confronting today’s reality

1 Office of Research and Development


Confronting Today’s RealityConfronting Today’s Reality • Historically, ORD has targeted it’s research to provide Historically, ORD has targeted it’s research to provide

essential science/products to inform Agency decisionsessential science/products to inform Agency decisions

• Yet, the overall impact of ORD’s research has been Yet, the overall impact of ORD’s research has been limited since its products often fail to:limited since its products often fail to: Take full advantage of the integrated, cumulative capability of Take full advantage of the integrated, cumulative capability of

ORD and/orORD and/or Contribute substantially to solving problems of national Contribute substantially to solving problems of national

significancesignificance

• The increasing complexity of environmental issues that The increasing complexity of environmental issues that EPA must address will require a EPA must address will require a transformationtransformation of our of our research approach to fully employ ORD’s integrated, research approach to fully employ ORD’s integrated, multi-disciplinary capabilitiesmulti-disciplinary capabilities


Confronting Today’s RealityConfronting Today’s Reality

• ORD’s ability to provide the ORD’s ability to provide the needed science and technology to needed science and technology to resolve problems of broad national resolve problems of broad national significance and inform significance and inform environmental decisions will be environmental decisions will be compromised or eliminatedcompromised or eliminated

• ORD’s resource base will continue ORD’s resource base will continue to erode, resulting in a research to erode, resulting in a research portfolio which is underfunded, portfolio which is underfunded, spread too thin, and ineffectivespread too thin, and ineffective

• ORD will lose it’s ability to attract ORD will lose it’s ability to attract and retain top-notch researchers, and retain top-notch researchers, threatening the viability of our threatening the viability of our programsprograms

In the absence of a transformation…In the absence of a transformation…


Confronting Today’s RealityConfronting Today’s Reality

Currently we have:Currently we have:• Strong individual scientists, labs, and centersStrong individual scientists, labs, and centers• Markedly increased the investment of our time and energy to Markedly increased the investment of our time and energy to

address program/regional office needsaddress program/regional office needs• Communicated our science primarily through peer reviewed journal Communicated our science primarily through peer reviewed journal

articlesarticles

But…But…• Only a small number of cross organizational, integrated, and Only a small number of cross organizational, integrated, and

multidisciplinary programsmultidisciplinary programs• Few ORD-wide success stories that demonstrate ORD’s unique Few ORD-wide success stories that demonstrate ORD’s unique

value as an organizationvalue as an organization• Limited ability to investigate issues of broad national significanceLimited ability to investigate issues of broad national significance• Slow to disinvest in legacy research programsSlow to disinvest in legacy research programs• Lack of clarity as to who drives ORD’s resource engine, and how to Lack of clarity as to who drives ORD’s resource engine, and how to

influence these driversinfluence these drivers


Measures of SuccessMeasures of Success• ORD is recognized as the “go-to organization” for solving problems of ORD is recognized as the “go-to organization” for solving problems of

national significance through integrated, multidisciplinary researchnational significance through integrated, multidisciplinary research

• ORD culture is one focused on conducting integrated, multidisciplinary ORD culture is one focused on conducting integrated, multidisciplinary research that is characterized by individuals corporately engaged in the research that is characterized by individuals corporately engaged in the researchresearch

• Research portfolio reflects growing emphasis on decision support and Research portfolio reflects growing emphasis on decision support and translational sciencetranslational science

• Communication of ORD’s research extends beyond traditional scientist-to--Communication of ORD’s research extends beyond traditional scientist-to--scientist and peer-reviewed journal articles to vehicles that better convey scientist and peer-reviewed journal articles to vehicles that better convey our science to program and regional offices as well as the external our science to program and regional offices as well as the external communitycommunity

• Communication is more effective with stakeholders who directly affect our Communication is more effective with stakeholders who directly affect our resource engineresource engine

• ORD isORD is recognized both within and outside EPA for its ability to deliver recognized both within and outside EPA for its ability to deliver quality, high valued science that is required for EPA to accomplish its quality, high valued science that is required for EPA to accomplish its missionmission


How do we move ORD to greatness?How do we move ORD to greatness?

• Solve problems of broad Solve problems of broad national significance national significance through integrated through integrated multidisciplinary research multidisciplinary research

• Better support our Better support our Program and Regional Program and Regional officesoffices

• Demonstrate the Demonstrate the essential and invaluable essential and invaluable nature of our worknature of our work

To achieve greatness, a transformation of our To achieve greatness, a transformation of our approach is needed...approach is needed...


Transforming ORD:Transforming ORD:The Hedgehog Concept*The Hedgehog Concept*

• Our PassionOur Passion• What we can excel atWhat we can excel at• What determines our What determines our

resourcesresources

A successful transformation of ORD will require a deep A successful transformation of ORD will require a deep understanding and commitment of our organization along understanding and commitment of our organization along three dimensions:three dimensions:

* J. Collins, “Good to Great”* J. Collins, “Good to Great”


ORD’s Passion ORD’s Passion

Delivering research and development Delivering research and development products and advice that inform and enable products and advice that inform and enable

decisions and actions that protect public decisions and actions that protect public health and safeguard the environmenthealth and safeguard the environment


What can ORD excel at?What can ORD excel at?

