For over 60 years, the Research Triangle region of North Carolina has been a model research ecosystem on a global scale. The Research Triangle stands apart from other similar efforts for its successful collaboration among universities, businesses, and government organizations in innovation-led economic development and talent attraction and for the significant transformation that the region experienced as a result. Today, the region is home to multiple institutions of national and international renown and has a reputation for education, discovery, and innovation by virtue of the forethought and investments made decades ago. To build on this legacy of positive change through collaboration, RTI International seeks to catalyze investments to address the collective unprecedented issues we face that demand regional collaboration and intentional investment to ensure future success.

To build on a foundation of recent investments in successful university collaborations and help stimulate transformational change for the next 60 years, RTI's Board of Governors—under the auspices of the RTI University Research Collaboration Committee (URCC)—welcomes Expressions of Interest (EOI) in Forethought: The RTI $5M+ Research Collaboration Challenge. We seek innovative and compelling research projects that meld scientific rigor, technical proficiency, and innovative methods to help solve the world's most critical problems. This future-focused competition is intended to draw on and, eventually, contribute to the distinctive intellectual and institutional resources and culture of the Research Triangle region.

Under the leadership of Dr. Christy Shaffer and Dr. Peter Lange, the URCC is committed to stimulating and supporting visionary, impactful research collaboration among RTI and area universities. To accomplish this, RTI and the URCC have developed Forethought: The RTI $5M+ Research Collaboration Challenge. Through this challenge, we will invest in our collective future by expanding existing partnerships and forging new ones that leverage existing resources and optimize knowledge-based growth. RTI and our partners will commit to supporting at least one team that presents a compelling project for regional collaboration and transformational innovation. We seek bold, visionary project proposals that address critical societal challenges.

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: April 8, 2021