Overview
The Collaboration Accelerator is a cohort program designed to accelerate readiness, competitiveness, and collaboration for teams to secure major collaborative funding.
Format
The virtual cohort program will consist of a combination of instruction and interactive workshops. Up to five core team leaders participate in a series of five sessions, followed by customized Office of Research and Innovation (R&I) support based on team needs. There will be the opportunity in sessions three, four, and five for additional team member participation. Sessions will be facilitated by internal and external presenters and will include panel discussions, interactive activities, and action plan development. The program will be conducted every other year.
Program Outcomes
Participants will:
- Develop a collaboration action plan that includes a logic model, a team charter, leadership and management strategies, a stakeholder engagement plan, a communication strategy, a funding roadmap and milestones for long-term growth.
- Build community within teams, campus, stakeholders, Nebraska, and beyond.
- Strengthen skills to lead with impact in team settings.
Participants
Teams must be led by UNL faculty but may include members from other institutions. Applicants must identify at least two and up to four additional core leadership team members who will participate in the program with the team lead (e.g., think co-PIs or mPIs vs. senior/key personnel).
2026 Schedule
Core team leaders are expected to attend all program activities, which consist of five virtual sessions. There will be the opportunity for additional team members to participate in sessions three through five.
| Date | Session | Time | Location |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Session 1 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Virtual |
| Friday, Sept. 11 | Session 2 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Virtual |
| Friday, Sept. 25 | Session 3 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Virtual |
| Friday, Oct. 9 | Session 4 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Virtual |
| Friday, Oct. 30 | Session 5 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Virtual |
Application Materials
Please upload a single PDF containing:
1) Cover Page (no page limit)
- Indicate your team’s name.
- Provide a list of current team members (including members from external institutions), including but beyond the up to five core team members who would participate in the full Collaboration Accelerator program.
- Include names, departments, and institutions. A tabular format is recommended.
2) Application (up to two-pages)
Your Collaboration Accelerator application should address the following questions:
- What is your team trying to accomplish through your research, scholarship, or creative endeavors?
- What steps has your team taken to get ready (e.g., collaborative planning or research activities, joint funding or proposal submissions, co-authorship, co-advising of graduate students)?
- What do you hope the Collaboration Accelerator will help your team achieve?
Application Deadline
Applications to participate in the Collaboration Accelerator must be submitted by 5 p.m. CDT on May 15, 2026.
Apply for Collaboration Accelerator.
Selection Criteria
Up to five teams will be accepted into the cohort. The selection committee will be looking for:
- The ability of the team to articulate what they are trying to accomplish through their collaborative work.
- Evidence of prior collaboration that supports their readiness to participate in the program.
- Clear alignment among what the team is trying to accomplish, their level of readiness for the program, and feasible goals for participating in the program.
Applicant Notification
After the application review, selected teams will be invited to a conversation with R&I staff. Final program selections will be made based on those discussions.
The applicant notification process will be completed in mid-June.
For more information, contact Heather Borck, research development program coordinator, at 402-472-4090.
