US-Ireland Research and Investment Consortium

OVERVIEW

In 2023, the African American Irish Diaspora Network (AAIDN) organized a strategic consortium of major universities in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States for collaboration on the commercialization of select research initiatives and the funding of enterprises spinning out that academic research. The consortium is named the “US-Ireland Research and Investment Consortium” (USIRI Consortium).

The founding university partners in the USIRI Consortium are University College Dublin, Queens UniversityBelfast, Princeton University and Howard University. It is envisioned that corporate and investment partnerships would emerge through strategic affiliations with the Consortium. Corporate, foundation and government grants will also be sought to support its research and entrepreneurship initiatives. AAIDN is a management partner in the Consortium and provides overall coordination, as well as assistance with outreach to and communication with strategic affiliates of the Consortium.

The goals of the Consortium are as follows:

1.   Create a best-in-class collaboration and innovation ecosystem bridging Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States to develop high-impact solutions in areas involving grand societal problems

2.   Attract corporate partner collaboration on particular research initiatives in Ireland and the US

3.   Stimulate creation of and investment in entrepreneurial spinoffs bridging Ireland and the US from researchbeing conducted by the universities

4.   Leverage international market access facilitated through US-Ireland collaboration

5.   Facilitate new channels for inclusion in research commercialization opportunities to traditionallyunderrepresented Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

IMPLEMENTATION

Collaborations are being fostered within the following areas:

1.   Potential Research and Innovation Partnerships

2.  Research Student Mobility

3.  Staff Mobility and Joint Appointments

4.  Consultancy

5.  Information Exchange

6.  Industry Engagement