The Office of the Vice President for Research has awarded approximately $3.2 million to 19 projects as part of the 2023 Research Infrastructure Investment Program. This program awards funding to projects supporting transdisciplinary research and collaboration across the University of Minnesota’s colleges and campuses.
The $3.2 million will support 19 projects across 23 departments, units, and centers at 10 colleges on two campuses. Supporting colleges or centers provided one-to-one matching funds for each award, resulting in just over $6.4 million in total funds awarded.
These awards will support initiatives impacting a variety of research areas, including the purchase of the GreenFeed system to expand research potential for measuring greenhouse gas emissions from cows and heifers; the establishment of a Spatial Maker Space to enable geospatial discovery at each stage of the research pipeline; the replacement of a 17-year-old confocal Raman microscope, which has been used by hundreds of University researchers; the expansion and enhancement of the equipment loan program at the University of Minnesota Healthy Weight Research Center; the creation of a biodegradation laboratory to screen new bio-based or sustainable materials; the purchase of a new small-animal imaging system, and more projects that will improve research infrastructure, facilities, and support services across the University.