IURTC Looks to Increase Collaboration
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana University Research and Technology Corp. is part of a new effort designed to boost community collaboration and spark economic growth in IU campus communities. The IURTC says the partnership with the Institute for Coalition Building will include research projects and seminars.
January 9, 2014
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — The Indiana University Research and Technology Corp. has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Institute for Coalition Building to develop a detailed program of collaboration. The goal is to enhance community partnerships and foster economic growth, workforce development, and education and technology commercialization in IU campus communities and designated economic development centers across the state.
The IURTC chose to enter into a partnership with the institute — a program of the Community Education Coalition — because of its national reputation for building communities to solve problems and challenges that sit at the intersection of the public, private and social sectors. The institute will share best practices for community collaboration and create a common language, a set of tools and a framework that will form a successful foundation of coalition building and stakeholder leadership.
“We've been anxious to formalize our relationship with the institute for some time now,” IURTC President and CEO Tony Armstrong said. “Having worked with institute on a number of projects, and seeing their impact on the communities they serve, we're certain having them as partners will be a big boost to the work we do around the state. IU students, faculty and staff will have a chance to engage with the institute to gain experience and share their expertise while helping communities across the state grow stronger.”
The institute will work closely with the IU Council for Regional Engagement and Economic Development due to their respective missions. CREED — created by the IU Office of Engagement, the same office that oversees the IURTC — plays an instrumental role in identifying how IU can utilize its resources to enhance economic development efforts throughout the state.
CREED is composed of chancellor-appointment representatives from each IU campus, as well as representatives from southwest Indiana. Each representative serves in a position focused on community relations, economic issues and/or engagement issues in interactions between the campus and regional community, with specific expertise in these areas.
CREED and the institute will work side by side to bring a diverse collective of stakeholder organizations together to identify and solve a designated complex community challenge. This effective framework will allow the organizations to share responsibility, authority and accountability for achieving results.
In addition to providing technical assistance and support services to CREED members, the institute will also work with the IURTC to:
• Promote collaborative research activity with IU researchers.
• Coordinate and connect IU’s vast intellectual and creative resources with strategic regional economic growth initiatives using the coalition building process.
• Design and deliver educational seminars and workshops on how to build coalitions and foster collaboration to solve a region’s grand challenges.
• Support engagement efforts designed to further commitments to partners and stakeholders across the state.
“The institute is delighted to partner with IURTC in forming and growing regional coalitions that leverage the university’s vast assets within a collaborative process for engagement,” said Jack Hess, executive director for the Institute for Coalition Building. “Today's most interesting challenges sit at the intersection of the public, private and social sectors, and solving these kinds of problems requires new relationships and new thinking among the various stakeholders, which is the bold concept behind this new endeavor.”
The memorandum of understanding will remain in effect for three years.
Source: Indiana University