ORIC Program Overview and Benefits
The ARIS Organizational Research Impact Capacity (ORIC) Program helps universities and organizations build in-house skills, systems, and strategy to, assess and communicate research impact. ORIC is a two-year cohort experience that supports teams strengthen their Broader Impacts and scale effective impact practice across their institutions.
As the largest research impact community in the U.S., ARIS is a trusted partner for organizations seeking to deepen their expertise and better demonstrate the societal benefits of their research.
Institutions selected for an ORIC cohort join a national community of practice where Research Impact (RI) staff and administrators learn from one another, share effective strategies, and put new approaches into action. Any public or private organization that conducts or supports research and wants to strengthen and expand its current institutional capacity for Research Impact is welcome to apply.
ORIC cohorts learn about topics, including:
- What is research impact?
- Research communication;
- BI fundamentals and writing effective BI plans;
- Faculty development;
- Building partnerships;
- Funding models and sustainability; and
- Impact resources.
By participating in professional development, mentoring, and community-building — as well as using ARIS resources from — institutions that enhance the quality, visibility, and societal impact of their research. They also join an ORIC community of 40 institutions — as well as the larger ARIS societal impact community — which is continually evolving and expanding.
In addition, institutions can better show the benefits of research and how it connects with communities.
Institutions in the ORIC Community
Organizations in ORIC join a growing international community committed to building stronger systems for research impact, Broader Impacts, and institutional capacity. See the institutions that have participated in ORIC across recent cohorts.
2026 Participants | 2025 Participants | 2024 Participants | 2023 Participants | 2022 Participants | 2021 Participants | Pilot Participants
ORIC Participant Testimonials
ORIC Eligibility Requirements
Before applying to join an ARIS ORIC cohort, an organization must identify:
- At least one administrative partner (i.e., typically a VP of Research, VP of Research Development, or VP for Community Engagement) who champions the institution’s RI professionals and actively advocates for institutionalizing RI infrastructure.
- At least one in-house RI professional.
It is essential that the organization has these two components in place and is committed to strengthening and expanding its current Broader Impacts capacity.
ORIC Application Requirements
In addition to the online form, an organization’s application to join the ARIS ORIC cohort should include:
- A two-page statement outlining the current landscape of RI support, the need for increased RI training and support, and a vision for how expanding RI training will advance the institution’s mission. A successful application should consider the perspective of institutional faculty/researchers and ways they may be incorporated into developing institutional infrastructure through the ORIC program.
- A description of the RI professional’s qualifications and experience in RI support, highlighting their current strengths, areas of growth, and the skills/knowledge they hope to develop through ORIC participation.
- A letter of support and commitment from the Administrative partner(s), affirming the institution’s buy-in and commitment to expanding the RI infrastructure. The letter should also include a commitment to fully participate in the ORIC program requirements.
If accepted to the two-year program, institutions must also agree to the requirements listed below.
ORIC Institutional Requirements
Upon acceptance to the two-year program, an organization must:
- Participate in an intensive three-day, in-person training series designed.
- Complete an organizational needs assessment and pre-landscape analysis before the in-person meeting.
- Complete the ARIS BI Certification before the in-person meeting.
- BI professional(s): Required. For ORIC participants, the BI Microcredential will be $1,250 per BI professional. This must be completed before the in-person meeting.
- Administrative partners: Optional
- Attend monthly meetings with ARIS leadership and subject matter experts.
- Some meetings will be for RI professionals only, some for administrative partners only, and some for all participants together.
- Present a poster on their organizational structure and action plan at the annual ARIS Summit.
- Meet regularly as an internal team (i.e., RI professional(s) and administrative partner).
- Fees (beginning with the 2027-2029 cohort):
- Institutional participation fee: $5,000.
- Emerging Research Institutions (institutions with established undergraduate or graduate programs and less than $50 million in federal research expenditures): $3,000.
Institutions and ERIs must be an ARIS organizational member ($5,000 for institutions; $3,000 for ERIs) for every year it is an ORIC institution. There is a two year requirement.
ORIC Application Timeline
- Applications open January.
- Applications accepted January through February.
- Selected institutions notified mid-March.
Sign up to receive ARIS’s email when the ORIC Call for Applications 2027 is open.
ORIC Program – Frequently Asked Questions
