Collaborative research: research infrastructure: epiic: pristine partnerships to promote research & innovation for societal impact & novel engagements

Allegheny College received a $399,777 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028. The PRISTINE (Partnerships to Promote Research & Innovation for Societal Impact & Novel Engagements) initiative is a collaborative research infrastructure project among three primarily undergraduate institutions designed to establish academic-industry partnerships that enhance innovation and workforce development. The project will deliver capacity-building services and resources to strengthen external research partnerships in emerging technologies, with particular focus on engaging small and medium-sized businesses typically unable to participate in use-inspired research initiatives.

The primary products and services provided through this award include development and implementation of credentialed workforce training programs leveraging experiential learning methodologies; enhanced grant-seeking and technology transfer support for faculty and staff; establishment of a community of practice designed to facilitate research funding attraction and formal industry partnerships; and creation of a public-facing virtual playbook and website disseminating best practices and learnings to the broader higher education and industry communities. These deliverables are intended to increase the cohort's individual and collective capacity to cultivate sustainable external partnerships and advance use-inspired research in emerging technology domains.

Abstract

Pristine (partnerships to promote research & innovation for societal impact & novel engagements) is a collaboration among three primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI) that are committed to developing academic-industry partnerships to enhance innovation and promote workforce development throughout their regions. The composition of the pristine cohort ? Private and public universities, liberal arts and community colleges, urban and rural communities ? Positions the cohort well to engage and advance the economic viability of small and medium sized businesses not typically able to contribute to use-inspired research (UIR) and/or innovations made possible by emerging technologies. UIR is aimed at solving real-world problems, leading to faster and more effective solutions than any one organization could develop on its own. The effort will establish a community of practice that is designed to build capacity, especially at smaller institutions of higher education and puis, to develop, implement, and strengthen external research innovation partnerships in emerging technologies. Pristine will enhance the cohort?s individual and collective capacities to: cultivate external partnerships that will attract research funding and facilitate UIR in emerging technology fields; leverage our expertise in experiential learning to develop credentialed workforce training programs; and support faculty and staff to deepen their expertise around grant seeking and technology transfer to increase the number of formal proposals and agreements between institutions and industry partners. The cohort intends to develop resources and training in these areas for faculty and industry partners, and disseminate their learnings through a public-facing virtual playbook/website. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.