Practice Overview
| Practice Name | Faculty-Engaged Research Strategy |
| Description | A coordinated set of convenings, including a scientific colloquium and research symposium series, designed to engage faculty in identifying research priorities, strengthening collaboration, and translating strategy into action. |
| Participants | Faculty |
| Frequency | Scientific colloquium held periodically; research symposiums held approximately once per semester, depending on topic area |
| Modality | In-person |
| Resources | Administrative time for planning and coordination, event-related costs (e.g., venue, catering, materials) supported through institutional- and program-level funding |
Introduction
Leaders at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center developed the Faculty-Engaged Research Strategy to increase involvement in shared governance by elevating faculty voice in identifying institutional research strengths and priorities and shaping institutional strategy. This approach combines two complementary strategies for convening leaders and faculty: a scientific colloquium to identify and prioritize research themes and a research symposium series to activate those priorities through collaboration and community building. The research themes and priorities identified in colloquium and symposiums both shaped and supported implementation of the institutions’ Impact 2035 strategic plan. By incorporating faculty voice in the identification of research strategies, the program supports more effective translation of research strategy into meaningful action. The first scientific colloquium was held in February 2025, followed by a series of research symposiums tied to research priorities.
Goals and Objectives
The goals of the Faculty-Engaged Research Strategy program include:
- Engaging faculty in identifying and refining institutional research priorities.
- Aligning research strategy with data-informed and faculty-identified institutional strengths and strategic goals.
- Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across departments and colleges (e.g., public health, engineering).
- Translating strategic themes into actionable research initiatives and programs.
- Building sustained research communities around priority areas.
Promising Practice Overview
The Faculty-Engaged Research Strategy program uses a structured, multistage approach that connects strategic discovery with sustained collaboration.
Scientific Colloquium: Institutionwide Discovery
The scientific colloquium brings together research leaders, including department chairs, center and institute directors, and health science college deans, to assess research strengths, evaluate the external landscape, and identify priority areas. The inaugural colloquium was held in February 2025, following approximately six months of planning and preparation focused on defining objectives, designing the agenda, and compiling data inputs.
The colloquium was organized around the findings of a comprehensive pre-planning assessment, including internal research portfolio data, program prioritization analyses, and external benchmarking. These materials were synthesized into pre-read documents and shared with participants in advance to provide a common foundation for discussion and ensure that conversations are both data-informed and forward-looking.
The event was structured as a half-day session and held off-site to stimulate excitement and create a focused environment for strategy work. The agenda was intentionally designed to balance information sharing with active engagement and includes several core components:
- Breakthrough research flash presentations. Five-minute scientific talks highlighting examples of types of breakthroughs that inspire and energize participants.
- Moderated panel discussions. Thirty-minute moderated discussions on current research strengths and emerging opportunities that could be leveraged.
- Small-group breakout sessions. Groups of six to eight participants identify top research themes and priorities. Breakout groups were assigned in advance to ensure a mix of perspectives, including variation in discipline, seniority, and role. Each group was supported by a facilitator and scribe and was guided by a structured discussion framework designed to prompt forward-looking, aspirational thinking.
- Facilitated report-outs. Groups shared recommendations and the priorities they identified.
During the colloquium, participants generated and refined priority themes by considering questions such as institutional strengths, opportunities for differentiation, and areas of high potential impact. These outputs were subsequently synthesized into a more focused set of strategic priorities, which were then further developed through faculty work groups or topic-specific convenings (i.e., research symposiums).
After the colloquium, participants received follow-up communication from the CEO of the medical center and a summary of the session with discussion notes and breakout session outputs. They also have ongoing access to session materials and a message board through a local intranet site.
The colloquium resulted in a list of thematic areas which were then condensed into strategic priorities based on criteria including most frequently mentioned, alignment with institutional strengths, and balance of potential impact and institutional differentiation. This colloquium approach shifts discussions from top-down strategy development toward a model that effectively integrates faculty insight, institutional data, and strategic context.
“People have so much insight and they just want to be invited to share that insight and given forums and opportunities to do that. … Just by doing that, we've learned so much about our research enterprise.”
— Meghann Gibboney, MHA
Research Symposium Series: Faculty as Strategic Drivers
Following the identification of priority areas, a series of research symposiums brought together faculty across disciplines to build momentum within specific topic areas. These symposiums were organized around themes that emerged from the scientific colloquium (e.g., women’s health, artificial intelligence in health, aging) and were designed to move from broad strategic priorities to actionable collaboration.
Symposiums are less resource-intensive than the colloquium, allowing for faster coordination of the convenings. They are held up to two times per year, depending on institutional priorities and topic readiness. Each event is developed through a partnership between the college of medicine’s Office of Research and one to three faculty leads with expertise in the selected topic area. While the Office of Research manages logistics (e.g., registration, communications, day-of operations), faculty leads define the agenda, identify speakers, and ensure that content reflects the needs and interests of the research community.
The format of each symposium is intentionally flexible but typically follows a full-day or half-day structure, incorporating a mix of presentation, networking, and interactive components. Core elements often include:
- Invited keynote and plenary presentations to provide context on the topic area and highlight emerging trends.
