The new building will accommodate up to 30 faculty members and their teams and serve as a research hub, with integrated activities linking it to other research facilities on campus. The Institute is conceptualized around five Innovation Clusters: material science; data science; bioscience and bioengineering research and education in metabolism; food and technology; and integrative systems neuroscience.
The I³R Building will be located at the center of the University of Arkansas campus, at the corner of Dickson and Duncan Streets. The ~125,000-square-foot facility will house technology, laboratory space, and research equipment. Every floor will feature expansive collaborative spaces designed to bring the people of I³R together to workshop ideas and move those ideas toward innovation.
Thanks to a $194.7-million grant from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, I³R will advance research and economic development throughout the region. The Institute will establish partnerships with the private sector to encourage collaboration and innovation in the local business and start-up community. The building has an anticipated completion date of June 2024.
