Terri FiezColleagues and friends,

Resilience, collaboration and impact come to mind when reflecting onÌýÂ鶹ÊÓƵ research, scholarship and creative works inÌý2020–21.

In a year of unpredictability—clear wins, followed by pauses, reversals, and thenÌýprogress again—our campus continues to lean into excellence, innovation andÌýteamwork. Record-breaking sponsored research funding—headlined by $634Ìýmillion in total gifts and awards, $481 million of which was awarded by federalÌýagencies—provides measurable evidence of the resilience of our researchers,Ìýfaculty, students and staff.

The spirit of teamwork that has bolstered our campus culture is also on displayÌýin our most significant research efforts, several of which appear in the followingÌýpages. Collaborations like the Emirates Mars Mission, the Odor2ActionÌýproject and the ASPIRE transportation centerÌýare generatingÌýbuzz globally. Closer to home, new initiatives like the Center for African andÌýAfrican American StudiesÌýand the AI Institute for Student-AI TeamingÌýillustrate the boundless possibilities of students, faculty, staff, peerÌýuniversities and federal partners uniting for a common purpose.

From learning how to best address COVID-19 to tackling the everexpandingÌýeffects of our changing climate, I’m proud thatÌýCU Boulder faculty, staff and students will always be found at the leading edgeÌýof the issues that matter most.

I hope you enjoy these stories of resilience, collaboration and impact fromÌýCU Boulder’s research and creative work in 2020–21.

Read the stories

Warm regards,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation Office