- Flash talks or invited research presentations showcasing ongoing work and areas of strength across the institution.
- Poster sessions that are open to anyone who would like to present a poster, including early-stage investigators and learners, to encourage visibility, networking, and new collaborations.
- Structured networking opportunities (e.g., facilitated discussions, informal networking breaks) designed to promote cross-disciplinary interaction.
- Strategy sessions or facilitated group discussions to surface shared challenges, identify resource needs, and generate ideas for collaboration or program development.
Participation is typically solicited through a combination of broad communications (e.g., institutional newsletters, research leadership channels) and targeted outreach from faculty leaders to ensure representation of key expertise. This hybrid approach allows the symposiums to engage both established research communities and individuals who may not yet be connected to existing networks.
Symposiums are designed to be inclusive and accessible, welcoming participants across career stages and levels of experience in the topic area. This openness is intentional, as it helps surface new perspectives, connect previously siloed researchers, and support the formation of new collaborations. In some cases, outputs from symposium discussions, such as identified barriers, infrastructure needs, or areas of shared interest, are used to inform follow-up activities, support grant development efforts, and facilitate proposals for new programs or centers.
Overall, the symposiums serve as a bridge between strategy and implementation, providing a structured yet adaptable model for activating research communities and sustaining momentum around priority areas.
Results and Impact
Early outcomes of the Faculty-Engaged Research Strategy program demonstrate both institutional and programmatic impact. The scientific colloquium generated strong engagement among research leaders and helped surface priority areas aligned with institutional strategy. Eighty faculty leaders attended the event representing 34 departments/disciplines, 15 centers/institutes and five health science colleges. The colloquium resulted in identifying 12 priority areas. In a post-event survey, participants reported high levels of enthusiasm and valued the opportunity to contribute to strategy development in a new way.
“None of this work would have been possible without the strategy team prioritizing the faculty voice … bringing them to the table really gave us an opportunity to harness that in a different way.”
— Sara Koenig, PhD
The research symposium series has produced measurable outcomes. For example, the Women’s Health Research Symposium convened 110 participants across 14 departments/disciplines and resulted in five priority areas. The symposium successfully advanced the women’s health research program resulting in the development of an internal advisory board, governance structure, and a strategic plan. At the institutional level, the symposium resulted in a proposal for a universitywide institute for women’s health research and active exploration of industry partnerships. Additional outcomes include the formation of cross-disciplinary faculty workgroups and networks, the expansion of collaboration across colleges and research domains, and the development of new initiatives, including research centers and service models. Although many results are currently qualitative, early indicators suggest strong faculty engagement, increased connectivity, and momentum toward larger institutional initiatives.
Resources Needed
Implementing this program requires a combination of leadership support, staffing capacity, and cross-functional collaboration. The scientific colloquium required significant institutional coordination, including executive leader sponsorship, strategy team and Office of Research project management, analytics support for the pre-planning assessment, and communications expertise to ensure effective execution. The symposium series operates with a more distributed and flexible model. The Office of Research manages logistics and coordination, while academic departments and faculty partners contribute content expertise, help shape programming, and cover financial costs. Financial resources vary by event, with some convenings involving dedicated funding for speakers, venues and/or catering, while others are designed to be more cost-efficient by leveraging existing institutional spaces and shared resources.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Key lessons from implementation include:
- Faculty engagement improves when individuals are specifically invited to contribute and provided structured opportunities to share insights.
- Clear communication about event purpose and audience is essential to ensure invited participants understand their role and others receive communication to stay informed.
- Planning timelines should allow time for coordination and stakeholder engagement – you’ll always need more time than you think.
Moving Forward
The institution plans to continue refining and expanding the symposium series to additional topic areas and to further formalize pathways for translating priorities into sustained programs and infrastructure.
Acknowledgements
This program was selected as a shared governance promising practice. The case study is based on an interview conducted with Meghann Gibboney, MHA, director of Strategy and Transformation at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Sara Koenig, PhD, senior director of Research Strategy and Operations at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, on June 17, 2026.
Medical School Statistics
| Name of Institution | The Ohio State University College of Medicine and the Wexner Medical Center |
| Location | Columbus, Ohio |
| School Size as of 2025 Number of medical students Number of full-time faculty |
9201 2,9542 |
| Public/Private: | Public |
1Source: 2025 AAMC FACTS Table B-5. Enrollment includes the number of students in medical school, including students on a leave of absence, on Oct. 31 of each year shown. Enrollment does not include students with graduated, dismissed, withdrawn, deceased, never enrolled, completed fifth pathway, did not complete fifth pathway, or degree revoked statuses. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/data/facts-applicants-and-matriculants. Accessed June 23, 2026.
2Source: AAMC. Faculty Roster: U.S. Medical School Faculty, 2025. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/faculty-institutions/report/faculty-roster-us-medical-school-faculty. Accessed June 23, 2026.
For more information, contact Amy Smith or Carolyn Brayko.
AAMC authors developed and finalized this case study, with support from generative AI in drafting early versions of the content.