Expanding the reach of research

Universities play a lead role in the creation and advancement of scientific research. And as the world grapples with monumental challenges, these institutions are seeking to expand the impact of their research to tackle these challenges.

Here, academic leaders reveal how their universities are doing this. They are recent contributors to Not Alone, a monthly publication that showcases new perspectives on global issues from research and academic leaders.

As we seek to solve society’s grand challenges locally and globally, universities must collaborate with businesses, communities and government, writes Chancellor Gary S May of the University of California Davis. His university's partnerships address issues ranging from public health to combatting hate. In his article "No university is an island: How to foster town-gown partnerships for impactful outcomes," Prof May emphasizes the need for universities to move away from the traditional "ivory tower" approach and actively engage with community.

He gives three examples from UC Davis.

• A Memorandum of Understanding between the university, the city and the county led to successful collaborations for affordable student housing, transportation improvements and, notably, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The collaboration, known as Healthy Davis Together, involved joint efforts in COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, public health messaging and vaccine clinics. It resulted in a significant reduction in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

• Hate-Free Together addresses the rise of local hate incidents. The initial plans include a series of community workshops for UC Davis residents of all types, including students, seniors and families, along with local businesses and public agencies.

• A partnership with the city of Sacramento has led to the development of Aggie Square, an innovation district located on 25 acres of the university's Health campus. Aggie Square, which was developed based on three years of input from community members, is designed to "build bridges between our research enterprise and entrepreneurship, propel economic development and build more resilient communities," he writes.

Many universities are also collaborating internationally. That's the focus of an article by Barbara R Snyder, President of the American Association of Universities (AAU). She writes about a new initiative AAU is leading "to deepen research ties with an emerging scientific powerhouse: India."

Their Task Force on Expanding United States-India University Partnerships aims to identify key areas for bilateral research and education cooperation. With a focus on "true collaborations," the initiative encourages joint research projects, faculty engagements, student exchanges and technology transfers.

The effort aligns with the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) and aims to leverage India's growing economy and significant investments in scientific research. The White House and the Modi administration have committed $10 million to set up the institute, reflecting a collaborative effort to overcome challenges and promote scientific cooperation between the two nations.

Snyder says the AAU intends for its efforts to be inclusive of non-AAU members as well:

"I’d like to issue an open invitation to universities across the United States interested in forging ties with Indian universities to get in touch with us. ... We all benefit when science is collaborative, international, open, and inclusive of diverse perspectives. I am excited to see where our efforts to expand partnerships with India leads to; come join us and be a part of this historic endeavor."

As Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, Prof Sir Anton Muscatelli writes about evolving role of universities in addressing global challenges and emphasizes the need for higher education institutions to demonstrate their broader societal impact. In his article "Turning the supertanker: How do we steer research universities (even more) towards impact?" Prof Muscatelli reflects on the changing landscape where universities face funding constraints, global competition, and mounting expectations from students and stakeholders. In response, he says, universities need to go beyond traditional performance metrics and showcase their wider contributions to society:

"Increasingly, we do not only want to be recognized as one of the best universities in the world (as measured by conventional performance metrics) — we want to be the best university for the world."

Prof Muscatelli introduces the concept of the "triple bottom line" in the business world, encompassing financial, environmental and societal metrics. He suggests that universities should adopt a similar approach, aligning strategies with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to measure their societal impact. In fact, the University of Glasgow' ranked highly in various SDGs in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

He gives examples of university initiatives related to poverty research, sustainable cities, affordable and clean energy, and economic growth.

In their article "Universities must be catalysts for sustainable development," the authors highlight the importance of universities in accelerating progress toward the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in the United States. They point out that the integration of the SDGs into national plans and policies is uneven, with the US lagging behind.

The authors — Prof Cherry Murray of the University of Arizona, Dr E William Colglazier, Editor-in-Chief of Science & Diplomacy for AAAS, and Dr Franklin Carrero-Martinez and Emi Kameyama of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to sustainable development addressing economic growth, social equity and environmental protection.

"While climate action tends to draw the most attention," they write, "the SDG framework includes much, much more and is relevant for all nations, developing and developed."

They suggest that universities can play a crucial role in operationalizing the pursuit of SDGs by focusing on education, research and service to society:

Universities can provide the research and scholarship to better understand the balance of trade-offs and synergies among the SDGs; the science underpinning the interactions between climate, the local environment and biodiversity; and how to lower the cost of sustainable solutions and technologies for particular communities and help bring government and business together to finance place-based initiatives.

The university community can embrace indigenous knowledge — often more in tune with preserving the environment — and study the social science of inequality and extreme poverty.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.