Taubman College faculty awarded Impact Institute funding to address urgent challenges
The University of Michigan has announced the first 10 research teams to receive seed funding through its new Impact Institutes initiative, including two with Taubman College faculty. Launched in May, the awards promote interdisciplinary collaboration and advance high-impact research, positioning newly formed institutes for long-term sustainability and external funding.
Led by director Kathy Velikov, FAIA, associate dean for research and creative practice and professor of architecture, the Institute for Advanced Construction Futures (IACF) addresses America’s urgent housing and building infrastructure needs by integrating advanced manufacturing, automation, AI, and digital technologies in a “Construction 4.0” ecosystem approach to building more sustainably, efficiently, and affordably. Taubman College co-investigators include professors Geoffrey Thün, Lan Deng, and Wes McGee, as well as associate professor Tsz Yan Ng.
Lesli Hoey, director of doctoral studies in urban and regional planning and associate professor of urban and regional planning, will lead Taubman College’s involvement in the new Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health Policy. A hub for innovative, community-informed policy research and leadership development, the IFNHP will inform health-focused food and nutrition-related legislation, regulations, and programming through interdisciplinary expertise.
Working with co-directors from the College of Engineering and the Erb Institute, as well as several partners across campus, Velikov said the IACF will develop the next generation of low-carbon buildings to transform the architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management sector (AEC-FM), which cannot currently meet the growing demand for new buildings, civic infrastructure, and retrofitting of existing buildings in the U.S.
“The IACF forges an exciting new trajectory for Taubman College’s computational design, construction robotics, and housing delivery research streams,” Velikov said. “It builds upon our research development through the NSF Engines NextHouse planning grant and the Low Carbon Building R+D initiative and marks one of the college’s most comprehensive interdisciplinary collaborations, including faculty leads from 12 units, centers, and institutes, along with more than 30 industry and government partners.”
The IACF plans to leverage Southeast Michigan’s advanced manufacturing capacity, interdisciplinary research expertise, legacy of real estate innovation, and need for expanded housing production to become the nation’s leading consortium for advancing impactful solutions in partnership with business, the public, and community stakeholders.
The new institutes support the five impact areas of the Look to Michigan vision: life-changing education; human health and well-being; advanced technology; energy, climate action, sustainability and environmental equity; and democracy, civic and global engagement. Each institute will receive $200,000 over the next two years. Funding is provided by the Strategic Initiative Fund, which supports collaborative initiatives that advance meaningful impact across U-M and beyond.
Read more in the University Record.
