Advancing Research Impact at George Mason
Research Impact brings together programs, resources, and partnerships across George Mason University to support faculty in translating their research into societal impact. Led by the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact (ORIEI), Research Impact works to:
Foster a strong, university-wide culture of research translation and impact
Accelerate the outcomes of the Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI)
Increase engagement from all colleges and schools in research impact activities
Drive institutional change to better support faculty and student efforts in research translation
Research can translate into societal impact in many different ways. Some researchers seek to translate their research outcomes into commercial products or licensable intellectual property. Others strive to influence public policy, practitioners and communities by developing best practices, offering consulting services, designing innovative programs, and evaluating existing projects. Others may seek to strengthen relationships, inform institutions, or reshape our understanding of the human condition.
Research Impact intends to strengthen support for faculty seeking to translate their research, scholarship, and creative activities into societal impact across all translation pathways.
Learn more about Research Impact at George Mason University below.
Accelerating Research Translation
George Mason University is one of 17 academic institutions to receive support from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program in the program’s first cohort of awardees.
With these investments, the Seed Translation Research Program (STRP) and ARTISAN Internship Program support and empower George Mason faculty and students in translating their research into practice with tangible societal benefits. Learn more about the ART program below.
Research Impact Faculty Working Group
The Research Impact Faculty Working Group, brought together diverse faculty members who are accomplished researchers that excel at putting their research into practice.
The group convened during the Fall 2025 semester to help shape the future of research impact efforts at the university. Together, they advised ORIEI on how to strengthen the university’s ecosystem for research translation and impact work and delivered a report in Spring 2026.
Working Group Objectives
- Identify opportunities for ORIEI, in partnership with other academic and administrative units, to better enable and support research translation and impact.
- Develop actionable recommendations for programs and initiatives that promote and sustain impactful research.
- Provide strategic advice on implementing these recommendations in ways that ensure long-term success and institutional change.
Members
Members
Olufunmilayo Arewa, Antonin Scalia Law School
Seth Baxter Hunter, College of Education and Human Development
Heidi Blackburn, George Mason University Libraries
Terry Clower, Schar School of Policy and Government
Phillip Cunio, Volgenau School of Engineering
Julianna Gwiszcz, Institute for a Sustainable Earth
Margaret Jones, College of Education and Human Development
Karina Korostelina, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Toyah Miller, Costello College of Business
Mikell Paige, College of Science
Carole Rosenstein, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Lance Sherry, Volgenau School of Engineering
Siddartha Sikdar, College of Science
Virgil Storr, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Rebecca Sutter, College of Public Health
Grand Challenge Initiative
Research Impact is central to the mission of the Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI) at George Mason University, which tackles urgent and complex global issues through interdisciplinary collaboration.
By translating research into practical solutions, the initiative drives real-world change. Research Impact ensures that the knowledge generated at George Mason reaches beyond academia—shaping policy, informing communities, and creating innovative tools and technologies.
This focus on impact propels the GCI forward, aligning academic excellence with meaningful societal progress.
Through the George Mason University Grand Challenge Initiative, we carry our strongest scholarship forward into the world’s most pressing problems—cultivating bold ideas across disciplines and advancing them into research that creates meaningful, measurable impact.
Andre Marshall, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact
Other Resources for Research Impact
Programs, funding, and support are available across Mason to help faculty pursue a wide range of research translation pathways.
Whether you are looking to turn research into tangible solutions, build a partnership, develop a new program, launch a new business venture, or create other forms of societal impact, explore the resources available across the George Mason University research impact ecosystem below.
Research Impact Announcements
This webpage is powered in part by the National Science Foundation’s Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program under Award #2331272. Any activities or programs do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.