ORIC: a multi-institutional approach to Enhance Organizational Research Impact Capacity

Since 2014, the National Alliance for Broader Impacts, and most recently, the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) has provided professional development for researchers and impact professionals to enhance their ability to secure extramural funding through quality research proposals. Borne out of anecdotal and evaluation data, inspiration for a strategic program to bolster burgeoning research impact support structures became the basis for the Program to Enhance Organizational Research Impact Capacity (ORIC).

ORIC began its work in Fall 2020 with a pilot cohort of 5 institutes of higher education (IHE). During the past five years, ARIS has provided support to five ORIC cohorts and 34 IHEs and research organizations as they build their own unique resources to support research impacts (BI) work.

IHEs and other research focused organizations must apply and be selected to participate in ORIC. Applicants demonstrate an understanding of what infrastructure currently exists on their campus and clearly articulate a vision for how ORIC can enhance the development of RI work on their campus. Institutions are required to form groups of at least one administrative partner and one person designated as their 'RI professional.' During their one-year participation, RI professionals and administrative partners meet regularly as a cohort to learn how to build research impact resources, and enhance existing research development infrastructure at their institutions.

This 45-minute presentation will introduce the audience to ORIC and detail the process of building systemic change through a cohort-based institutional research impact capacity program. Presenters will describe the challenges and successes of the program and the importance of institutional buy-in during the session.

References

Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society. Retrieved from https://researchinsociety.org/ 2/19/25.