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.

Public Safety Task Force: Former President Mark Schlissel and former Provost Susan Collins established the task force in January 2021 to assess public safety across the Ann Arbor campus, including Michigan Medicine, and to identify ways to strengthen safety and security. The task force included students, faculty, staff, parents, and campus leaders.

Student Mental Health: The University of Michigan is adopting new and innovative approaches to continue its focus on student mental health and well-being with resources targeting the holistic needs of students using a multidimensional approach and increased compassion.

Student Success: The purpose of this initiative is to promote the academic success of undergraduates at the University of Michigan as critical to their student experience and educational goal attainment. This requires focus on the whole student – on the interrelationships among their mental health and well-being, their engagement in the life of the university, and their academic success. Academic success means that each student experiences high quality learning, as measured by the achievement of learning outcomes in their major, attains degree completion, as measured by four- and six-year graduation rates, and achieves their educational goals, as assessed by the realization of their desired progression in life and career.