On November first former UW-Chancellor, John Wiley, will assume his new duties as interim director of the public side of the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery. Dr. Wiley has already said that he initially intends to attend to the “pre-operational” details associated with construction and staffing of this research facility set to be completed on the UW campus in 2010.
I hope Wiley will also begin the process of developing a comprehensive strategic plan to guide this stellar research ship through the storms of this next decade. What is critically needed at this juncture is a “Wisconsin Way” like strategic plan that is broadly conceived and community-based to include all the stakeholders in this journey.
All budgets, regardless of how important the mission, have fiscal and other resource constraints. For Wisconsin scientists to succeed they will need the support and input from every quarter including patient and consumer organizations, capital and material donor groups, and the aging and special needs communities to mention just a few.
Without measurable milestones to gauge our progress and identify our priorities Wisconsin’s premier stem cell research program will surely flounder. Taxpayers should encourage broad stakeholder discussions to identify alternative models of public funding, including revenue sharing, intellectual property, and licensing. All with the aim of ensuring that all Wisconsin citizens have access to affordable cell-based diagnostics and therapies.
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