The Global Futures Research Accelerator launched on September 4, 2020. The inaugural cohort includes 28 faculty participants representing 13 college-level units across all four metropolitan ASU campuses. The faculty have diverse expertise across the sciences, engineering, humanities, and social sciences.

Dr. Neal Woodbury, Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Science and Technology Officer for ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise, welcomed the participants and provided an overview of university research strategy. Dr. Woodbury stressed the importance of developing an enterprise research strategy, seeking out mentors, and highlighted the learning model developed specifically for the Research Accelerator. The participants also heard from Ann McKenna Vice Dean of Strategic Advancement for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, who highlighted the importance of linking individual scholarship to college and university research infrastructure. Future speakers and discussions will explore topics ranging from promoting justice, equity, diversity and inclusion to developing corporate partnerships and influencing policy.

The sustainability challenges facing society require novel approaches to use-inspired science with local-to-global impact. The Global Futures Research Accelerator empowers ASU Sustainability Scientists and Scholars to develop an enterprise research strategy to increase competitiveness, funding success, partnerships, and societal impact.