Background
As one of its first activities, the RI Research Alliance launched the Collaborative Research Grants, a $1.5 million funding program to stimulate cutting-edge collaborative research projects across the State's research institutions. Grants have been awarded to project teams in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
In 2008, the Alliance announced that it would expand its activities to assess research areas that are ripe for collaboration among the major research institutes of the state, and assist in the preparation of collaborative proposals to major funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.
The RI Research Alliance supports the development and marketing of joint/shared laboratory facilities, produces events and activities that promote collaboration, and makes recommendations to state leadership on policies and programs that promote collaborative research and benefit the member organizations of the Alliance. As part of this activity, the Alliance will produce an engagement plan that deepens support among participating institutions and defines new opportunities for collaboration.
The Alliance also brings greater connectivity to our existing collaborative research efforts. This includes the National Science Foundation's EPSCoR program and the National Institutes of Health IDEeA programs in the COBRE and INBRE networks, all of which are contingent upon collaboration.
With its unique ecosystem, Rhode Island is positioned to leverage its small size and already well-developed relationships to bring together government, academia and industry in new, positive and creative ways.
