Next-Gen K-State

Theme 4: Drive Transformational Discovery, Innovation and Scholarship

We must transform how we carry out our research mission in an integrated, interdisciplinary way — from our focus areas and culture to strategically building capacity through structures, resources and people.

K-State has the opportunity to build on our historic prowess in driving world-class discovery, innovation and scholarship by redefining our discovery culture with our land-grant mission at the forefront and leaning into our status as the only university in Kansas with a presence in all 105 counties.

To do so, we must establish a clear research agenda in alignment with our K-State Opportunity Agenda that leverages our core disciplinary strengths and pushes us to adopt interdisciplinary approaches, through both basic and applied research, and accelerate the growth of our research enterprise in new and unprecedented ways. This includes supporting junior faculty in their disciplinary development, thereby forming the basis for their research leadership in the future and future disciplinary and interdisciplinary discovery. As a comprehensive university, we must take great care to recognize and elevate discovery, innovation and scholarship across our entire institution — particularly creative endeavors in the arts and humanities that may not drive the same level of funding to K-State as other disciplines but generate equally as valuable impact for our university, society and world. We must also build environments, facilities, structures and resources that facilitate large-scale scholarship. This includes more efficiently coordinating and elevating these activities across our institution — best leveraging our existing footprint, providing appropriate pre- and post-award support for large-scale grants, spurring technology transfer and commercialization of the intellectual property our faculty develop, and growing the talented research workforce that enables this work. We will expand our faculty, graduate students and staff commensurate with our 2030 research targets, utilizing approaches like cluster hires aligned with our K-State Opportunity Agenda that focus on attracting and retaining talent in areas key to our future success.

Ultimately, we will create an environment where our partners recognize and seek out K-State as a place that will take their vision and resources to new heights through our talent, research collaboration and connections.