Collage of a hiker, the College of Education, a runner on a treadmill, and the Knight Campus

Goal: Accelerate the University of Oregon’s Impact on the World

Innovation at scale

As a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group made up of the nation’s leading research institutions, the University of Oregon generates and develops ideas that drive impact. In the next decade, we will apply focus and investment to leverage our "distinctly Oregon” strengths around four signature areas of scholarship that accelerate our benefit on society, elevate the human experience, and develop innovative models for a changing world.

In the face of increasingly complex challenges, the University of Oregon is committed to long-term, transformative solutions driven by the latest research and interdisciplinary collaboration. We will continue to strive for excellence in everything we do, but we will also focus on areas of unique strength as “signature areas of scholarship.”

Four Signature Areas of Scholarship

1. Environmental Resilience

The University of Oregon will create and build on existing programs to develop novel and scalable approaches for mitigating the challenges of a changing climate and adapting to a rapidly evolving world. This comprehensive effort includes scientific work to understand and prepare for changing environmental conditions and catastrophic natural events, alongside engineering solutions that reduce carbon dependence; cultural analysis in the humanities and social sciences to explore the ethical and social complexities of climate change and its human impact; efforts in policy, business, education, and law to build resilient communities that can thrive in the face of environmental challenges; and artistic endeavors that capture the urgency of our current environmental crisis and imagine a sustainable and equitable future.

2. Youth Behavioral and Mental Health

The University of Oregon will lead the field in creating and expanding programs designed to support youth well-being through early detection, prevention, and interventions that promote behavioral and mental health, particularly for underserved communities. This centers evidence-based programs and practices that can be deployed at scale across schools and communities to reduce behavioral health disparities and maximize societal impact.

3. Human Performance and Sport

The University of Oregon will take the next steps to be a world-class university in the study of human performance and sport, leveraging our unique and historical strengths in these areas. These will include new degree programs, development of professional pathways for our students into related industries, and accelerated scholarship that expands our understanding of human performance and sport through multidisciplinary lenses, including science, business, communications, design, ethics, and law.

4. Accelerating Innovation and Scientific Impact

The University of Oregon will create and expand programs and areas of scholarship that promote the effective translation of scientific discoveries into transformative societal impacts. We will support the development and deployment of fundamental research discoveries, technologies, and knowledge that will improve people’s lives and enable the University to amplify its role as a driver for economic prosperity in the region. 

We will also invest in emerging areas of applied sciences and engineering geared towards addressing major societal challenges. This includes establishing stronger talent and technological pipelines and partnerships to meet the needs of industry and the state; creating a seamless innovation support ecosystem; building infrastructure to accelerate the pathway to societal impact; and removing barriers for individuals historically underrepresented in innovation and entrepreneurship. 

The University of Oregon will become a destination for those who seek to innovate without being limited by academic silos and barriers that slow the translation of research into practical solutions.

 

Key Performance Indicators

  • Annual research expenditures university-wide (this applies to all four signature areas)
  • We will also identify one or more additional metrics that reflect our signature areas’ impact on individuals, communities, science, industry, and the human condition.
 

Goal Owners

  • Christopher P. Long, Provost and Senior Vice President
  • Bob Guldberg, Vice President and Robert and Leona DeArmond Executive Director, Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact
  • Anshuman (“AR”) Razdan, Vice President, Research and Innovation

Goal Owners will work with appointed chairs to establish collaborative workgroups, representing diverse areas of the university, that will drive completion of the milestones assigned to each of the goals' multiple strategies for this academic year and beyond.

 

Steering Committee

  • Christopher P. Long, Provost and Senior Vice President
  • Allison Blade, Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Office of the Provost
  • Bruce Blonigen, Edward Maletis Dean, Lundquist College of Business, and Philip H. Knight Professor of Social Science
  • Joseph Buck, Vice President, University Advancement
  • Brian Fox, Associate Vice President Budget, Financial Analysis and Data Analytics, Finance and Administration
  • Bob Guldberg, Vice President and Robert and Leona DeArmond Executive Director
  • Carol Keese, Vice President, University Communications
  • Trent Lutz, Executive Director, Government and Community Relations and Associate Vice President, State Affairs
  • Laura Lee McIntyre, Dean, College of Education, Castle-McIntosh-Knight Professor, School Psychology
  • Chris Poulsen, Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Professor, Department of Earth Sciences
  • Anshuman (“AR”) Razdan, Vice President, Research and Innovation
 

Support Teams

Information about these support teams will be provided as details become available.