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Projects & Initiatives

Research, Science & Technology

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Research, Science & Technology
Science and Security
The nation’s public research universities have a unique, long-standing partnership with the federal government conducting research on behalf of the American people. This research represents one of the nation’s greatest assets, which is why it is a target for foreign attack. APLU is working with its member institutions to help protect against foreign interference, influence, and theft of research and the discoveries that come from it.
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Research, Science & Technology
Public Impact Research
A growing number of public universities are taking these efforts to the next level through collaborative, multidisciplinary research known as Public Impact Research (PIR). To spur broader adoption of PIR, APLU is working with member universities to identify best practices and elevate awareness of the work.
2018 Engineering Report
Access & Diversity
2018 Status Report on Engineering Education
Funded by NSF, the report examines trends in engineering degrees cto determine areas of growth among various groups, changes in racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in engineering, and which colleges and universities graduate a larger number of underrepresented groups in specific engineering disciplines.
Economic Development & Engagement
Technology Transfer Evolution: Driving Economic Prosperity
The Technology Transfer Evolution Working Group will identify ways in which the practice of university technology transfer is changing, and must continue to change, to sustain and increase university responsiveness to the needs of stakeholders, and more broadly to challenges in society and the economy.
Economic Development & Engagement
University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase
The University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase highlights university affiliated startup businesses to promote the importance of federally-funded university research and demonstrate how university-led entrepreneurial engagement contributes to the innovation economy.
Economic Development & Engagement
Innovation & Economic Prosperity Universities Designation and Awards
The IEP University Designation is earned by institutions demonstrating an institutional, sustainable, and substantive commitment to excellence in economic engagement.
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Research, Science & Technology
APLU Task Force on Tenure, Promotion, and Technology Transfer
The presidential task force is working to make recommendations on what may be the appropriate consideration of technology transfer and commercialization work in faculty tenure and promotion decisions.
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Research, Science & Technology
Close the Innovation Deficit
APLU is helping to lead the effort to close the innovation deficit -- the widening gap between actual and needed federal investments in research and higher education.
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Research, Science & Technology
Task Force on Laboratory Safety
APLU has formed the Task Force on Laboratory Safety in coordination with the Association of American Universities (AAU), American Chemical Society (ACS), and Council on Government Relations (COGR) to provide research universities with recommendations and guidance on the most appropriate strategies to enhance a culture of laboratory safety.
Research, Science & Technology
'Common Rule' for the Protection of Human Subjects
The Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, also known as the "Common Rule," governs the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects. The proposed changes will substantially alter the conduct of research involving human subjects for decades to come.
Urban Initiatives
Diversifying the Biomedical Research Workforce
Diversity in the biomedical sciences improves research outcomes, advances new cures and treatments, and aids recruitment of diverse patient populations for clinical trials. Yet there are few evidence‐based strategies for improving diversity within STEM and biomedical science doctoral programs. The Coalition of Urban Serving Universities and APLU are working with a set of partners to change that.
Economic Development & Engagement
Economic Engagement Framework
A set of core ideas to help universities focus efforts not only on telling their economic engagement story well, but also growing, improving, and advancing their economic engagement enterprise and thereby accelerating economic development in their regions, nationally, and globally.
Research, Science & Technology
Guide to Implementing a Safety Culture
This guide is a roadmap for a university-wide effort to strengthen a culture of safety. The guide has action steps, resources, and recommendations to help navigate the challenge of changing the culture of the institution.
STEM Education
Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership
The MTE-Partnership provides a coordinated research, development, and implementation effort for secondary mathematics teacher preparation programs. The Partnership was initially formed to meet the challenges of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and to embody research and best practices in the field.
STEM Education
Science and Mathematics Teaching Imperative
The Science and Mathematics Teaching Imperative is the most ambitious national initiative that assists public universities in their effort to increase the number and improve the quality and diversity of science and mathematics teachers prepared.
STEM Education
STEM Education Centers Network
The goal of the Network is to foster communication and interaction among STEM education centers to enhance their capacity to support effective undergraduate STEM education.
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Agriculture, Human Sciences & Natural Resources
Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance through Research & Education
Iowa State University will establish and host a new national Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education. APLU and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) chose Iowa State to lead the institute, which is designed to foster and coordinate research and education activities using a One Health approach to comprehensively tackle the AMR problem.
Research, Science & Technology
Task Force on Managing University Intellectual Property
The APLU Task Force on Managing University Intellectual Property is examining the role of technology transfer in fulfilling our institutions' public purposes.