At the University of Utah, winning doesn’t only happen on the field — it happens in classrooms and labs where federally funded research is paving the way toward a better tomorrow. This fall, the U is spreading the word about how research can improve the lives of Americans by participating in the Research for a Stronger America (RSA) campaign sponsored by the Association of American Universities (AAU).
Visitors to campus will see messages on digital signs, screens, banners and shuttles that bring awareness to specific ways that federally funded university research helps the United States “win” on issues that impact the entire country.
“At the University of Utah, we are making daily strides in the fight against cancer, laying a path to cleaner air, improving mental health and revolutionizing possibilities for manufacturing,” President Taylor Randall said. “All of these advancements begin with research. We’re proud to stand with our fellow universities in showing the value of this work.”
The U’s latest campaign is one of several recent efforts to increase awareness about the value of higher education and university research. Other examples include reports from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, a series of stories in University of Utah Magazine, research updates, and regular news releases.
The RSA campaign focuses on the concept of winning by building consistent, unified messaging to demonstrate the value of federally funded university research to the community. The U's messaging follows the “winning” theme of the campaign and points to this landing page, which invites viewers to reach out to lawmakers in support of university research.
As a friendly reminder, U employees who choose to engage in political activities must do so outside of work hours (or while on approved leave), and they must use their own resources. This means that employees should not use university email accounts, university letterhead, university office supplies and equipment or other university resources to engage in these activities. In addition, employees are expected to make it clear that they are speaking on their own behalf and not on behalf of the university.
“The American drive to succeed is nothing new, and neither is the critical role that research universities — in a longstanding partnership with the government — have played in helping make our country the powerhouse that it is today. That’s winning!” AAU Senior Vice President for Communications Win Boerckel said. “We realized that was the right term to use in this effort because it captured in one word what research universities are working towards every day. It’s all about continuing to fuel our country's success with groundbreaking research that keeps pushing the nation forward and keeps America winning right here and now and for the long-term.”
Federally funded research projects at the U are at risk of being impacted by changes in the way grants are assigned, caps to allowed facilities and administration costs, and budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute, among other things. More information about how the U may be affected by federal funding changes is available through the Office of the Vice President for Research.
See the U’s “winners” campaign here:
