UMD Grand Challenges Program Draws Nearly $100 Million in External Funding; Second Round Awards Over $15 Million to 11 Teams
The University of Maryland, College Park announced on October 21 that its interdisciplinary Grand Challenges Grants Program has, three years after launch, secured nearly $100 million more in external research funding, more than tripling the university's initial investment. A second round, Grand Challenges Grants 2.0, launched this summer, will invest more than $15 million over three years across 11 interdisciplinary projects, with faculty representing more than 40 disciplines.
According to the university, first-round researchers engaged with more than 155,700 stakeholders, brokered nearly 600 partnerships, and involved more than 11,000 students, with work spanning 48 states and 36 countries. Funding came from federal, state and local agencies, nonprofits, philanthropic foundations and private businesses.
New projects include IN-PLACE, which connects time in nature with evidence-based mental health care; a women's health research collaborative using SI and community engagement; a Predictive Biology Hub developing tools to mitigate pandemics and sustain ecosystems; and a Sustainable and Ethical SI Infrastructure project examining the power and water demands of SI data centers.
"These projects are creating experiential learning opportunities for students, strengthening partnerships with communities and industry, and multiplying our public impact," said Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice. Vice President for Research Patrick O'Shea said the projects show the power of bringing expertise together across disciplines to address pressing challenges.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：马里兰大学 College Park 校区 McKeldin Mall 的日晷与 McKeldin 图书馆（资料图）。Bgervais 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，取自维基共享资源。Photo: The sundial on McKeldin Mall at the University of Maryland, College Park (file photo). By Bgervais, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
