1. Water Networking Event 3:30 Reception begins 3:45 WSN & the WaterCube 4:15 Networking begins 5:30 End MSU WSN M ichigan State University Water Science Network

2. See the new water.msu.edu!

3. Introduction to MSU WaterCube Program description available at water.msu.edu and on handouts

4. A new way to support interdisciplinary research collaboration  Tokens:  Cubes:

5. Tokens  Issued by participating colleges to faculty with serious interests in water  Each worth $20K  Financing:  ESPP: $10K  College, department, faculty: $10K. Home college decides on how to finance this  Limit: about 36 tokens total  But, to claim its worth, token holders have to form cubes $20K

6. Cubes  Conditions for a cube (3-2-2)  At least three tokens  At least two colleges  New team: token holders can’t have joint publications or jointly funded grants within the last two years  If and only if a cube is formed can it “cash the tokens”  Each cube has at least $60K (=20K × N)  Cube decides how to spend the aggregate amount  Has to spend the money within two years  You decide how to spend the money, subject to university regulation  Goal: interdisciplinary research  grants and publications $60K

7. Participating colleges  5 colleges have committed tokens  CANR  CNS  COE  CSS  CAS  Different amount of tokens by different colleges, and number might depend on faculty interest/requests

8. Procedure and timeline  March 2015: token issuance  Contact associate dean for research in your home college  Colleges might have different procedures and financing requirements  April 2015: cubation (open enrollment)  WaterCube registration form on Water Science Network website (water.msu.edu)  “market place”: CV and info of token holders at the website  Lock in day at end of April: all cube proposals are tentative and you can switch cubes before the lock-in date  May – June 2015: set up accounting  Each cube has an account number at ESPP  July 2015 – June 2017: have fun doing research!

9. Colleges decide on the number of tokens they will award to their faculty The program opens to faculty with a kick-off at the March 19 Water Networking Event Faculty contact their Associate Deans for Research to get tokens ESPP's online portal opens to assist with identifying token holders and forming teams Award Tokens March 2015 Faculty members form teams that must include at least two colleges, at least three tokens, and be new collaborations All teams must complete a brief online registration form to propose cubes The online portal closes at the end April Form Teams April 2015 The WaterCubes are notified of approval With the assistance of ESPP, colleges set up accounts for faculty Award Cubes May-June 2015 Teams have two years to spend funds to produce externally funded projects and publications Teams must report progress at annual conference, where ideas will be exchanged Research! June 2015-May 2017

10. Performance and tracking  Simple report form to be filled out each year  Publications  Grant proposals (transmittal number), and funded proposals  Acknowledge support by Water Science Network in publications (will post the language online)  Annual WaterCube symposium  Each Cube reports its activities and progresses, and interact with other teams

11. Questions?