Korn To Be First Vice Provost for Research

David Korn ’54, a former dean of Stanford University School of Medicine, will become Harvard’s first vice provost for research this fall, the University announced yesterday.

Korn will focus on developing and standardizing policies regarding scientific research across the University’s schools in an effort “to ease practical impediments to interdisciplinary collaboration,” once he assumes the position Nov. 15, according to yesterday’s announcement.

Interdisciplinary collaboration has become a buzzword of central administrators in recent years because of the notion that the traditional autonomy of Harvard’s schools has hindered growth in interdisciplinary fields such as bioengineering and nanotechnology.

Korn joins an office that has grown rapidly in recent years, as Harvard administrators have stepped up efforts to integrate activities at its traditionally disconnected schools.

Since Steven E. Hyman became Harvard’s provost in 2001, his office has tripled in size, growing from five deputy administrators to 15.

Korn’s appointment, which ends a year-long search, will replace a short-lived position with a narrower portfolio: the vice provost for research policy, which was vacated by astronomy professor John P. Huchra in 2006.

Huchra served as a senior advisor to the provost during the search.

The announcement that the position had been filled brought apparent relief to Huchra, who responded with an enthusiastic e-mail when asked about the development.

“Ah! I finally can retire as Senior Advisor,” he wrote. “In my experience Stanford has perhaps the best research management structure and program in the country and if David can bring that to Harvard it will be a great accomplishment.”

—Staff writer Clifford M. Marks can be reached at cmarks@fas.harvard.edu.