The event will take place in person in Washington, D.C., and virtually on September 1–2, 2026.
Emerging research institutions (ERIs), which by statute have less than $50 million in federal research expenditures annually, serve a critical role in the U.S. STEM research ecosystem. Among the many benefits they provide, ERIs drive innovation, build community engagement, and fuel development for the STEM workforce.
The National Academies, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, will host a multisectoral summit to highlight innovative approaches that engage industry, state, and federal support to increase research capacity, opportunities for engagement and partnerships, and common threads in policy, program design, and practices that promote sustainable research infrastructure growth across the U.S. The summit will feature plenary sessions that highlight and discuss definitions and organizational identities of ERIs, the communities these institutions serve, their value proposition, and how ERIs and their partners can shift the locus of control of the STEM research they conduct.
The summit will also include sessions that:
- Disrupt myths, expectations, and preconceptions of ERIs
- Showcase student and faculty research at ERIs
- Discuss effective strategies and consortia models for supporting ERIs
- Explore examples of partnerships with ERIs across organizational boundaries
- Highlight funding opportunities and potential new models for effective support of ERIs
- Feature examples of program implementation and frameworks