As part of the Notre Dame 2033 strategic framework, the University of Notre Dame launched an ambitious new Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative (BELS) to advance human health and wellness through interdisciplinary biomedical research and training — from fundamental advances through detection, prevention and treatment of disease.
Since its inception in February 2024, the Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative has made considerable progress toward advancing multidisciplinary research on campus. Three significant internal funding opportunities were announced this fall—for collaborative faculty teams, postdoctoral researchers, and campus-wide partnerships—and these generated wide-ranging responses from 56 faculty members and 21 postdoctoral researchers representing 11 unique departments on campus. Grant recipients will be announced in early 2025. BELS also completed a faculty-led survey of needed biomedical research capabilities and initiated the search for the initiative’s next director.
“The Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative is off to a strong start, developing a clear and distinctive research agenda that will inspire breakthrough discoveries and attract top talent,” said founding director Paul Bohn, the Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “By pursuing research that is multidisciplinary, mission-driven, and independent, Notre Dame is carving out a new space in the biomedical research landscape.”