Published January 27, 2021
Something big is afoot at Rutgers.
In late 2018, long before the word “pandemic” entered everyone’s vocabulary, Rutgers University issued a challenge to its world-class faculty and staff:
Bring us your most imaginative, disruptive, and visionary proposals for bold initiatives that will positively transform our community and change the world.
Our community delivered.
Today we’re proud to announce Rutgers Big Ideas. These 12 transformational projects embody the best of Rutgers’ creativity, innovation, and vitality, while also championing the university’s diverse community.
“Most important, these Big Ideas have the capacity to improve the human condition,” says Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway. “By leveraging Rutgers’ standing as an academic, health, and research powerhouse, our university is poised to lead the nation and world toward a more just and sustainable future. These projects could not come at a more critical time. At what may seem to be a dark hour in human history, Big Ideas promise to light a way forward.”
Twelve sounds like a neat and tidy number. But back in 2018, the call for proposals resulted in more than 200 collaborative ideas, ranging from cutting-edge cancer treatment to socially engaged art and a self-cleaning tissue dispenser.
Forty teams went on to pitch their large-scale, forward-thinking projects at a symposium on October 4, 2019. There, hundreds of community leaders, philanthropists, and innovators gathered to learn more about how Rutgers was making the world a better place and fueling widespread, equitable societal change. They offered their input, which guided what came next.
In 2020, as much of the world turned inward in the wake of COVID-19, the Rutgers community continued to think big. Rutgers chancellors and academic leaders met repeatedly to discuss and refine the 40 proposals and incorporate the feedback that our community provided. President Holloway reviewed the team’s recommendations and supported the vision and aspirations reflected in their choices.
From those deliberations emerged 12 Big Ideas that affirm Rutgers’ status as a world-class university devoted to the greater good. Driven by faculty and researchers across disciplines, divisions, and locations, these 12 interdisciplinary projects boast the potential to move the needle on critical issues of our day: public health, climate resilience, social justice, access to education, the human microbiome, artificial intelligence, and much more.
Rutgers Big Ideas
- Advancing Urban Public Health: An Equity and Social Justice Approach
Alleviating health inequities by improving structures and systems
- Dreams Fulfilled
Making a Rutgers education accessible, affordable, and successful for students
- Minds and Machines
Using science and responsible innovation for public good in the age of intelligent tools
- Earth 2100
Improving planetary stewardship through science and technology
- The Center for COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness
Learning from our recent past and preparing, now, for what is to come
- The Rutgers University Microbiome Program
Harnessing microbiomes to improve human health
- Art Matters
Creating a center for socially engaged art and design
- Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute
Saving lives through cutting-edge cancer research and treatment
- The Rutgers Advanced Institute for the Study of Entrepreneurship and Development
Fostering urban entrepreneurship through fundamental, applied research
- The Rutgers Crime Lab Unit
Detecting and preventing crime through an innovative new approach
- Rutgers Center for Healthy Aging
Improving population health by reshaping research, practice, and policy
- Rutgers–Camden Innovation Community Hub: From Local to Global
Creating sustainable socio-economic growth in vulnerable communities
Toward a Brighter Future
While the selection of these 12 Big Ideas concludes more than two years of effort, the work is just beginning, in many ways. We now embark on the process of providing each Big Idea with the support necessary to bring these projects to life.
“The solutions to the complex issues confronting us today will require interdisciplinary research, creative thought, and concerted action,” says Nevin E. Kessler, president, Rutgers University Foundation, and executive vice president of development and alumni engagement. “We are grateful to the faculty and university leadership, students, alumni, donors, and supporters who have collaborated to advance Rutgers and tackle these grand challenges.”
Ongoing success will require investments of time, energy, expertise, and philanthropy. The tools are ready; the big thinkers are eager; the blueprints are drawn. It’s time to move Rutgers and our world forward.
To learn more about Rutgers’ Big Ideas initiative, please visit support.rutgers.edu/big-ideas.
Related Stories
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Black History Truth-Telling, Vaccine Options, and Young Climate Activists
With this year’s Black History Month concluded,...
Read More
Foundation News
Preventing a Dream Deferred
In 1951, American poet Langston Hughes warned of...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Texas Power Outrage, Mail-In Ballot Issues, and Praise for Rutgers Storytellers
As the Lone Star State reels from the effects of...
Read More
Foundation News
CARES Act Giving Incentives Extended through 2021
On December 27, 2020, in response to the ongoing...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Riot Evidence, Middle East Policy Changes, and Masks for the Homeless
From QAnon’s growing footprint to COVID’s...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Snowstorms, Vaccine Confidence, and Black Women Leaders
In the midst of a winter rife with the effects of...
Read More
Foundation News
Camden Researcher Awarded Grant to Study Coronavirus Evolution
One year after the first COVID-19 case was...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Eviction Peril, Healing Political Divides, and a Tribute to Andrew Brooks
As the university community mourns the loss of...
