Goal 1

Serve as a world leader in Arctic research and related graduate education

UAF must continue to build upon its research strengths in order to function as a center of excellence in northern research and related graduate education. Emphasis on interdisciplinary research and scholarship bringing the various UAF departments and research institutes closer together will position the University to respond to emerging state, national and international research opportunities. To secure leadership in arctic research by the year 2005 UAF will undertake the following strategies:

  1. Continue the development of UAF as a center of excellence specializing in arctic and subarctic research.
    1. Develop both basic and applied research programs and projects and emphasize interdisciplinary scholarship that will provide an understanding of the problems and issues of northern regions and their populations.
    2. Develop research collaboration among appropriate urban and rural UA campuses and units (e.g., EPSCoR, COBRE, Title III, INPSYCH).
    3. Collaborate with Alaska Natives and northern nations to develop research programs specific to northern issues.
    4. Improve and maintain the infrastructure for scientific research at UAF, to include state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, computing resources and computer networking.
  2. Increase the capacity to train graduate students in disciplines related to northern issues and educate them to play leading roles in tomorrow's society.
    1. Strengthen and selectively expand graduate programs related to research strengths and northern issues, particularly at the Ph.D. level.
    2. Increase resources for graduate fellowship programs to include more students and provide for additional disciplines and interdisciplinary study.
  3. Utilize preeminence in arctic research to enhance the undergraduate experience.