I³R Watershed Grants Spark New Research Collaborations Across U of A; $1 Million in Seed Funding Awarded

Fifteen new interdisciplinary research teams are receiving $1 million in seed funding from the I³R Watershed Grants Program, a recently launched funding initiative made possible through collaboration and co-funding between Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R), U of A colleges and the University Division of Agriculture.  

Launched this summer, the Watershed Grants Program was designed to spark new research collaborations, accelerate translational research and position teams to compete for external funding. The response exceeded expectations: I³R received 56 proposals naming 167 investigators from 10 colleges and units across the university.

“Our vision is for I³R to serve as a catalyst for research success,” said Hugh Churchill, I³R interim director. “It’s exciting to see each of these projects draw on the people, expertise and research capabilities I³R was built to provide, while bringing collaborators together in new ways. Our goal is to help these early collaborations grow into larger research programs that attract external investment and create meaningful impact for Arkansas and beyond.”

I³R originally anticipated funding seven to 10 projects. The strength and breadth of the proposals led I³R and its university partners to increase both the number of awards and the total investment, ultimately fully funding 15 projects with $1 million in seed funding.

The inaugural portfolio spans health, nutrition, aging, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, advanced biomedical models, rural communities, commercialization and other areas of research and innovation. Projects connect investigators across colleges and units as well as with I³R faculty, facilities and external collaborators.

“We’re excited to be part of the Watershed Grants Program and to bring a new multi-college research team together to address depression in rural communities, where access to services remains a significant challenge,” said Ana Bridges, Distinguished Professor of psychological science. “Combining new perspectives with established expertise and I³R’s advanced 3T imaging capabilities gives us an opportunity to better understand what works, for whom, and ultimately help improve mental health care for rural Arkansans.”

The program takes its name and structure from a watershed, where water gathers from many sources and gains momentum as it flows toward a larger destination. Headwaters Grants support working groups where new research directions and collaborations originate. Confluence Grants bring together expertise from multiple disciplines to generate preliminary data, proof-of-concept results and validated methods that can support competitive external proposals. Delta Grants advance promising technologies toward commercialization and real-world application.

“The success of the Watershed Grants Program reflects a shared commitment across our colleges, I³R, the Division of Agriculture and UAMS to strengthen the University of Arkansas research enterprise,” said Provost Indrajeet Chaubey. “The university’s co-investment in these projects demonstrates the power of working together and combining disciplinary strengths with I³R’s capabilities.”

I³R's growing portfolio of core capabilities also plays a central role in the program. Funded teams will engage advanced manufacturing and prototyping resources, wet lab space, imaging and human health research capabilities, technical expertise and other institute resources as their projects advance.

I³R intends for the Watershed Grants Program to serve as the beginning of broader engagement with researchers across campus. Investigators whose projects were not selected for seed funding are encouraged to continue working with I³R to identify facility resources, collaborators and external funding pathways that could advance their research.

"Fifteen projects are receiving funding, but the impact of this program is much larger than 15 awards," Churchill said. "Fifty-six proposals submitted represent dozens of ideas, new connections and potential research directions. We want those relationships with I³R to continue. This initiative has shown us what is possible, and now the work is to build on that momentum."

2026-27 I³R Watershed Grant Awards

1. I³R Arkansas Impact Investor Working Group: Capital Formation for Translational University Ventures
Lead applicant: Cash Acrey, Sam M. Walton College of Business

2. Human Factors in Autonomous Driving and Future Transportation Systems
Lead applicant: Sarah Hernandez, College of Engineering

3. Technology, Social Connection and Resilience in Rural Aging: A Working Group to Build an Interdisciplinary Team for NIH Funding
Lead applicant: Timothy Killian, Bumpers College

4. New Approach Methodologies for Arkansas Health Opportunities Group (NAM-A-HOG)
Lead applicant: William Richardson, College of Engineering

5. The Influence of Whole vs. Processed Protein Foods on Ingestive Behavior and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adults
Lead applicant: Jamie Baum, Bumpers College

6. Validating Digital Interventions to Address Depression in Rural Arkansas
Lead applicant: Ana Bridges, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences

7. The Hidden Cost of Participation: Developing the Concept of Post-Activity Functional Cost in Hypermobile EDS and HSD
Lead applicant: Julie Hill, College of Education and Health Professions

8. Harmonizing Arkansas' Advanced Research 3T MRI Platform: A Validated Two-Site Neuroimaging Standard to Power Statewide Health Science
Lead applicant: Tatiana Wolfe, UAMS

9. Nicotine and Analogues: Characterization and In Vitro Respiratory Models for Human Toxicological Risk Assessment of Emerging Vaping Devices
Lead applicant: Jackson Lay Jr., Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences

10. Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Context and Cardiometabolic and Behavioral Health Risk in Arkansas
Lead applicant: Michael Niño, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences

11. The Role of the Spatial Oxygen Landscape in Aging Skeletal Muscle
Lead applicant: Megan Rexius, College of Engineering

12. Trustworthy Human–AI Agent Teaming via Causal Modeling
Lead applicant: Xintao Wu, College of Engineering

13. Breaking Down Barriers: An Organ-on-a-Chip Model of the Key Barrier to Efficient Muscle Gene Therapy
Lead applicant: Shilpi Agrawal, College of Engineering

14. Advancing a Scalable and Gastrointestinal-Responsive Nanocellulose-Enabled Nanoemulsion-in-Hydrogel Platform for Oral Vitamin D Delivery
Lead applicant: Jin-Woo Kim, College of Engineering

15. Validation of Nasal Delivery of Biotherapeutics on the AirLOC and Flow System
Lead applicant: Christopher Nelson, College of Engineering

About the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R): Established through a $194.7 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the University of Arkansas Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R) serves as a hub for research innovation, technology development and industry engagement. By bringing together interdisciplinary expertise, advanced facilities, entrepreneurial support and strategic partnerships, I³R accelerates the path from discovery to deployment. The institute supports groundbreaking research, workforce development, technology commercialization and collaborative solutions that strengthen Arkansas's economy and improve lives worldwide. Learn more at i3r.uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.