Center Closure and the Future of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Research at MSU

Dear Colleagues:

As we begin to implement MSU’s Strategic Plan 2030, we are assessing and realigning our research centers and institutes for the best stewardship of resources and maximum impact for stakeholders.

After review, it has been determined that the Center for Research in Autism, Intellectual, and Other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (C-RAIND) will be retired as a university center. However, MSU’s work related to autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities will not cease but will simply take a different route. In fact, the University will continue to make investments in these areas, but not in a single central center. We anticipate that faculty who have engaged in neurodevelopmental-disability-related work across the 11 colleges connected to C-RAIND will continue their important scholarship and collective efforts. We are confident that these collaborations, and others like them, will continue to grow and thrive.

In addition, a new center is being developed within the College of Education with an emphasis on research, training, services, and outreach related to life transitions for those with neurodevelopmental disabilities. This college initiative will include research assessment services currently conducted within C-RAIND. These services will continue to be available to NDD researchers within and beyond the college. On the biomedical side, efforts are underway to recruit new faculty in Pediatrics in the College of Human Medicine to expand scholarship related to both causes and treatments of neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Important outreach activities, such as the College of Human Medicine’s Autism Parent-Professional Conference, College of Music’s annual “Celebrating the Spectrum” Piano Festival for advanced pianists on the Autism Spectrum, and the College of Arts & Letter’s Sense-Ability Ensemble, a group that creates innovative, multi-sensory, interactive theatrical performance for neurodiverse audiences, will continue to positively impact our community.  

By moving research activities and interventions for C-RAIND under their lead colleges, we will streamline administrative responsibilities and allow more focus on important research, training, and services that provide tangible benefits to the global community. Importantly, these changes do not negatively impact staffing as leadership and staff in C-RAIND will return to roles within their home colleges.

MSU remains committed to supporting neurodevelopmentally disabled individuals and their families through cutting edge research, development of innovative methods in prevention, diagnosis, assessment and treatment of neurodevelopmental disabilities, and the education and training of the next generation of scientists and practitioners.

We sincerely appreciate your past support of C-RAIND and invite you to remain engaged with these new efforts.

Best regards,

Douglas A. Gage, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research and Innovation