U-M Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Partnership Initiative

Empowering Collaboration for Societal Change

The University of Michigan’s Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) Partnership Initiative is centered on advancing research that saves lives and improves the human condition through engagement with academic partners with a shared commitment to service. Our initiative aims to build institutional partnerships that support faculty collaborations rooted in mutual respect and shared purpose. These partnerships are jointly designed with our partnering institutions, ensuring that structures, goals, and outcomes are collectively shaped from inception.

Recognizing a critical need across higher education, we seek to collectively transform research collaboration by fostering meaningful, long-term relationships that reflect the missions and strengths of all our partners. The MSI Partnership Initiative aspires to co-create infrastructures by aligning our institutional priorities and leveraging each institution’s unique strengths to enhance shared expertise, resource pooling, and sustainable relationship building. This approach will expand access to research opportunities, broaden perspectives within research teams, and strengthen the broader research ecosystem. Ultimately, these partnerships are intended to accelerate the impact of research on pressing societal challenges in ways that are more innovative and more responsive to the communities we serve.

Institutional-Level Connections: Focusing on Three Key Priorities

Establishing Long-Term Partnerships

Foster mission-aligned research collaborations and collectively develop initiatives between U-M and MSIs to amplify innovation, expand expertise, and deliver meaningful societal impact.

Empowering Faculty

Provide faculty at both institutions with the tools, resources, processes, and networks they need to thrive in collaborative research endeavors.

Elevating Connections through Collaborations

Facilitate jointly shaped and impactful collaborative projects by offering proposal development support, cultivating a progressive knowledge community, and sharing compelling stories that inspire and engage.

Supported by Evidence-Based Approaches

Our initiative is grounded in core principles and practices of community and public engagement, collaborative research network theories, and values-driven education. By anchoring this values centric approach in evidence. based strategies, we ensure the partnerships we foster are both authentic and effective. 

Partner with Us for Impact

Are you interested in fostering equitable research collaborations that address real-world challenges and drive mutual growth?

Join us:

Engage with the Initiative

Connect with our team to explore opportunities to share insights, collaborate, and create impactful partnerships.

Make the Connection

Help strengthen the national research ecosystem by building or facilitatinginstitutional bridges between MSIs and U-M.

Host U-M’ MSI Partnership Initiative

Invite us to participate in your upcoming meeting or event. We welcome the opportunity to engage with thought leaders and explore collaborative opportunities that align with your organization’s goals.

The MSI Partnership Initiative is more than a program—it’s a strategic pathway designed to enhance and expand collaborative research efforts, strengthening America’s research capabilities. Through impactful, mutually beneficial partnerships, we aim to address real-world challenges, push the boundaries of scholarly innovation, and elevate the nation’s global competitiveness. 

Tiffany Brutus, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, MSI Partnership Initiative
Office of the Vice President for Research | University of Michigan
she/her/hers | [email protected]
https://research.umich.edu/