Read More
Foundation News
Mourning the Death of Rutgers’ Andrew Brooks, a Leader in the Fight Against COVID-19
Andrew Brooks, 51, a research professor who led...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: The VP Milestone, Biden’s First Moves, and the Quest for Unity
As Kamala Harris, America’s first female,...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Presidential Inauguration, Biden’s Challenges, and COVID’s Impact
As our screens fill with images of a new...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Vaccine Safety and the Attack on the Capitol
The nation searches for order and accountability...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers–Camden Receives $3.5 Million Gift From Faculty Member to Create Program for High-Achieving Students
The largest gift ever received by Rutgers...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Coronavirus Mutation, Vaccine Allergy Fears, and Georgia Runoff Elections
From political showdowns to pandemic surges,...
Read More
Press Release
Miller Center Secures Gift to Help Vulnerable Communities
Rutgers’ Miller Center for Community Protection...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Vaccine Reassurance, the Public Good, and a Holiday Classic
As much of the world pauses to observe winter...
Read More
Press Release
Cancer Institute Secures Groundbreaking Donation
A $25 million anonymous philanthropic gift to...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Vaccine Arrival, Testing Strategies, and First Responder Stories
The moment is here at last: healthcare providers...
Read More
Press Release
Rutgers Athletics Unveils New Indoor Golf Facility
Members of Rutgers’ men’s and women’s golf...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Montgomery Bus Boycott Anniversary, Vaccine Outreach, and the Quest to Unionize
As the nation looks back on a milestone in the...
Read More
Foundation News
Reevaluating the Role of Vitamin D in Digestion
A Rutgers study has discovered that vitamin D...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Leading Clinical Trial of Coronavirus Therapeutic
Rutgers is leading a clinical trial assessing...
Read More
Impact Stories
Thank you for supporting Giving Tuesday at Rutgers
On December 1, 2020, the Rutgers community took...
Read More
Impact Stories
Support Rutgers Scarlet Promise Grants on #GivingTuesday
This year at Rutgers, #GivingTuesday is an...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Winter Weather, the COVID-19 Battle, and Technology Dilemmas
As the calendar turns to December, questions of...
Read More
Foundation News
Help Patients with Cancer on Giving Tuesday, December 1
A gift to the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New...
Read More
Foundation News
Raptors vs. Raiders Food Drive Challenge Update
Last week, alumni and friends from Rutgers...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Herd Immunity, Roadblocks to Recovery, and Higher Education’s Changing Landscape
How should an academic community prepare for the...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Pandemic Surge, Thanksgiving Gatherings, and the Fate of Obamacare
Should public gatherings and even family...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Makes Progress in Addressing Student Food Insecurity
More students are aware of the Rutgers Student...
Read More
Foundation News
Business Leader James Tuchi Pledges $8 Million for Innovative Rutgers Programs
Grateful for care received from Rutgers doctors,...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Shattering the VP Glass Ceiling, Rebuilding the Economy, and Protecting Former Inmates
Rutgers experts appear in the media every day,...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Awarded $1.5 Million FEMA Grant to Support Volunteer Firefighter Cancer Research and Prevention
The funding will enhance research already being...
Read MoreFoundation News
Raptors vs. Raiders Food Drive Challenge
Some Rutgers students experience food insecurity....
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Gen Z Voters, Electoral College Reform, and Science-Based Policy
As America begins processing the results of its...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: COVID Test Guidance, Black Women Entrepreneurs, and Disabled Voting Rights
Now more than ever, as we evaluate current...
Read More
Foundation News
Live with President Holloway: Video Transcript
On October 14, 2020, the Rutgers University...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Finds New Way to Predict Prostate Cancer Risks
Rutgers researchers have discovered human gene...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Pandemic Burnout, Political Chaos, and Polling Insights
Whether it is voting, dining out, or just the...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Awarded $5 Million Grant from NIH to Improve Access to COVID-19 Testing within Underserved and Vulnerable Communities
The program supports research that aims to better...
Read More
Foundation News
The Quest for Socially Cognizant Robotics
A $3 million National Science Foundation grant...
Read More
Foundation News
New Plant-Based Nanowire Spray May Lead to 3D-Printed Organs
Rutgers engineers have developed a way to spray...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Voter Registration, Police Challenges, and Reopening Dangers
With the media landscape difficult to navigate,...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: COVID-19 Legalities, New Jersey Voting, and U.S. Unemployment
With the pandemic far from over, President Donald...
Read More
Foundation News
Study Shows 5G Wireless Can Lead to Inaccurate Weather Forecasts
Upcoming 5G wireless networks that will provide...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: School Disparities, Political Equality, and the Fight against COVID-19
Whether they’re explored on a presidential...
Read More
Foundation News
Notice Regarding Blackbaud Data Security
On July 16, 2020, Blackbaud informed some of its...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Receives $15 million Mellon Foundation Grant for Global Racial Justice
Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway today...
Read More
Foundation News
The Barr Scholarship: A Gift with No End Zone
Graduating from Rutgers more than a century ago,...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: The Passing of Justice Ginsburg, Pandemic Recovery Forecasts, and the Digital Divide in Schools
For news consumers, Rutgers experts appear in the...
