In recognition of UC Riverside's commitment to economic engagement, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has designated UCR an Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) University. This national designation recognizes public research universities that support economic development through innovation and entrepreneurship, technology transfer, talent and workforce development, and community development.
UCR is currently one of the IEP 80 universities.
“We join a select group of universities across the country, including our sister campuses at UC Davis, UC Los Angeles, and UC San Diego,” said UCR's Vice President for Research and Economic Development (RED). said Rodolfo Torres. “UCR is already recognized by regional stakeholders as a powerhouse of innovation and economic prosperity in Inland Southern California, and it is great to be recognized by other APLU universities as well.”
Torres said SoCal OASIS™ is key to the success of IEP applications. SoCal OASIS™ is a comprehensive initiative that includes a technology hub and numerous program activities and is his RED's primary mechanism for building innovation and economic development in the Southern California Interior region.
Rosibel Ochoa, vice chancellor for the Office of Technology Partnerships, said the designation “solidifies UC Riverside's position as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.” This is the culmination of more than eight years of hard work and dedication by the university and its partners. ”
The designation was made after an independent committee reviewed UCR's application. The review included an internal review of economic activity and input from external stakeholders. This application required self-study to identify areas of strength and plan for growth and improvement.
Applications for designation are evaluated by a review committee representing other universities and regional and national partners. Scoring was based on criteria that emphasize the university's development of economic engagement projects, strategic communication about these efforts, and promotion of economic engagement among peer institutions.
The designated period is five years, after which the IEP college can be recertified by summarizing a five-year “reflection memo.” After 10 years, each institution will present a new growth and improvement plan and complete the same extension application. This sequence repeats every 5 and 10 years of his life.
This honor complements two designations UCR has received in the past year, and similarly increases the university's academic profile and positions UCR for new funding opportunities, awards, and networking opportunities. It will be. In June 2023, UCR was invited to join the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), an association of 71 of the nation's top research universities. In January, UCR was awarded her 2024 Carnegie Selective Classification for Community Engagement.
APLU is a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The organization includes more than 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and related organizations as members.
