Dear Colleagues,
As we reflect on 2025, one thing is clear: this has been a year of extraordinary momentum for research at the University of Utah. The Office of the Associate Vice President for Research (AVPR) has been busy—strategizing, launching, convening, supporting, and advocating—always with a single goal in mind: strengthening and sustaining our research community.
Below are highlights from a year defined by both stability and innovation.
A Strategic Vision for the Next Five Years
In 2025, we finalized and launched the VPR Strategic Plan (2025–2030)—a roadmap to clarify research strengths, expand interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen national competitiveness, and invest in areas of distinctive impact.
This plan reflects months of listening, consultation, and analysis. It positions us to be proactive rather than reactive in a rapidly evolving national research environment.
Launching the National Laboratory & Security Office (NLSO)
One of our most significant structural advancements was the launch of the National Laboratory & Security Office (NLSO)—designed to expand engagement with national laboratories, defense agencies, and federally funded research centers.
Through informational sessions and faculty engagement events, NLSO is helping researchers navigate security-sensitive funding landscapes while building new federal partnerships.
40+ Weekly Town Halls: Standing With Our Research Community
Beginning in January, we launched a series of weekly town halls (Tuesday at noon), paired with Friday Q&A sessions, to help our research community navigate significant shifts in the federal funding environment.
Across the year, we hosted more than 40 town halls, focused specifically on:
- Interpreting evolving federal guidance
- Understanding agency-level policy changes
- Addressing compliance and reporting shifts
- Providing clarity during moments of uncertainty
- Creating space for real-time questions
These sessions were distinct from our research-organizing events. They were designed first and foremost to provide transparency, stability, and shared understanding during a period of rapid change.
Our colleagues in the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) were instrumental in this effort—helping faculty adjust proposals, budgets, and compliance documentation as new requirements emerged.
This consistent cadence—every Tuesday, every Friday—sent an important message: you are not navigating this alone.
Organizing Research Communities Around Emerging Strengths
Separate from our funding-environment town halls, we hosted a robust series of research-organizing events designed to build interdisciplinary communities around key topics.
These included Lightning Talks, Faculty Forums, and initiative-focused gatherings such as:
- Dialogue & Debate
- Imagined Futures
- Drones & Advanced Aerial Mobility
- Snow & Water
- Microplastics
- Ultra-Processed Foods
- Diseases of Isolation
- Sustainability
- Individual Reproductive Health & Maternal-Child Dyads
- AI & National Security
- Utah’s Unique Data Powerhouses
- Air Quality Research
- Quantum Computing & Materials Discovery
- Bionics & Human Well-Being
These convenings were about opportunity—helping researchers find one another, identify shared questions, and seed future collaborations.
Utah Energy Week: Addressing Critical Needs
One of the signature moments of 2025 was Utah Energy Week: Addressing Critical Needs—a multi-day convening that brought together researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders to examine the future of energy in Utah and beyond.
Utah Energy Week was more than a conference. It was a statement about the University of Utah’s role in shaping the state’s energy future.
Across panels, workshops, and cross-sector dialogues, we explored:
- Grid resilience and reliability
- Advanced energy systems and storage
- Critical minerals and materials
- Environmental sustainability and water-energy intersections
- Workforce development and innovation ecosystems
The event strengthened collaborations across engineering, science, policy, business, and environmental disciplines—while deepening relationships with industry and state partners.
Utah Energy Week exemplified what the VPR Strategic Plan calls us to do: convene boldly, align research strengths with state and national priorities, and catalyze interdisciplinary collaboration around urgent challenges.
Strengthening the Research Pipeline
Our Preaward Unit continued to grow in scope and impact in 2025, expanding support services during a time of increased proposal complexity. Under the leadership of Director Joy Blatchford, the team served investigators with dedication and precision.
This year brought deep sadness with Joy’s passing. She was an extraordinary leader whose commitment to service shaped the culture of preaward support at the university. Her legacy lives on in the strength of the team she built.
Meanwhile, our LIFT program supported over $471 million in grant submissions, reflecting the ambition and productivity of our research community.
Expanding Internal Funding & Strategic Investment
In 2025, we launched multiple new internal funding mechanisms while continuing to support all existing programs. New investments included:
- The Field Research Seed Grant Program
- Expanded interdisciplinary seed opportunities
- Working group and hub support funding
We also introduced a transparent VPR-Sponsored Internal Funding Calendar to help faculty plan strategically across the year.
These investments are not merely financial—they are catalytic.
Supporting Working Groups & Research Hubs
We helped launch and sustain numerous interdisciplinary communities, including:
- Autism Research Working Group
- Neuroscience & Computing Working Group
- Housing Working Group
From retreats to large-scale convenings, these communities are building durable research networks across campus.
Welcoming National Leaders
In 2025, we welcomed significant national voices, including:
- The Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who joined us for an open conversation about the future of high-risk, high-reward research.
- Dr. Ben Gross from the Harry Ransom Center, who engaged faculty around archival research and interdisciplinary humanities scholarship.
These visits strengthened Utah’s national visibility and deepened external partnerships.
Celebrating the Full Research Ecosystem
We highlighted the Impact of NIH Research, celebrated discovery at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, convened discussions linking snow science to Olympic success at the Utah Snow Symposium, and hosted community-building events such as Day of Kindness.
Research excellence depends on intellectual rigor—but also on connection, morale, and shared purpose.
Looking Ahead
2025 was a year of both challenge and opportunity.
We crafted a five-year strategic plan.
We launched the National Laboratory & Security Office.
We hosted 40+ weekly funding-environment town halls and Friday Q&As.
We organized research communities around emerging strengths.
We convened Utah Energy Week.
We supported over $471 million in submissions through LIFT.
We expanded preaward services.
We launched new internal funding mechanisms.
We strengthened interdisciplinary working groups.
We welcomed national leaders to campus.
Most importantly, we did it together.
Thank you for your partnership, resilience, and ambition. The AVPR office is proud to serve this remarkable research community.
Here’s to building even more in 2026.