Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation (PACRI) | Office of the Dean for Research

The Office of the Dean for Research at Princeton University has announced a new initiative designed to foster collaborative research projects. The program will be led by Vice Dean for Innovation Rodney Priestley, the Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Tod Hamilton, associate professor of sociology and acting director of the Office of Population Research.

Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation (PACRI) establishes several innovation funds at Princeton University, as a part of the Office of the Dean for Research’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan. PACRI is one of several initiatives aimed at growing a more inclusive research, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem at Princeton and beyond.

In the first phase of the PACRI initiative, funds will support research projects co-led by principal investigators at Princeton University and faculty at a small cohort of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The hope is that the funding will generate new knowledge and discoveries across a wide range of disciplines, including science, engineering, the social sciences and the humanities, fostering rich collaborations and partnerships between institutions that will drive innovation and research excellence.

To support the launch of PACRI, Princeton is working with UNCF (the United Negro College Fund), which will lend its extensive expertise to facilitate the process of selecting an initial cohort of three to five HBCU institutions for the pilot phase. The selection process is currently under way, and it is anticipated that the first cohort of institutions will be announced in spring of 2022.

For more information, or general questions about the program, please email [email protected].