MSCHE Self Study April 2021

of about $350,000 annually, with most support coming from indirect charges and per diem costs to research grants. In addition to these expenditures, research activities at the College are supported internally by the Schnurmacher Institute for Vision Research (SIVR), with its endowment and funding managed by the Optometric Center of New York (OCNY), the College’s affiliated foundation. The associate dean for graduate studies and research is the current director of the SIVR. With an annual budget of about $90,000, the SIVR supports approved pilot studies for innovative translational and clinical research as well as the SIVR Colloquium Series. The series brings to the College nationally and internationally recognized researchers to lecture and meet with research faculty and graduate students ( SIVR Lectures ). The College promotes its researchers and their activities and increases their visibility through a number of mechanisms including the following:  The College is an active participant in, and hosts, meetings of VisioNYC, a collaborative effort of the vision research programs at Columbia, Rockefeller, Cornell, NYU and SUNY Optometry to promote the interaction of vision scientists in New York City ( Examples of Recent VisioNYC Programs ).  Publications, grant awards, conference presentations, and invited talks are publicized on the College’s website, electronic newsletter ( FY Eye ), digital signage, SUNY Eye Network, press releases to industry media, and other vehicles.  Notable accomplishments are posted on the news banner on the College’s website.  Research colloquia and graduate student presentations are advertised on the college electronic billboards.  An annual Scholar’s Dinner is held each summer (with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID ‐ 19 pandemic) to which all faculty members, post ‐ docs and students who have published in the previous year are invited and at which awards are given.  The administration makes faculty nominations in response to calls for recognition by the State University of New York (e.g., Chancellors Award for Research and SUNY Distinguished Faculty).  Department budgets include funding for travel and support for research conferences, the American Academy of Optometry summer research academy and the Association of Schools and Colleges future faculty program The College has continued to invest in strengthening its research program by recruiting outstanding scientists who have been able to attract federal research funding. The College was recently awarded two State of New York, Empire Innovation Program grants, which provide a total of $1.15 million dollars. One of these grants provided $750,000, which helped recruit Stefanie Wohl, PhD, who conducts cell and molecular biology in retinal research. The complete start ‐ up package for this new faculty member, including laboratory renovations and support for a technician and grant students is estimated to be about $1.6 million.

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