Support for Outstanding Academic Research (SOAR) is a strategic investment fund that is jointly managed by the Medical School department chairs and Medical School Office of Research. It provides a framework for multi-year, strategic investment for the research enterprise beyond the scope that can be achieved alone by either central administration or individual department investments. Creating transformative knowledge, advancing science, and improving health requires a significant investment in our faculty to drive their impactful scientific ideas into action and to shape a research legacy for decades to come. The primary use of the funds is for strategic faculty recruitment and retention, recognizing high-performing investigators, and outstanding scientists from across the entire research continuum—basic, translational, and clinical as well as health services, outcomes, and policy. Department chairs and chief department administrators can find more information about the program here. 

Strategic research growth is best achieved through valuing our existing faculty and supporting faculty productivity, diversity, mentorship, and entrepreneurship rather than increasing overall faculty numbers.

Valuing Our Own is a three-year program under SOAR that provides an annual return of 3% of the indirect cost (IDC) recovery from sponsored research expenditures to a faculty’s research discretionary account. The general program criteria include:

• 3-yr average of faculty member’s Medical School IDC recovery from sponsored research expenditures.
• Minimum threshold to be eligible is >$67,000 IDCs.
• Maximum annual payout of $25,000.
• Deposited into research discretionary account (unrestricted).
• Valuing Our Own has been approved through FY2024.