National Science Foundation Program Director to Present at U of A on Funding Opportunities

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Michael Reksulak

The U of A's Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R) and the Division of Research and Innovation will host Michael Reksulak, Ph.D., J.D., of the National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) directorate. Reksulak will present new and existing TIP opportunities, including the NSF Convergence Accelerator 12:30-1:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, Aug. 27, in Mullins Library room 453, with a meet and greet to follow.

TIP plays a critical role in fostering societal impact by building partnerships that fuel innovation ecosystems, accelerate technology translation and development, and drive workforce development. Among its initiatives, the Convergence Accelerator empowers teams to provide solutions to pressing societal and economic challenges through multidisciplinary research and innovation, leveraging collaborative cohorts to amplify their impact.

Last year, researchers at I³R joined with the departments of Industrial Engineering and Computer Science, Food Science, and Agricultural Economics at the U of A, as well as two industry partners (Cureate and Junction AI), to secure a Phase 2 Convergence Accelerator award to continue the development of Cultivate IQ, an AI-powered data insights platform aimed at empowering smaller farms and enhancing the resilience of regional food systems.

"Cultivate IQ leverages a multidisciplinary team's expertise to understand the needs of producers, buyers and other stakeholders. This support from NSF will help us make both a positive societal and economic impact in the region and beyond," said Meredith Adkins, the project's principal investigator. "This event with Dr. Reksulak will hopefully engage more U of A researchers with the benefits of TIP."

The event is public to all U of A faculty and staff. Space is limited, and interested individuals are encouraged to RSVP on the calendar invitation.