Strategic Vision

2023-28

Updated: 5/2024

Research and Innovation

Pioneering research improving human health.

We lead the development of interdisciplinary technology solutions to improve human health and quality of life.

Vision

Biomedical Engineering at ŷڱƵ Boulder is a multidisciplinary program dedicated to creating new technology innovations that improve human health. Our internationally recognized faculty work at the interface of medicine, biology, and engineering to solve problems that enhance healthcare. Our faculty, students, and alumni form a biomedical nexus in ŷڱƵ, leading to global dissemination of high-impact research, engagement in societal healthcare challenges, and bench-to-bedside technology translation and entrepreneurship.

In the next five years, we will:

  • Be a biomedical hub in ŷڱƵ, with international reach and impact to improve human health.
  • Be a program with mutual ties to regional life sciences and healthcare industries.
  • Be a program with seamless connections and collaborations with the University of ŷڱƵ Anschutz.
  • Be a program that supports and fosters large interdisciplinary activities and centers.

To enable this vision, we will:

  • Become a hub for interdisciplinary biomedical research activity as measured by doubling our grant dollars that have faculty participants from more than one discipline, and facilitated by hosting a local biomedical engineering symposium.
  • Double the number of externally funded projects in collaboration with researchers from theUniversity of ŷڱƵ Anschutzby initiating and expanding mechanisms (e.g., seminar series, workshops) to promote collaborations.
  • Provide incentives to faculty who pursuea center or interdisciplinary grant of at least $5M involving multiple BME faculty.
  • Provide incentives to faculty who pursue a major graduate training grant.
  • Encourage faculty to organize and host at least five scientific research conferences, with seed funding from our program.
  • Evaluate whether BME organized as a program or department is best suited to carry out our research vision.

Education

Real-world, experiential learning in biomedical engineering.

We prepare students to be innovators and leaders in biomedical engineering addressing major societal healthcare challenges.

վDz

We invest in and train undergraduate and graduate students to become the next innovators and leaders of life sciences and healthcare industries and academia. We are committed to intellectual diversity, and fostering an educational learning environment that reflects the values of students from varied backgrounds. We enable student learning through real-world and hands-on activities, and engagement with research opportunities at the forefront of scientific knowledge.

In the next five years, we will:

  • Be known for experiential undergraduate learning with real-world impact that is integrated with life sciences and healthcare industries.
  • Be known for interdisciplinary graduate training that enables solving the most complex problems impactinghuman health and quality of life.
  • Be known as a welcoming community and destination for students of diverse backgrounds that reflect global population demographics.

To enable this vision, we will:

  • Provideat least 18 industry-sponsored senior design projects annually by Fall 2026, and expand the types of senior design projects available to students interested in medical school or graduate school.
  • Establish dedicated instructional, fabrication, and testing space for industry-sponsored student projects at undergraduate and graduate levels, which includes wet lab and cell/tissue culture facilities, in addition to space for collaborative work in the mechanical and electrical sciences.
  • Establish at least 10 BME undergraduate focus technical electives by Fall 2026 through offerings from BME instructional faculty and collaborating with partnering departments.
  • Develop the capacity to increase total BME undergraduate enrollment to at least 400 by Fall 2026, and BME MS/PhD enrollments to at least 50/40, by adding another teaching professor, growing graduate student support, and strengthening ties with departments.
  • Increase the number of program faculty who are advising BME doctoral students, from 8 to 15.
  • Survey our students to confirm that at least 80% of our graduates are in a professional position or school, within six months of graduation.
  • Evaluate whether BME organized as a program or department is best suited to carry out our education vision.

​IԳܲDz

Diversity leading to emergent innovations in biomedical research and education.

We embrace diversity leading to emergent behavior, including innovations in biomedical research and education.

վDz

We believe that diversity of all types enhances the creativity, adaptability, and resilience of our program, and leads to emergence of new and novel innovations in research and innovation that are not anticipated from any one individual or viewpoint. We are committed to support and engage all members of our community, including faculty, students, and staff, who have been historically marginalized, excluded, and underrepresented. We aim to enable our community members to meaningfully and actively contribute to our research and education mission.

In the next five years, we will:

  • Be known as a community that welcomes diverse thought and experience, while valuing equity and inclusion, and fosters a sense of personal accountability.
  • Be a community reflecting global population demographics to enhance perspectives to improve human health.
  • Be a program where faculty, students, and staff feel a sense of belonging that enables participation to achieve their potential in biomedical research and education.

To enable this vision, we will:

  • Achieve demographics of our program that reflect those of the region at the undergraduate level, and nation/world at the graduate level.
  • Use best practices to create an unbiased system for reviewing graduate student applications.
  • Partner with at least two high schools and colleges serving primarily black, tribal, Hispanic or other underrepresented groups in order to recruit a more diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Implement newsletters, social and professional events, and “town halls” or forums to build community and open communications.
  • Evaluate whether BME organized as a program or department is best suited to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.