Dear Members of the HMS and HSDM Community:

I hope you enjoyed your summer and took some time to rest and recharge. I know we all needed it. Now once again, with our MD, master’s, and PhD programs underway, there’s a palpable energy on campus.

Recent events have fostered a sense of unity across Harvard and here at HMS, perhaps unlike ever before. While we have suffered the loss of federal funding for our research and educational programs, we nonetheless must continue to pursue our mission within our new constraints. Because HMS is a community of truly driven, creative, and resourceful individuals, I am confident that we will persevere and continue to do important work.

With that in mind, it’s a fitting time for us to collectively look inward and update our HMS strategic plan. Over the last several months, my leadership team has been reviewing our past progress and identifying ongoing priorities and new opportunities. Many across our community — through task forces, focus groups, and open conversations with faculty, staff, postdocs, and students — have contributed meaningfully to this work.

Today I am pleased to share our revitalized and revised strategic plan 2025, which focuses on six key initiatives designed to strengthen HMS today while preparing us for the challenges and possibilities ahead.

HMS Strategic Plan 2025: A BEACON for the Future of Science & Medicine

B
Belonging, Culture, and Community:
Fostering a culture of belonging, dialogue, and connection
E
Excellence in Academics and Education:
Fortifying excellence throughout the HMS-affiliate ecosystem and preparing future leaders through access to innovative education
A
Artificial Intelligence:
Accelerating discovery, enhancing medical education, and boosting clinical efficiency with ethical AI
C
Collaborative and Transformative Science:
Nurturing a thriving environment that enables collaboration and fuels transformative science
O
Outcomes and Translation:
Strengthening translational pathways from insights to impact
N
Newfound Resilience:
Restoring long-term financial resilience

We consider this plan a “BEACON” for the future of science and medicine and suggest the acronym as a means of reminding us all of these important initiatives. Please visit the strategic plan webpage for more details. Your feedback is welcome, and we will continue to listen, adapt, and share updates on our collective progress toward these goals.

As a reflection of the enormous support we have received from friends of Harvard Medical School, I am pleased to announce that HMS has been the recipient of numerous philanthropic gifts over the last several months to support our critical work. We are tremendously grateful for gifts large and small, for specific programs and for broad use, and from new and existing donors.

In recognition of a substantial gift to support the School’s top priorities, we will be renaming the New Research Building as the Veritas Science Center. This name surfaced during the collective deliberations of our department chairs, and I accepted their recommendation as most fitting. Veritas is Harvard’s motto, and Harvard Medical School will never stop seeking the truth. This name change is effective immediately, though it will take a few months to update our campus signage and maps.

I know we can all appreciate how much generous, discretionary funding means to our School, particularly in light of our financial shortfalls. The remarkable strength and resilience of this community give me high hopes for what we can and will accomplish together this academic year.

Sincerely,

George Q. Daley
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Harvard University