in key disciplines, bolstering the talent pipeline for Indiana employers and fostering new industry collaborations.

Drawing on dedicated funds appropriated by the Indiana General Assembly, the university will invest $60 million to significantly expand and renovate research and laboratory space and up to $10 million to attract 30 new STEM faculty. These investments create exciting opportunities, perhaps unique in the nation, in terms of the potential for research advancements over the coming decade.

H2W is a vital component of IUI’s plan to increase research productivity and impact and is a foundation of IUI’s 2030 Strategic Plan to transform IUI into the state’s next-generation urban research campus. H2W will embrace IUI’s 2030 Strategic Plan objectives by:

• Fostering multi-disciplinary collaborations within and across all schools on campus, including the School of Medicine, to engage in high-impact research that will attract large-scale funding;
• Expanding efforts to translate research and creative activity to the public through a shared commitment to disclosure and licensing of inventions, discoveries, and innovations; entrepreneurship and commercialization; and partnerships with key constituencies; and
• Engaging with local community partners to ensure IUI implements health-focused research and initiatives designed to meet community needs and priorities, leading to more effective and sustainable solutions and improved health outcomes of the state and metropolitan region in which IUI is situated.

H2W is a campus-level interdisciplinary research institute consisting of faculty affiliates across all the life science and technology schools at IUI having joint appointments with the Institute. In addition, H2W will also serve as an incubator for the development of new research consortia with a special focus in artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), bio- and medical informatics, health equity, and community-engaged research.

In fulfilling its strategic mission, H2W will advance innovative interdisciplinary human health and wellbeing research and development at the intersection of health, life sciences, and technology that seeks to investigate chronic disease and holistic wellbeing—integrating mental and physical health to transform the health and wellbeing of our surrounding communities and beyond, both at the individual-and population-levels. H2W affiliates will collaboratively engage to seek evidence-based approaches to identify and address determinants of health and existing challenges to human performance.

Building on the research strengths already recognized in IU’s School of Medicine; School of Science; Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering; School of Nursing; School of Dentistry; Fairbanks School of Public Health; School of Social Work; O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and the School of Health and Human Sciences, the potential for immediate research growth could be in the areas of:

• Early detection of chronic disease, including diagnosis and monitoring;
• Implementation of AI for screening and chronic disease detection, behavioral interventions or awareness, and safety assessments;
• Physical activity and health monitoring;
• Sport analytics for performance prediction and injury prevention;
• Environmental health; and
• Health economics.

Other areas for planned growth for H2W include:

• Development of novel methods for data sequencing at the cell level or other laboratory approaches to identify molecular signals or signatures of chronic disease;
• Creative methods for monitoring and ameliorating environmental factors that lead to disease; and
• Innovative approaches to evaluating the benefits and costs of mental health, monitoring physical activity and diet/nutrition, and addressing physical injury.

Existing internal and external partnerships that H2W could immediately leverage include: the Regenstrief Institute; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Indianapolis Public Schools and other school systems across the state; Indiana Biosciences Research Institute; and multiple corporate partners, such as Indiana University Health; Eli Lilly and Company; Cook Medical; and Roche Diagnostics.

The H2W Executive Director will have the following responsibilities:

• Provide a coherent vision for collaborative human health and wellbeing research through effective leadership that embraces the full range of disciplines represented by H2W.
• Develop H2W’s national and international profile.
• Develop mutually-beneficial R&D partnerships with industry.
• Partner with the Vice Chancellor for Research to identify, promote, and contribute resources to strengthen H2W and manage its portfolio. This includes identifying and supporting opportunities for research within existing funding streams and, where possible, through multi-disciplinary collaboration and partnerships across the University and beyond, including peer institutions, healthcare organizations, corporations, governmental agencies, community-based organizations, and other concerned individuals.
• Work closely with existing centers and institutes at IU and IUI to ensure their growth and success.
• Stimulate the development of new research consortia and centers that are consistent with the H2W research focus, taking advantage of unique research and clinical resources within the University.
• Foster and support high quality research and scholarly activities within H2W by ensuring a stimulating, collegial, and well-managed environment.
• Attract, lead, retain and develop faculty and staff who will promote academic and research excellence within H2W and will contribute to the successful development of H2W and University.
• Manage resources effectively to ensure H2W is self-sustainable after a period of 5 years.
• Engage a range of internal and external stakeholders to collaboratively identify research opportunities and partnerships.
• Oversee regular meetings of the H2W Advisory Board; ensure that the Advisory Board receives regular progress reports and that any plans for the future of H2W take the Advisory Board’s counsel into consideration.

Basic Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• A terminal degree. Although a Ph.D., M.D., or M.D./Ph.D. is strongly preferred, candidates with other health or science-related terminal degrees (i.e., Pharm.D., D.V.M.) having other relevant training and experience will also be considered.
• Extensive research experience working in an academic, industrial, or government research setting.
• At least 10 years of experience leading successful cross-disciplinary research teams, as evidenced nationally and, preferably, internationally.
• Experience, or at least the firm understanding, in the range of scientific disciplines and areas represented by H2W’s mission.
• Acute understanding of the priorities, operation, and strategies of securing externally-funded grants and contracts to support research.
• Strong evidence of being a trusted and effective colleague.
• History of successful and effective staff management and professional development.
• Proven capacity to successfully train and develop early-career researchers.

Department Contact for Questions

Nominations, questions, or other inquiries should be directed to IU Executive Recruiting via the confidential inbox at exesrch@iu.edu.

Additional Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to meeting the required qualifications, the preferred candidate will have one or more of the following:

• Strong academic record and eligibility for the rank of Full Professor in an appropriate academic department at Indiana University.
• Extensive research experience at a research-intensive university.
• Successful and sustained record of achieving high levels of research-based funding as a Principal Investigator.
• Existing externally funded research in areas of science represented by H2W and the desire to maintain funding while serving in the Executive Director position.
• Experience developing and leading successful partnerships with any or all of the following external partners: peer universities, healthcare organizations, corporation, governmental agencies, community-based organizations, and concerned individuals.
• A record of pursuing and supporting technology transfer and licensing, and economic development activities.