UofM Finalist for 2024 APLU Awards

APLU named six universities as finalists for its 12th annual IEP Awards, to be announced in November

This summer, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) named six universities as finalists for its 12th annual Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) Awards. To be eligible for an IEP award, an institution must first earn the IEP designation from APLU, which recognizes institutional commitment to regional economic development.

The finalists include: the University of Alabama at Birmingham, East Carolina University, the University of New Mexico, the University of Memphis, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and Wayne State University – are competing for different awards that recognize exemplary and innovative case studies of economic engagement impact. These awards are:

• The IEP Talent Award, recognizing exemplary initiatives in education and workforce development.
   
• The IEP Place Award, recognizing exemplary initiatives resulting in social, cultural, or community development.
   
• The IEP Innovation Award, recognizing exemplary initiatives spurring innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-based economic development.

All universities are finalists for the IEP Economic Engagement Connections Award, which is the top prize in the awards competition, recognizing overall excellence across all three award categories.

The University of Memphis has been considered for an APLU award because it has taken a multipronged approach to address barriers to upward mobility and drive economic development in its region. To help the region access more state and federal grant funding, the university partnered with the Delta Regional Authority and the U.S. Department of Labor to conceive and launch the Delta Revitalization through an Innovation Vision and Equity partnership (DRIVE). The effort pairs rural communities with resources and guidance needed to apply for – and win – federal grant funding they are eligible to drive economic development in their towns. Communities receive resources such as professional development, joint proposal development, and expert review. The program has helped support applications to federal requests for proposals, educated communities on using bonds for economic development, and provided every community with a strategic plan. The effort has engaged 150 community partners and organizations to apply for more than $25 million in funding with $1 million in funded proposals to date. Additionally, the university’s Center for Community Research and Evaluation (CCRE) partners with community organizations and stakeholders to provide social science research and evaluation support for education and healthcare efforts to help address systemic challenges in the region.

The winners will be announced during the association’s annual meeting in November. For more information on this nomination, contact Research & Innovation at research@memphis.edu.