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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

Seeks to build AI systems that will link city datasets to improve the design, development, and management of smart cities, using the City of Austin as a model.

Upcoming Events

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Contact us

mailbridgingbarriers@austin.utexas.edu

phone512-471-2877

Latest News

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Kate Freer (left) leads a discussion with some of the filmmakers and collaborators. With Freer, from left to right: Hannah Spector (“Sunset”), Maria Fernandez Pello (“Dust Doesn’t Think of Us”), Pavithra Vasudevan (“Remembering Kearneytown”), Rachel Farrington (“La Luna”) and Katie Dawson (“ARISE: Pharr”).
July 14, 2026
Planet Texas 2050
Sowing Seeds of Change
Edison Thomaz (second from right), an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, speaks at this year’s Whole Communities–Whole Health Research Symposium, held at UT Austin on February 6. Joining him on the panel, from left to right: Kerry Kinney, Isela Guerra, Charles Moody, Jr. and Yan Zhang.
July 8, 2026
Whole Communities–Whole Health
Listening, Learning and Looking Ahead
Ken Fleischmann delivers a featured address, "With Great AI Power Must Come Responsible AI," at Enterprise Technology's "AI in a Day" event at UT Austin, in November 2025.
August 26, 2026
Good Systems
'We Chose the Right Problem'

Bridging Barriers Support Team


Bridging Barriers is an initiative of the Office of the Vice President for Research.