Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to report that significant progress is being made on the construction of the new CITRIS Headquarters Building in the northeast quadrant of the campus. The building is going up quite rapidly now, and we expect the top off to occur by early March 2007. Completion and occupancy are a bit under two years away; however, it is not too soon to start planning for the initial group of occupants, dry-laboratory fit-out, creative use of common spaces, and other building activities. We have been making the rounds among your various schools and departments to give all potential collaborators and occupants an opportunity to hear about the suggested strategy and plans for occupancy. Many of you have already participated in those meetings. Although we have not finished those meetings, I wanted to get this invitation out early in the year and have decided not to wait until we have spoken to all of you in person.
Details of the Space and Application Process:
The CITRIS Headquarters Building Management Plan contains the following basic principles:
* Research (project-based) space will be allocated based on CITRIS mission-oriented project content rather than by academic discipline or personnel.
* CITRIS mission-oriented projects and CITRIS affiliated centers are collaborative research projects that are aligned with the broad suite of CITRIS themes. These are summarized on the CITRIS web site at www.citris-uc.org/research/areas. Projects with a strong multi-disciplinary component will be favored; typically that means that they include some faculty from outside of the College of Engineering as PIs or Co-PIs, Center Directors or co-Directors, or key investigators.
* Project-based space will be used on a rotational basis: when projects are completed and are no longer viable CITRIS projects, their space will be re-allocated to new projects.
* Space allocation will be determined by the CIRIS Director (under delegation from the Chancellor), under guidance of a Space Allocation Committee representing the users and the College of Engineering.
* Space assignment will result from a bidding process. This 2-stage selection process employs a simple web-based proposal (brief, essential needs outlined) followed by a team interview with the director and Space Allocation Committee.
Applicant Information sheets due by March 25
To begin the process of applying for space, I am asking those with an interest to fill out the brief information sheet located on the CITRIS web site at www.citris-uc.org/occupancy_proposal . We simply wish to know the goals of the proposed project, the expected benefits to society, and the needs of the project in terms of space / facilities / labs. Please complete the information sheet by March 25. My staff will begin scheduling meetings with potential applicants immediately after that date.
Sincerely,
Shankar
Shankar Sastry
CITRIS Director