The Office of the Vice President for Research has developed a new way to connect researchers to resources that can help them increase competitiveness for external research funding.

The Michigan Research Launchpad will seamlessly connect researchers to a wide range of programs and support systems that can help them find the many OVPR units dedicated to furthering the impact of U-M’s research efforts and supporting innovative, high-quality grant proposals.

“We are putting opportunities right at researchers’ fingertips, positioning the university for large-scale grant success in forward-thinking ways,” said Trachette Jackson, associate vice president for research-strategic partnerships and inclusive excellence. “The Michigan Research Launchpad is a more strategic approach that empowers our community to tackle future challenges with unprecedented capacity.”

Researchers can use the Launchpad to connect to the Bold Challenges program, which provides funding and support to increase the pipeline of interdisciplinary research collaborations across university schools and colleges, and the Office of Research Development, which provides world-class support and guidance in preparing highly competitive and highly collaborative grant proposals.

From the Launchpad, researchers can also learn about Innovation Partnerships, U-M’s nexus for research commercialization that provides translational research funding and business mentorship to drive startup formation, industry partnerships, and other forms of research translation; and the Faculty Honorifics Office, the university’s resource for increasing national recognition of faculty research accomplishments. 

Users can also use the Launchpad to learn about new and recently reimagined programs, such as the AI Institutes at Michigan, or AIIM, Impact Institutes, Building Better Futures and the Michigan Analytics Group.

AIIM and the Impact Institutes initiatives were launched earlier this year to further interdisciplinary collaboration and fuel innovation. AIIM’s strategy revolves around integrating and coordinating the strengths of U-M’s AI-focused centers and institutes and fostering a synergic environment that amplifies the impact of each participating member.

The Impact Institutes are designed to propel the creation and growth of interdisciplinary research centers that serve as catalysts for public impact and research excellence in areas that are of increasing importance to the state and nation. The program offers incentives for thinking and collaborating in new ways. The program will reopen applications for Seed Stage funding in summer 2026.

Building Better Futures is a new funding opportunity within the Research Catalyst and Innovation Program that supports rigorous, innovative and technically sound research that empowers people to improve their quality of life and strengthen their communities.

The Michigan Analytics Group consists of two OVPR units — the Research Analysis & Data Integration Office, or RADIO, and Strategic Intelligence. Both focus on data analysis that allows researchers to be more competitive for emerging funding opportunities.

RADIO analyzes and integrates data, including the university’s research portfolio, to better prepare the university and its faculty to remain competitive in advancing human knowledge. Strategic Intelligence, a unit established in 2024, evaluates external signals to develop insights and forecast emerging opportunities in the funding landscape.

Since their establishment, RADIO and Strategic Intelligence have coordinated with other OVPR units to increase institutional competitiveness for research funding opportunities. This includes identifying areas that units can target for seed funding, like the recent Bold Challenges pollination event themed Food for Tomorrow — an opportunity where cross-campus faculty shared ideas with potential new collaborators in food-focused research.

“The Michigan Research Launchpad will offer the university a crucial competitive edge,” said Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation. “Our researchers are creative, capable and committed to tackling society’s greatest challenges. The Launchpad is the place for the U-M community to not only learn about new and coming research opportunities but to improve their capacity for national and global leadership in these vital areas.”