RIO News & Announcements
The Research and Innovation Office (RIO) oversees the $1.3 billion annual research enterprise at the University of Minnesota, a top public research university. RIO works with a broad range of units and partners to advance the research mission and tracks key research metrics for the University.
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Direct media inquiries to:
JoonHyung Cho
Assistant Vice President for External Affairs and Communications
224 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
[email protected]
Recent RIO News & Announcements
RIO 2026 Funding and Awards Programs
The Research and Innovation Office (RIO) has announced its funding and award programs for 2026, which includes a recently launched Grant-in-Aid category focused on social justice impact.
RIO Announces 2026 Research Infrastructure Investment Program
Letters of intent are now being accepted for the Research Infrastructure Investment Program which, in 2026, is being offered as a single round in the spring only this year. LOI due February 23; full proposal due March 23.
Research Ethics Week, March 2–6, 2026
Join your peers and colleagues across the University for Research Ethics Week, March 2–6, 2026, the annual week-long series of educational opportunities focused on research ethics.
10,000 Families Study Explores Genetic, Lifestyle, and Environmental Factors Affecting Minnesotans
Led by a multidisciplinary team at the University of Minnesota, the 10,000 Families Study investigates how common environmental exposures like radon and PFAS impact long-term health and blood cancer risk across the state’s diverse populations.
Addressing Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Rural and Indigenous Communities
The Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team at the University of Minnesota Duluth is developing culturally appropriate diagnostic tools and care models to improve dementia outcomes and health equity for rural and Indigenous communities across North America.
From Lab to Farm: Jord BioScience Scales Sustainable Microbial Innovation
Minneapolis-based Jord BioScience, a University of Minnesota spinoff, is revolutionizing sustainable agriculture by leveraging a proprietary microbial bank to develop high-yield, reliable crop solutions that significantly improve yield and reduce product development timelines.
Bridging the Mobility Gap
Led by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies, the MATI program is a federally funded national initiative that designs, implements, and evaluates targeted urban and rural mobility interventions—ranging from ride-share subsidies to autonomous shuttles—to eliminate transportation insecurity as a barrier to economic stability and qual ity of life.
Restoring Fire to Minnesota’s Forest Ecosystems
The Cloquet Forestry Center and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe are collaborating to restore ecocultural prescribed fire regimes in northern Minnesota, moving away from reactive fire management toward a proactive, reciprocal approach that enhances forest health, honors Indigenous land stewardship, and reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
RIO Awards Thirty-Five Grant-in-Aid Projects for Fall 2025
The Research and Innovation Office has awarded thirty-five grants as part of the Fall 2025 Grant-in-Aid program. These projects represent principal investigators from fourteen colleges or units and three campuses.