• Conducting Conducting integratedintegrated, , multidisciplinarymultidisciplinary researchresearch* * that address that address problems of broad problems of broad national/international national/international significancesignificance

• Conducting research that Conducting research that translatestranslates scientific and scientific and technological advances technological advances and findings to and findings to information that can be information that can be directly used to support directly used to support environmental decisionsenvironmental decisions - Science and Engineering Science and Engineering

- Risk Assessment – Risk ManagementRisk Assessment – Risk Management

- Source to OutcomeSource to Outcome

- Health and EcologyHealth and Ecology

*


Defining Integrated Multidisciplinary Defining Integrated Multidisciplinary ResearchResearch

• A cumulative approach that A cumulative approach that synthesizessynthesizes the perspectives of the the perspectives of the individual disciplines and integrates individual disciplines and integrates during during all phasesall phases of the approach to of the approach to a question or problema question or problem

• True collaborationTrue collaboration beyond mere beyond mere cooperation is essential to cooperation is essential to successful integrated successful integrated multidisciplinary researchmultidisciplinary research


What can ORD not excel at?What can ORD not excel at?

• Basic “discovery” research in Basic “discovery” research in science and technologyscience and technology

• Isolated individual Isolated individual investigator research investigator research (academic model)(academic model)


What will determine our resources?What will determine our resources?

• Recognition that our research fills important gaps in Recognition that our research fills important gaps in understanding and addressing problems of national understanding and addressing problems of national significance significance

• Brand*Brand* reputation built upon accumulated, tangible reputation built upon accumulated, tangible results so that potential supporters believe in our mission results so that potential supporters believe in our mission and our capability to deliver on that mission. Funding and our capability to deliver on that mission. Funding decisions influenced by:decisions influenced by: Our brandOur brand Support for research that impacts key public health and Support for research that impacts key public health and

environmental decisionsenvironmental decisions

• Being valued by external beneficiaries/direct users of Being valued by external beneficiaries/direct users of environmental research/research dollars (e.g. state/local environmental research/research dollars (e.g. state/local officials, academics, constituent groups, etc.)officials, academics, constituent groups, etc.)

**A “Brand” is an association with a service or product that has certain qualities or A “Brand” is an association with a service or product that has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or uniquecharacteristics that make it special or unique


Transformation:Transformation:ORD’s New Business ApproachORD’s New Business Approach

• Recognize that the nature of environmental issues which the nation Recognize that the nature of environmental issues which the nation faces are increasingly global and multi-media requiring an integrated, faces are increasingly global and multi-media requiring an integrated, multi-disciplinary approachmulti-disciplinary approach

• Acknowledges that ORD’s research portfolio must be responsive along Acknowledges that ORD’s research portfolio must be responsive along two inter-related dimensions:two inter-related dimensions: Research on issues of national/international significance for which Research on issues of national/international significance for which

resolution has resolution has broadbroad environmental and/or human health implications. environmental and/or human health implications. Success is contingent on applying an integrated multidisciplinary approach Success is contingent on applying an integrated multidisciplinary approach unique to ORDunique to ORD

Continued research and technical support Continued research and technical support targetedtargeted to address to address specific specific program/regional office priority needs andprogram/regional office priority needs and

• Continues to evolve and provide the scientific advice and technical Continues to evolve and provide the scientific advice and technical support to meet the changing needs of our clients and other support to meet the changing needs of our clients and other stakeholders. stakeholders.


The TransformationThe TransformationORD will:ORD will:• Make transformation its top priorityMake transformation its top priority• Work across the organization to communicate Work across the organization to communicate

and implement the new business approachand implement the new business approach• Gain support of the agency, new administration, Gain support of the agency, new administration,

and external stakeholders for this transformationand external stakeholders for this transformation• Critically evaluate current research portfolio Critically evaluate current research portfolio

(MYP’s) as to:(MYP’s) as to: Problems of National SignificanceProblems of National Significance Problems of Targeted SignificanceProblems of Targeted Significance

• Identify new problems of broad national Identify new problems of broad national significance (e.g. biofuels) and implement significance (e.g. biofuels) and implement research programsresearch programs


The Road to a Successful FutureThe Road to a Successful Future

• ORD’s goal is to solve problems of national significance and support ORD’s goal is to solve problems of national significance and support our program/regional office needsour program/regional office needs

• By focusing on what we can excel at – By focusing on what we can excel at – integrated, multidisciplinary integrated, multidisciplinary researchresearch – we will inform and enable decisions that protect public – we will inform and enable decisions that protect public health and the environmenthealth and the environment

• Producing tangible results that significantly inform environmental Producing tangible results that significantly inform environmental policy will establish ORD as the go-to environmental research policy will establish ORD as the go-to environmental research organization (Brand)organization (Brand)

• This “Brand” recognition will attract supporters/stakeholders needed This “Brand” recognition will attract supporters/stakeholders needed to fuel or resource engineto fuel or resource engine

confronting today’s reality

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