University of Michigan-Flint Office of Research

There's Still Time to Nominate Your Champion!

The HFRCC is accepting nominations for its 2026 HFRCC Research Symposium Awards. The HFRCC wants to honor notable community and academic members for their outstanding Flint-focused work. Champions with long standing community roots, early career leaders, community-academic partnerships, and students will all be recognized. We want your help in choosing nominees who you feel have made an impact in Flint. Nominations close on Monday, June 15th.

Call for Abstracts & Award Nominations!

The Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center (HFRCC) is now accepting abstract submissions and award nominations for the 9th Annual HFRCC Research Symposium on September 11, 2026 at the UM-Flint Riverfront Conference Center.

We're looking to highlight impactful Flint-focused research, service, and educational projects, while recognizing outstanding community and academic leaders making a difference in Flint.

- Submit an abstract
- Nominate a community or academic champion
- Learn more at HFRCC.org

Join us Monday for the next Scholars on Tap featuring Dr. Cam McLeman, Director of Math and Natural Sciences and Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Michigan-Flint, for a thought-provoking talk: Mapping Mathematical Understanding in the Age of AI"

Dr. McLeman will explore both the promise and limitations of modern AI tools and introduce an innovative project to create a large-scale "map" of mathematical understanding that could help identify student misconceptions in real time.

Last week, Ken Sylvester and Grace Qin from the Office of Research represented University of Michigan-Flint at the 2026 NORDP Annual Conference, where they partnered with three peer institutions to lead a session on Early-Stage Strategies for Research Capacity Building.

Each participating institution has received an NSF award, creating an opportunity to share lessons learned, institutional strategies, and approaches to strengthening research infrastructure!

The Office of Research is pleased to share an upcoming guest speaker event hosted by CoTA on May 7, 2026: Trauma-Informed Social Justice Research (TISJR): Advancing Ethical and Equitable Research Practice.

This virtual webinar will explore how researchers can center equity, trauma-informed principles, and the identities of both participants and researchers throughout every stage of the research process. Attendees will gain practical tools, real-world examples, and strategies for conducting more ethical and socially just research.

Featured speakers include Dr. Laura Voith (Case Western Reserve University) and Dr. Hyunjune Lee (University of Alabama), co-developers of the TISJR framework.

📅 May 7, 2026
⏰ 10:00–11:00 AM EST

We encourage faculty, staff, students, and community partners to attend and learn more about this important framework. You can register by clicking here: https://umich.zoom.us/j/91362399786

⏩️⏩️ Event Recap! Faculty from the University of Michigan-Dearborn & Flint campus came together on April 7 for a Research Collaboration Mixer. The event invited 30 faculty participants to build new cross campus connections, explore shared research interests, and spark future collaborations.

The mixer is part of the 2026 Collaborative Research Grants initiative, which offers seed funding to support innovative joint projects and help position teams for external funding opportunities within the next two years.

Swipe for pictures!

Swipe for our IHP Summit RECAP!

Following the Student Research Conference, staff at the Office of Research attended and participated in the Inclusive History Project Summit, an important space for examining histories of inclusion and exclusion at the University of Michigan and building toward a more just future.

Thank you to the IHP Flint organizers for putting together such a fantastic event! We look forward to attending future gatherings and uplifting research.

Building on the momentum from our February Industry & Innovation Exchange, we are excited to highlight the conversations and collaborations shaping the future of technology and workforce development in Michigan.

This convening with Automation Alley brought together leaders across industry, research, and higher education to share real-world challenges, explore emerging solutions, and strengthen university–industry partnerships.

From NSF-funded initiatives to advancements in mobility and cybersecurity, the event showcased the power of applied research and collaborative innovation. We look forward to continuing this work and expanding opportunities for partnership.

Thank you to the team at Automation Alley for hosting and for the wonderful event pictures!

📩 Interested in collaborating? Swipe to connect with our Office of Research team.

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting the 15th Student Research Conference at the University of Michigan-Flint—bringing together nearly 100 student presentations across a wide range of disciplines.

The day was filled with exciting research to share and meaningful conversations among students, faculty, and other attendees. We are incredibly proud of our student researchers for showcasing their hard work and dedication. Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, and supported this event, it truly was a day to remember!

The Office of Research was honored to attend the 6th Annual Iqbal Symposium on Islamic Thought & Civilization at UM-Flint.

This year’s symposium featured a presentation and dialogue with Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah. Thank you to the UM-Flint Intercultural Center & all the organizers for hosting this informative and engaging event, and for bringing community together in this way.