IHPI members to lead newly selected U-M Impact Institutes

Impact Institutes, a seed funding initiative launched in May, has awarded its first cycle of funding to 10 new institutes from across the University of Michigan. 

The awards are intended to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and advance high-impact research, positioning the institutes for long-term sustainability and external funding.

The institutes include participants from 17 schools and colleges and more than 20 additional units, including nontraditional research partners such as MDining and Michigan Recreation. Their research aims include developing new materials to meet rising electrical demand from AI and data centers, advancing policy solutions for nutrition insecurity and chronic disease and creating sustainable plant fibers for textiles and building materials. 

The new institutes support the five impact areas of Look to Michigan, with nearly all advancing technology. Look to Michigan is U-M’s strategic vision for driving innovation and societal impact through life-changing education; human health and well-being; advanced technology; energy, climate action, sustainability and environment equity; and democracy, civic and global engagement. 

Each institute will receive $200,000 over the next two years. Funding is provided by the Strategic Initiative Fund, which supports collaborative initiatives that advance meaningful impact across U-M and beyond.

“The institutes chosen in this first round reflect an extraordinary breadth and depth of vision,” said Lisa Prosser, associate vice president for research-health sciences and research faculty affairs. “Faculty came together across disciplines to propose solutions for challenges in energy, AI, health and well-being, manufacturing and sustainability. The funded institutes are pushing boundaries, combining expertise in unprecedented ways and have the potential to build a foundation for future growth, partnerships and lasting impact.”

Newly awarded institutes that demonstrate potential for national or global leadership will be eligible to compete for venture stage funding. Venture stage institutes will receive $500,000 per year for three years, with matching investments required.

“Impact Institutes is helping position U-M as a national leader in cross-disciplinary research, which is central to our Look to Michigan vision,” said Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation. “By bringing together faculty from across campuses and disciplines, we are accelerating solutions to the most urgent challenges of our time. In this pivotal moment, these institutes are translating research into action that will improve lives in Michigan and around the world.”

Below is a summary of the projects directed and co-directed by IHPI members:

Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health Policy

• Director: Katherine Bauer, School of Public Health
• Co-director: Eric Brandt, Medical School
• Goal: The Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health Policy brings together interdisciplinary expertise at the intersections of food, nutrition, health and policy. As a hub for innovative, community-informed policy research, leadership development and trusted knowledge the IFNHP will inform health-focused food and nutrition-related legislation, regulations and programming.

University of Michigan Institute for Social Prescribing

• Director: Mark Clague, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
• Co-director: Lindsey Mortenson, Medical School
• Goal: Facing increased rates of social isolation and loneliness at U-M and institutions nationwide, the Institute for Social Prescribing aims to transform campus well-being by developing, researching and scaling a comprehensive social prescribing program that encourages health and social care professionals to connect individuals to enriching community experiences, such as arts, nature, movement, service and shared meals, while serving as a resource and catalyst for research and advocacy for social prescribing, nationally and internationally.

Institute for Maternal Health Innovation and Excellence

• Director: Julie Ivy, College of Engineering
• Co-directors: Alex Peahl and Jenna Wiens, Medical School 
• Goal: The Institute for Maternal Health Innovation and Excellence aims to transform maternal and child health through AI. IMHIE brings together interdisciplinary expertise to improve maternal health outcomes by harnessing large-scale multimodal data, developing advanced methods to generate data-driven insights which address gaps that limit prevention of maternal morbidity and mortality. 

Institute for AI-Driven Therapeutics Discovery

• Director: Duxin Sun, College of Pharmacy
• Co-director: Kayvan Najarian, Medical School
• Goal: The Institute for AI-Driven Therapeutics Discovery at U-M will integrate AI and machine learning to address root causes of drug development failures, aiming to revolutionize the discovery of small molecules and biologics and position the university as a global leader in this field.