Keynote: Dr. Alicia J. Knoedler, Head of Office of Integrative Activities, NSF
Posted On: 03-10-2026
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Dr. Alicia J. Knoedler is the Head of the Office of Integrative Activities at the NSF. She joined the NSF in 2021 after serving as the Vice President for Research and Innovation at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Dr. Knoedler’s career has focused on cultivating and expanding research and innovation through an emphasis on collaborative, interdisciplinary work aligned with institutional strengths and interests as well as the development and cultivation of strong and diverse research infrastructure and competitive capacity.
In leadership and service to the national research enterprise, Dr. Knoedler has held leadership positions within the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP), served as Vice-Chair of NSF’s Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), was a member of NSF’s Business and Operations Advisory Committee, and developed professional development programs for senior research leaders within the Association if Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Council on Research. She is also the former Co-PI of Oklahoma’s EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 1 award from NSF.
Dr. Knoedler received her MS and PhD from Purdue University in cognitive psychology and her BA in psychology from Trinity University. The depth and breadth of her experience in both instruction and training (psychology, quantitative research methodology, statistics, grant writing, and research development) and institutional capacity building were shaped through various educational, research and administrative contributions at Purdue University, San Jose State University, University of California Santa Cruz, Indiana University, University of Notre Dame, Penn State University, and the University of Oklahoma, Miami University, and Exaptive, Inc.
Event Timeslots (1)
April 1, Day 3
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The Traceable Influences of Research and Innovation
To close out three days of rich dialogue on research, innovation, and training impacts on society, Dr. Knoedler will examine how participants in the research ecosystem can meaningfully connect their efforts across discovery and innovation pathways. The focus of this session will include ideas to ensure that the impacts of research and innovation investments are considered from the early sparks of ideas to their ultimate reach in the world. Drawing on the conversations and insights presented throughout the Summit, Dr. Knoedler will explore practical strategies for making these influences visible, traceable, and intentional at every stage. Attendees are encouraged to actively share examples, surface challenges, and offer ideas for how the pathways that connect research investments to real-world change can be measured.
