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Welcome to Research Development: Bridging Barriers

Our Grand Challenges are Moonshots

Bridging Barriers is a Research Development Initiative that serves as an incubator for high-impact interdisciplinary projects at The University of Texas at Austin. We achieve this by supporting researchers from across the Forty Acres as they form broad teams tasked with identifying urgent issues — and figuring out the best way to solve them in less than a decade. UT researchers are partnering with communities, nonprofits, local government agencies, and industry leaders to design solutions that have real-world impact.

 

Annual Reports

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Project Highlights

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Good Systems

AI technologies can help build smarter cities by using data to improve services, such as public safety, transit systems, and emergency response. They can also help us evaluate how new infrastructure, such as public transportation lines, will affect access to housing, jobs, and public services.

Good Systems

Older adults are especially vulnerable to believing and circulating disinformation online, and we want to enable this population to use social media more responsibly.

Latest News

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Planet Texas Waves Goodbye to Outgoing Chair Paola Passalacqua and Says Hello to Incoming Co-chairs Katherine Lieberknecht and Patrick Bixler
September 9, 2024
Planet Texas 2050
Passing the Torch
Planet Texas 2050 chair Paola Passalacqua (center), in a scene from a video about the Urban Integrated Field Lab Southeast Texas (SETx-IFL) project. Credit: UT Austin
July 5, 2024
Good Systems
Planet Texas 2050
Whole Communities–Whole Health
Cultivating Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Bridging Barriers Support Team