RI3: Recap of ARIS Impact Atlas Convening 2026

Posted On: 02-19-2026

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Leaders from across higher education, national partners, and the research impact community gathered in Phoenix for the ARIS Impact Atlas Convening on February 10-11, 2026. The meeting invited leaders from research, engagement, and government relations offices to focus on exploring, collaborating, and ideating on how higher education institutions can strengthen their capacity to translate research into societal benefit using the ARIS Impact Atlas, a systems-level resource that guides strategic investment and coordinates action.

The ARIS Research Impact Institutional Infrastructure (RI3) initiative supports institutions as they build responsive systems, practices, and cultures necessary to make research impact visible, actionable, and sustainable to their communities. Using primary and secondary evidence, the RI3 initiative is developing a roadmap for institutions to prioritize, contextualize, and build capacity for societal impact. Hosting the Convening is a milestone in this effort, bringing together leaders and partners to shape a shared vision for strengthening institutions’ research impact infrastructure. As Laurie Van Egeren, co-PI on ARIS, co-lead for RI3 and Vice Provost for Public Engagement at the University of Minnesota, explained the significance of the effort, “multiple areas of our institutions seek to advance and communicate how we contribute to societal impacts, but we tend to do it in silos. The Impact Atlas is designed to bring interested groups from across the institution together to address impact in a systemic and more powerful way.”

The Convening opened with shared reflections, introduced the dynamic challenge the Impact Atlas is designed to address, and invited participants to explore “what success could look like” through a practical scenario. Small groups moved into hands‑on sessions to refine the proposed five‑step implementation process for the Atlas, with participants offering feedback on how institutions might use the framework in practice. A facilitated synthesis discussion identified areas of alignment and opportunities for enhancement.

Day two shifted toward institutional adoption and long‑term viability, allowing participants to examine “the conditions required for institutional commitment” and strategies for sustaining progress through leadership and staff transitions. The working sessions explored the resources institutions would need to pilot the Atlas, including roles and responsibilities, as well as realistic timelines for testing and implementation. In the final session, participants shared collective reflections on next steps. Julie Risien, co-PI on ARIS, co-lead on RI3, and Associate Vice President for Research Advancement at Oregon State University, reflected on the session, “participants were so generous with their time and insights, they left the convening energized around the shared goal of supporting institutions to improve systemic conditions to ensure research impacts are relevant and meaningful.”

Now, the ARIS community carries the momentum forward into the next phase of the Impact Atlas. As the development effort continues, ARIS will share updates, resources, and opportunities for engagement in the months ahead.

Interested in learning more about RI3 and Impact Atlas? Contact Rebecca E. Heiser.