Article I

Institute of Regenerative Medicine

The name of the Research Institute shall be the Institute for Sustainable Pervasive Urban Resilience, hereinafter referred to as “SPUR” or “the Institute”.

Article II

Mission, Vision & Values Statements

Mission
SPUR will engage a diverse group of partners to co-design smart technologies to engineer critical systems for urbanized communities. New technologies created by the center will focus on addressing problems most significant to people in these communities: economic opportunity, equity, inclusivity, long-term sustainability, and resilience against disruptive events.

Vision
Transforming the way we design and manage critical systems in large, urban centers to benefit all residents.

Values

  • Scientific Integrity
  • Convergence Research Excellence
  • Workforce Development: Education, Training, and Outreach
  • Inclusive Excellence
  • Collaboration
  • Equity
  • Respect
  • Community

Article III

Administrative Structure

The Institute and its established bylaws shall be reviewed and approved by the Deans’ Research Council (DRC) and shall be governed by such. These bylaws shall govern the organizational structure, appointment terms, and selection of the Institute’s leadership and membership.

Section 1. Membership and Eligibility.

The Institute shall be led by a director, shall have Core Faculty and Affiliate Members, an Internal Executive Committee (IEC), and an External Advisory Committee (EAC).

A. Director. The Director of the Institute will be appointed by the Dean of the COE in consultation with the IEC and EAC. The Director shall be appointed to three (3) year terms with the possibility of reappointment, and will report directly to the Dean of the COE. The Director will be a member of the IEC with full voting rights. Eligible persons to serve in this position include tenured faculty members. Responsibilities will include:

  • Provide leadership for the Institute
  • Represent the Institute to the UTSA administration, the public, funding agencies and other organizations that have dealings with the Institute
  • Review the overall operations of the Institute. Interact with Institute members and execute decisions regarding the Institute on behalf of the EC.
    • Provide fiscal and budgeting oversight and reconciliation for the Institute
    • Lead fundraising efforts for the Institute
  • Hire and supervise administrative personnel of the Institute
  • Maintain day-to-day operations of the Institute

B. Internal Executive Committee (IEC). The IEC will aid in determining the most effective directions for research and use of Institute funds. The IEC will meet quarterly with the Director. The executive committee will be made up of the Director, Associate Director, and three faculty associated affiliated with the institute. The proposed composition of the IEC is:

Internal Executive Committee (IEC)
  • Institute Director – Drs. Adolfo Matamoros
  • Institute Associate-Director - Esteban Lopez Ochoa
  • Faculty Representative
  • Faculty Representative
  • Faculty Representative

C. Advisory Committee (AC). The AC will be made up of members who are leaders in the fields of urban science and resilience. The AC will meet annually with the institute director, associate director, and the IEC. The AC will review annual productivity of the Institute, provide insight into research directions and strategies, and comment on the success of each objective (described in the next section). AC members will be recruited from the San Antonio and South Texas region as well as from leading institutions across the United States. The AC will maintain a membership of at least three (5) experts appointed by the IEC in consultation with the Dean of the COE and SPUR director. The AC will meet annually with the IEC to review annual productivity of  the Institute, provide insight into research directions and strategies, and comment on the success of each SPUR objective. Composition at the time of establishment of SPUR is proposed to include will include representatives from the following organizations:

UTSA

  • Representative, CECM
  • Representative, Mechanical Engineering
  • Representative, College of Science
  • Director, TSERI, UTSA COE
  • Director, MATRIX
  • Director, CURPR , UTSA CACP
  • Director, NCSS
  • Representative HCaP
  • COE Associate Dean for Research
  • Representative, School of Data Science

External Members

The center will identify at least three members from external institutions to participate in the advisory board. Institutions to be considered will be:

  • City of San Antonio
  • San Antonio R&D League
  • Southwest Research Institute
  • DOE National Laboratories
  • Academic Institutions


D. Core Faculty. Core Faculty shall be UTSA tenured or tenure-track faculty. These individuals should have a primary research focus in the fields of urban science, data science, AI/ML, smart city technologies, cyber security, cyber-physical systems, hazard engineering, critical infrastructure, transportation, energy and sustainability, architecture and urban planning, information and communication technology, IoT, simulation and visualization, sensor technologies, convergence science, critical infrastructure, human- centered design and community engagement, social and economic impact, and other related areas. Core Faculty will be appointed by the EC after submitting a request to the Institute Director. Core Faculty have the benefit of eligibility for student scholarship and fellowship, travel and other research-related support funding when made available by the Institute. Core Faculty are expected to meet minimum activity levels associated with the promotion or creation of intellectual works (e.g., research papers and/or proposal submissions) in collaboration with the Institute. Minimum activity levels will be set and reviewed by the EC in consultation with the EAC on an annual basis.

E. Affiliate Members. Affiliate Members shall be UTSA faculty or research staff or non- UTSA employees (external faculty members, researchers, industry experts). These individuals need not have a primary research focus in the fields of urban science, data science, AI/ML, smart city technologies, cyber security, cyber-physical systems, hazard engineering, critical infrastructure, transportation, energy and sustainability, architecture and urban planning, information and communication technology, IoT, simulation and visualization, sensor technologies, convergence science, critical infrastructure, human- centered design and community engagement, social and economic impact, and other related areas, but should have expertise relevant to these areas. Affiliate Members shall be appointed by the EC after submitting a request to the Co-Directors. Research partnerships between these individuals and Core Faculty are anticipated to strengthen and provide synergy for the Institute.

Section 2. Administrative Operations.

The Institute will report to the Deans of the COE and will be reviewed annually by the Deans’ Research Council (DRC). The Institute will follow administrative review and approval processes set forth by UTSA and the DRC. All changes in leadership will receive final approval from the Deans of the COE and COS.

Article IV

Meetings and Reports

Section 1. Annual Meetings.

A meeting of the Internal Executive Committee (IEC) and External Advisory Committee (EAC) shall be held annually to evaluate the Institute’s effectiveness and to review the Institute’s Annual Report.

Section 2. Quarterly Meetings.

Meetings of the IEC will be held quarterly to review the ongoing work of the Institute.

Section 3. Annual Report.

The Director will submit an annual report giving an account of research and scholarly activities of SPUR that were conducted throughout the previous year. The report will be submitted to the Vice President for Research (VPR) and Deans’ Research Council (DRC) through the Offices of the Deans of the COE and COS. The report will follow the format provided by the Office of the VPR. The Director shall present the annual report to all SPUR Members, and the IEC and EAC.

Key Performance Indicators.

Number of proposals submitted by the Institute
Number of community outreach activities that the institute organized or participated in