Principal Investigator Lorna Gibson
An Advisory Council on Neuroscience, reporting to the Provost and chaired by Associate Provost Lorna Gibson has been established in response to MIT's long-standing system of academic departments working alongside research centers.
The Council's members will come from the departments of Biology and of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) and from the McGovern Institute for Brain Research (MIBR) and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory (PILM). The Dean of Science will also be a member of the Council.
The charge to the Council includes the following:
(1) First and foremost, the Council will oversee and coordinate faculty hiring and recruitment in neuroscience. The Council will promote cooperation and resolve disputes that may arise among the units.
(2) Working with the directors, department heads and faculty of Biology, BCS, MIBR, and PILM, the Council will develop a coherent program for neuroscience at MIT, focusing on how each of the principal units can build its own strengths while also contributing to our larger success in neuroscience education and research. The Council will also consider how to encourage collaborative work across the Institute as neuroscience activities emerge in other departments and schools.
(3) The Council will make recommendations to the Provost regarding the use of centrally allocated resources including faculty positions, start-up packages, and shared space.
The Council will meet regularly and report periodically to the Provost on progress in relation to its charge. It will operate for a period of three years, after which time its role and the continued need for the Council will be reassessed.
Neuroscience at MIT has made important advances in a relatively short period of time, attracting outstanding faculty and students and generating impressive discoveries. It is not surprising that such rapid expansion and intense activity, spread across different academic and research units, have given rise to tensions among the units. We owe it to our faculty and students, and to the research sponsors and generous donors who have put their faith in us, to address the issues identified by the ad hoc committee so that this important and exciting endeavor can fulfill its great promise.