ORIC Program | ORIC FAQ | Pilot Cohort | 2021 Cohort | 2022 Cohort | 2023 Cohort

logos from each institution participating in ORIC from 2020-2023

The Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) developed the Program to Enhance Organizational Research Impact Capacity (ORIC) to help institutions build/expand their own capacity to support broader impact (BI) efforts.

“Participating in the ORIC program has been a great experience. The professional development provided by the ARIS training team increased my knowledge base and equipped me to better support the research community at my organization. In true ARIS fashion, the ORIC program creates a sense of community in a supportive environment where practitioners can learn alongside and from each other.”
∼ BI Professional at The Ohio State University

ARIS will provide professional development, resources, mentoring and community-building to institutions and organizations that apply through a competitive process to participate. The program is cohort-based, with a cohort consisting of approximately five institutions, and each cohort training period lasting one year. During that year, BI professionals participate in an intensive training series designed and led by ARIS, followed by nine additional months of application and practice which is overseen and mentored by members of the ARIS training team.

Acknowledging that institutional/organizational change cannot just occur through a bottom-up approach, ORIC was designed with a requirement for each participating institution to present a “BI Team,” consisting of the BI Professional(s) and an Administrative Partner (typically someone such as a Vice Provost/President of Research or VP of Research Development). The job of the Administrative Partner is to serve as a champion for the efforts of the BI Professionals, and an active advocate for implementing the necessary administrative changes to expand and institutionalize buy-in and support for expanded, permanent BI support.

To learn more about this program, please see Frequently Asked Questions

To date, 20 institutions have participated in the ORIC Program. To learn more about these institutions and who represented each institution, see Pilot Cohort, 2021 Cohort, 2022 Cohort, and 2023 Cohort.

The call-for-applications for the 2023 Cohort was closed June 6.

The 2023 cohort will consist of frequent training meetings for BI Professionals throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. Training meetings will include tools and techniques to increase BI support infrastructure at your institution and opportunities to network with past ORIC institutions. ORIC Administrative Partners will be required to attend three cohort meetings throughout the year and to meet monthly with their local BI Professional/team.

There is no cost for institutions to participate in this program, but admission to an ORIC cohort is based on application, and is competitive.

Important Dates

  • Deadline to apply: June 6, 2023
  • Announcements will be made by July 1, 2023.
  • Training will begin August 2023

Required application documents

  • A two-page statement clearly describing the need for increased BI training and support at the institution, the current landscape of BI support, and a vision for how expanded BI training will advance that institution’s mission.
  • A description of the BI Professional’s qualifications and experience with BI support. Please discuss their existing strengths in this area as well as areas for growth and skill/abilities they would hope to gain from participating in ORIC. A team, consisting of a small group (2-3) of people, can be created by an institution to go through the training process. ARIS asks that one person be identified as the lead for the team. If a team will be utilized, please provide the above information for each team member as well as a statement of why each person is integral and what role they will play on the team. (maximum 2 pages for individual, 3 pages for team)
  • A letter of support and commitment for the Administrative Partner. The letter should affirm the institution’s buy-in and commitment to support efforts of the BI Professional/Team in establishing the support infrastructure. The letter should also include a commitment to fully participate in the requirements of the Admin Partner in the ORIC program. (2 page maximum)

For additional questions about the ORIC program or application process, contact Sara Vassmer, PhD or Megan Heitmann.

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