The Big Idea Challenge at the University of Oklahoma encourages the formation of transdisciplinary, convergent research teams focused on solving global grand challenges. BIC is designed to help nucleate teams and ideas and create opportunities for new and significant external funding that will position OU as a national and global leader in the areas of inquiry proposed, charting new pathways to discoveries, innovations, and social and policy solutions, while training the next generation of future interdisciplinary talent.
As a flagship public institution that is keenly focused on societal impact through research and creative activity, the University of Oklahoma is uniquely positioned to bring disparate academic disciplines together to foster innovative, comprehensive solutions to global challenges. Pillar 5 of the Lead On, University Strategic Plan defines four strategic themes that focus on grand challenges in aerospace, defense, and global security; energy and environmental sustainability; the future of health; and society and community transformation. In our vision for research and creative activity, researchers move beyond and across traditional academic boundaries, collaborating across disciplines and globally with other universities, policy makers, economists, artists and designers, and business leaders to create solutions for a better world. Our goal is to transcend academic disciplines and bring all of OU’s institutional strengths together to tackle global challenges and accelerate the delivery of practical solutions that impact society in direct and tangible ways.
To address global challenges (e.g., The Millennium Project and World Economic Forum) and positively impact society at the global, national, and regional scales, innovative approaches and new methodologies that converge the perspectives from science, engineering, social sciences, arts, design, and the humanities are needed. Transdisciplinarity occurs when two or more discipline perspectives transcend each other to form a new holistic approach. The outcome will be completely different from what one would expect from the addition of the parts. Transdisciplinary research is defined as research efforts conducted by investigators from different disciplines working jointly to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and translational innovations that integrate and move beyond discipline-specific approaches to address a common problem.
The BIC program provides resources to transdisciplinary teams of OU faculty, students, postdocs, and research staff pursuing bold proposals that go well beyond traditional inter- and multi-disciplinary efforts. BIC is intended to disrupt current research frameworks and approaches, which are often siloed and too dependent upon department- and college-centric thinking. These projects will position the university as a leader in generating new insights and game-changing contributions to solving regional, national, and global challenges in security, sustainability, health, and communities.
The transdisciplinary teams supported by BIC will pursue system-level projects that integrate social, political, ethical, and design and creative arts considerations with advanced science and engineering ideas to generate new holistic impacts and outcomes. Integrating science, engineering, and design and creative arts thinking with the deepest analysis of societal impacts and risks and keeping the "big picture" in mind will ensure that the great idea proposal teams will bring to life will be truly transformative. We welcome proposals for projects that advance social justice goals in research and public impact.
Project periods will last up to two years, depending on scope of the proposal. BIC themes align with OU’s Lead On, University strategic plan and with the specific strategic framework for research. In addressing these themes, successful proposals will be cross-cutting and multi-faceted, involving integrated equitable contributions to the overall project from faculty in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, professional programs, and STEM disciplines.
The four strategic themes of the OU strategic research plan serve as a guide to think about OU initiatives in the context of global challenges. Examples of potential topics, or combination of topics, are given below. Proposals that cut across these topics within or even preferably across themes and bring multiple areas together in the pursuit of a big idea are highly encouraged and will be given priority.
It is understood that these topics often overlap and do not exist as isolated silos, and as such should only be interpreted as examples and a guide. For example, emerging diseases related to climate change, global security, and the future of health can greatly affect the dynamics of communities. As another example, MIT’s center for arts, science, and technology (CAST) brings together faculty from multiple disciplines and connects the worlds of art, science, and technology to thrive as interrelated, mutually informing modes of exploration, knowledge, and discovery. Additionally, exponential advances in digital technologies are, today more than ever, impacting the ways in which we live, learn, and work in ways that are not fully understood; the ethical, legal, and societal implications of this digital transformation are complex and in need of deep scholarly thought and innovative approaches and solutions. Other examples of successful projects along these lines can found at Purdue Discovery Park Big Idea Challenge.
Faculty are encouraged to be broad in their approach and to create transdisciplinary teams that truly cut across these boundaries and tackle grand challenges holistically.
Written proposals shall not exceed three pages (single spaced, 12-point font, Times Roman) and will be evaluated to select projects for an oral presentation. The written proposal should include:
A detailed budget request aligned with the milestones should also be included but will not count toward the three-page limit. It is expected that a typical project will have a budget of up to $75,000 per year for up to two years. However, final budget determinations will be made after selection based on final scope and schedule. Budget resources will be provided by the OU Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships.
Cost share that reduces the overall cost to the VPRP office of a project (and therefore allows for more projects to be funded) from colleges or elsewhere is not required but is highly encouraged and valued.
Continued budget allocation to a winning project will be contingent on satisfactory progress in meeting the bi-annual milestones. Projects that do not show sufficient progress against their milestones will be terminated prior to the two-year nominal performance term. No cost extensions beyond two years will be allowed.
Proposals should be submitted to Ann West (awest@ou.edu) who is the Point of Contact for the BIC program in the OVPRP. West can facilitate pre- or post-award consultation of applicants with Lewis-Burke Associates or OU's Office of University Advancement and will coordinate with the Center for Faculty Excellence as appropriate.
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Proposals are evaluated by a team of selected OU academic leaders and external advisors representing the broad interests and capabilities of the campus. Care will be exercised to ensure intellectual diversity in the evaluation team and that there is no conflict of interest in the proposal evaluation process. The proposals will be scored based on the following weighed criteria:
Teams whose written proposals are selected for oral presentation will be invited to pitch their Big Idea in an oral presentation to the evaluation committee. The teams will compete in a public process akin to an entrepreneur’s pitch to venture capitalists. Presentations will be strictly limited to 8 minutes, with an additional 7 minutes for questions, and are expected to address all elements of the project succinctly but clearly, as well as describe the project team leadership qualifications, milestones, and the budget. Details on presentation framework will be shared with the selected teams.
