Integrating Krasnow as a research institute within Virginia’s largest
Carnegie Research I University has never been a simple proposition
although, it’s become more transparent since the Institute was merged
into the University in April of 2002. Basically the Krasnow Institute
for Advanced Study is a research unit (somewhat akin to an academic
unit) under the Provost of the University. The distinction between a
research unit and academic unit is blurred on a de facto basis,
because there are academic programs with faculty members who are
housed at Krasnow, and there are classes, brown-bag lunches and
seminars at the Institute, which are in actuality sponsored by
academic programs. The two most important of these are the doctoral
program in neuroscience and the doctoral program in social complexity.
However, as a research unit of the University, the main function at
Krasnow is basic research and the ultimate deliverable is scientific
discovery (with important metrics for this in peer-reviewed
publications, sponsored research awards and the like). Within this
model, the Institute serves both as a “jewel-in-the crown” and also
as an important catalyst for research across the University as a
whole. Our Centers are important examples of this catalyst function:
Neural Dynamics facilitates the research of faculty in Math, Physics,
and Psychology (to name a few), while Neuro-economics facilitates the
research of Law and Economics faculty members. Our Adaptive Systems
Laboratory facilitates the research of faculty members within the
Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering.
Along the same lines, our Imaging Core, will serve as shared-
instrumentation for the entire cognitive neuroscience community of
the University (and frankly the National Capital Area as well) but
will also facilitate the research of new faculty to be hired in areas
such as bioengineering.
Over the next five years, these bridges will be broadened, extended
and diversified. The goal is to have the Institute serve the
University both as a research resource (for other academic units) and
as an engine of scientific discovery in the area of cognitive
research while at the same time, through technology transfer serving
as the nucleus of an effort to make the University, an economic
engine of the region.
Discoverers and Discoveries 