Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine signed an interinstitutional agreement to facilitate research and teaching collaborations between the two private schools in 2015.
The agreement notes that scientific researchers at the two institutions share a long history of individual collaboration. In fact, the agreement was signed 50 years after Rice researchers joined Dr. Michael DeBakey and his Baylor team to produce the first artificial heart.
In 2009 Rice and Baylor engaged in discussions about a potential merger but ultimately decided to strengthen their existing academic and research relationship without a formal merger. The new interinstitutional agreement is intended to make it easier for faculty, staff and students from both schools to work together.
Among the provisions of the new agreement:
- Joint faculty appointments are encouraged so that faculty from each school can develop joint research and educational programs, give lectures, teach, direct graduate and undergraduate students, serve on dissertation committees, write and administer grants, perform basic and translational research studies, compile and analyze data and submit publications and presentations of research data.
- Rice and Baylor will establish a cooperative program for shared use of certain research-based core laboratories and service centers.
- Students from each school can enroll in graduate credit courses from either institution.
- Rice faculty who obtain Baylor faculty appointments will have access to Baylor’s medical library.
Rice and Baylor established an oversight council to implement the new agreement. Three members from each institution will serve on the council for one-year terms; a member from Baylor will serve as chair and a member from Rice will serve as vice chair, and those positions will alternate annually, with the Rice member serving as chair the second year and the Baylor member serving as vice chair.