What We Do

Our Vision

Driven by purpose, I3R at the University of Arkansas will be the recognized leader in convergence research for societal impact and the preeminent partner in creating and deploying comprehensive, transformative and scalable innovations that stimulate economic growth and improve health and well-being in Arkansas and beyond.

Collaboratories

I³R drives innovation and impact through Collaboratories:

Collaboratories of People

The people of I³R address the challenges facing our world and have a mindset that is driven by purpose and ready to adapt. They intertwine into mission-based, cross-functional teams ready to pursue complex problems and to converge ideas and expertise.

Collaboratories of Physical & Digital Spaces

The physical and digital spaces of I³R allow us to gather to deliberate, to disseminate knowledge and to put discovery into action to spur economic development.

Our Initial Grand Challenge

As stated by the National Science Foundation, “The grand challenges of today – protecting human health; understanding the food, energy, water nexus; exploring the universe at all scales – will not be solved by one discipline alone. They require convergence: the merging of ideas, approaches and technologies from widely diverse fields of knowledge to stimulate innovation and discovery.”

I³R will grow convergence research and foster collaboration to address the Grand Challenge.

Educate & Empower

Education and Empowerment are essential to making the impact of I³R lasting and sustainable. We will engage with diverse communities - all the communities – in Northwest Arkansas and every region of Arkansas. We will leverage our geography and our people to enable a growing wheel of impact that expands from the local to the global.

I³R is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and empowering women and other underrepresented groups missing from the workforce.

University of Arkansas students will have the unique opportunity to engage in our research through the Honors College, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

I³R also offers outreach and coursework through the Collaborative in Bentonville – programs and classes that help take discovery to deployment.