The University Research Collaborative was designed to strengthen research partnerships between the two largest research universities in Arkansas: the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville (UAF) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Although the campuses were separated by only 200 miles, both institutions had experienced significant barriers to collaboration, including limited familiarity between researchers, bureaucratic challenges, a lack of funding to support joint projects, and limited awareness of core facilities available on each campus.
Leaders from both universities, including Dr. Stephanie Gardner, UAMS Provost and Chief Strategy Officer and chair of the Institute’s board of directors, and Dr. John English, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at UAF, engaged the Institute to help them identify ways to strengthen existing collaborations and build new research partnerships.
Participants in the first convening in 2019 identified key reasons why UAF and UAMS needed a stronger research partnership:
- To improve health outcomes
- To create a positive economic impact for the region
- To position Arkansas as a leader in the health care field
The Institute recognized the important work carried out by researchers on both campuses, external partners, and institutional leaders, including Dr. Gardner and Dr. English, who helped build the foundation for this collaboration.
Results of the University Research Collaborative
During the 2020 convening, participants identified 24 initiatives that working groups wanted to pursue to enhance collaboration. As of August 2021:
- Work continued on 15 of those initiatives
- 7 were completed
- 2 were removed from further consideration
Highlights from their collaboration include:Â
- UAF and UAMS began planning three annual research showcases to promote collaborative work, held on the UAF and UAMS campuses and at a neutral location such as the Institute.
- UARK-UAMS Metabolism Research Symposium on November 16-17, 2021 (Abstracts)
- A new website listing core facilities on both campuses was launched to highlight shared opportunities. The Arkansas Research Alliance also developed a core facilities exchange program to support collaboration across research institutions in the state.
- A new funding mechanism, 1‑2‑3 Go!, was created to award $75,000 rapid‑pilot grants that required joint research between the two campuses and streamlined the traditional grant review process.
- Both institutions began using SMART IRB agreements, which helped reduce administrative barriers and supported faster collaboration.
Contact Person
