Collaborative research: epiic: advancing regional innovation through sustainable engagement (ARISE)

The University of Texas Permian Basin received a $400,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. This collaborative award supports the ARISE (Advancing Regional Innovation Through Sustainable Engagement) initiative, a cohort of five primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) working collectively to enhance institutional capacity for applied research partnerships with regional innovation ecosystem stakeholders, including industry, government, and educational institutions. The project deliverables include developing and implementing strategic plans to strengthen each institution's ability to execute university-industry partnerships, creating an internal assessment tool for evaluating and improving partnership execution capacity, and establishing best practices documentation for workforce development and research and development (R&D) activities aligned with regional industry demands.

The ARISE cohort will deliver tangible outputs through structured peer-to-peer engagement mechanisms, including regular meetings, shared best practice exchanges, and regional convenings with industry representatives. Each member institution will develop both internal and external programming to accelerate engagement with regional partners while demonstrating how PUIs can effectively leverage institutional assets to support workforce development and regional economic growth. The initiative emphasizes matching faculty research expertise with regional R&D demands and operationalizing university-industry collaborations at commercial timelines, positioning participating institutions as catalysts for innovation ecosystems across their respective regions.

Abstract

A cohort of five primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIS) from across the country has aligned efforts to enhance their capacity to develop applied research partnerships with local innovation ecosystem partners, including industry, government, and other educational institutions. The arise cohort has established plans to enhance each institution?S ability to prepare for, and successfully execute applied research partnerships to strengthen each institution?S role in regional innovation and economic development. Additionally, the cohort will create an internal assessment tool that will allow each university to assess and improve its capacity to execute these university-industry partnerships that will advance each member?S engagement in its regional innovation ecosystem. Collectively, the arise cohort will showcase best practices for PUIS to catalyze workforce development and industry research and development (R & D) projects supported by each institution?S faculty and administration to match university research expertise with regional R & D demands, now and in the future. Arise member institutions share the common goal of increasing their capacity to support R & D activities in partnership with regional industries. With improved institutional capacity, each institution will be able to leverage their assets to engage with regional industry and governmental partners at the speed of business to support workforce and economic development. Cohort members will support one another through shared best practices, regular meetings, and a regional meeting that will include industry representatives. Each cohort member has developed a plan to create new capacity via both internal and external programming to engage with regional industry and governmental partners at the speed of business to support workforce and economic development. Additionally, the cohort will create an internal assessment tool that will allow each university to assess and improve its capacity to execute these university-industry partnerships that will advance each member?S engagement in its regional innovation ecosystem as a result of this work, each cohort institution will become more able to take on regional leadership roles in emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing) and, ultimately, to become more active leaders and partners in economic development in their respective regions. 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.