Past Initiatives

The items listed are either efforts initiated by the Office of the Provost that have been completed, or projects that have transitioned to ongoing units or programs.

Biosciences Initiative:  Sponsored by the president and provost, the committee made recommendations to align practices, policies and investments in the biosciences with U-M’s strategic priorities. The Initiative supported U-M faculty in the life sciences and convergent disciplines by catalyzing research in emerging areas of strength, strengthening core facilities across campus, and advancing the education and training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. It was also charged with creating greater opportunities for community, collaboration, and coordination among those engaged in biosciences and related research and education across the university.

Early Tenure-Track Faculty Research Support Initiative: The Provost’s Early Tenure-Track Faculty Research Support Initiative provided flexible funds to support tenure-track faculty from the Ann Arbor campus as they undertook research, scholarship, and creative practice that had been slowed or postponed by the constraints of the pandemic.

Humanities Collaboratory: The Office of the Provost launched the Humanities Collaboratory in 2015 to “singularly generous grants to support innovative and ambitious forms of humanities scholarship.” The Collaboratory provides humanists with access to the resources needed for diverse projects exploring challenging and complex issues facing the global community.

Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS): In 2015, the university launched a Data Science Initiative with plans to invest $100 million over five years to enhance opportunities for student and faculty researchers across the university to tap into the enormous potential of big data. This initiative evolved into the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS), a collaboration involving more than 400 faculty members from U-M schools and colleges involved in the transformative use of data science and artificial intelligence.

Michigan Undergraduate Education in the Third Century: In February 2018, the Office of the Provost established a task force of university faculty, students, and staff to address fundamental questions pertaining to “Undergraduate Education in the Third Century.” Over the course of a year, the task force convened to establish a set of shared values, research and benchmark best practices, and challenge the university to build upon the strong undergraduate experience in ways that further its shared values.