Read More
Foundation News
No Longer a Death Sentence: Transforming Cancer Care and Prevention in Africa
Rutgers Global Health Institute initiative...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: COVID-19 Trials, Opioid Dangers, and Cyberattacks
Questions springing from the coronavirus are...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Increased COVID-19 Testing, Sanitization Overkill, and Wage Theft
Addressing complex questions and others, Rutgers...
Read More
Foundation News
$5 Million Gift from Rutgers Alumnus Will Advance Fight against Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Herbert C. Klein, a Rutgers alumnus and longtime...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Back-to-School Challenges, Voter Ambivalence, and Cancer Treatment Despite COVID-19
As the new academic year begins, Rutgers students...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Develops Fast Way to Decontaminate N95 Masks
Two Rutgers-led studies have identified a more...
Read More
Foundation News
New Jersey Maintains Economic Momentum, Defying National Trend
According to a new Rutgers report, New Jersey's...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Helpful Bacteria, Mail-In Ballots, and 19th Amendment Irony
Scores of Rutgers experts appear in the media...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Kamala Harris, Voting Controversies, and School Openings
Whether you’re looking for insight into U.S....
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Researchers Awarded $20 Million NIH Grant to Find New Ways to Diagnose Tuberculosis
The research team of infectious disease experts...
Read More
Foundation News
Early Antibiotic Use Increases Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
A study, published in Genome Medicine, provides...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: COVID-19 and the National Conversation on the Use of Power
Rutgers continues to serve as a model for...
Read More
Foundation News
Greg and Anna Brown Commit $1 Million to Student Financial Aid
The gift from the Browns is the third...
Read More
Impact Stories
A Rutgers Giving Day Like No Other
Building on the momentum of previous years,...
Read More
Foundation News
Alumni Gary and Barbara Rodkin Commit $1 Million to Student Financial Aid
The gift from Gary and Barbara Rodkin is the...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Educational Values, COVID-19, and the Economy
Rutgers continues to serve as a model for...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Social Justice and Navigating COVID
In these turbulent times, Rutgers continues to...
Read More
Foundation News
Does Asthma Raise COVID Risks? New Rutgers Study Suggests No
Reynold A. Panettieri Jr., a pulmonary critical...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers in the News: Addressing systemic injustice and opening schools in the face of COVID
News outlets turn to Rutgers faculty and...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Bacteria Study Could Lead to Better COVID Disinfection Methods
A new Rutgers study, published in the...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers University Announces Fall 2020 Plans
The fall semester at Rutgers University will...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Board Chair Joins President Holloway’s Call to Action
Scarlet Promise Grants offer essential financial...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Experts on COVID Concerns, Equal Representation, and the Legacy of Racism
New Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway arrives...
Read MoreFoundation News
A message from Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway
Today, Jonathan Holloway, the 21st president of...
Read More
Foundation News
Thank You For Your Support
Donors to Rutgers are exemplary. Many demonstrate...
Read More
Impact Stories
Rutgers Experts on Containing COVID-19 and Fighting for Equality
As the rise in COVID cases complicates the...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Experts on Black Inequality and Coronavirus Safety
Your weekly guide to Rutgers experts in the news....
Read MoreImpact Stories
Rutgers to Support Statewide Contact Tracing Program
Rutgers University has partnered with the State...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Experts on Racial Justice, COVID Pandemic, and New Political Realities
Members of the Rutgers community have come...
Read More
Foundation News
The Perfect Storm of Pandemics
Brian L. Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Sociologist Awarded Fellowship Aimed at Eradicating Racial Disparities in the Arts and Humanities
Melissa Valle is one of 32 fellows chosen from...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Researchers Receive Award to Develop First-in-Class Anticancer Therapeutics
Rutgers cancer researchers have been awarded...
Read More
Foundation News
Charitable Gift Annuity Rates
The charitable gift annuity (CGA) is a simple and...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers’ Critical Role in Pandemic Recovery
As areas of the country slowly reopen under...
Read More
Foundation News
As the Nation Slowly Reopens, Rutgers Helps Chart the Path
University experts have been at the forefront of...
Read More
Foundation News
How Rutgers Leads at a Time of Crisis
Rutgers University presence at the front lines of...
Read More
Foundation News
New RWJMS Study Finds Young People at Greater Risk From COVID-19 Than Previously Thought
Children, teens and young adults are at greater...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Community is Responding to COVID-19
During these unprecedented times, Rutgers...
Read More
Foundation News
FDA Approves First At-Home Saliva Collection Test for Coronavirus
Rutgers’ RUCDR Infinite Biologics received an...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Leads Clinical Trial of Drug to Prevent Cytokine Storms in COVID-19 Patients
Rutgers has launched a clinical trial to test...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Community Raises over $250,000 on #GivingTuesdayNow
Alumni and donors raise more than $250,000 for...
Read More
Impact Stories
#GivingTuesdayNow: Join Rutgers in the Fight Against COVID-19
Join the global movement to fight COVID-19 today,...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Plays Key Role in Reopening New Jersey
Governor Phil Murphy's plan to safely rollback...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Law Mortgage Foreclosure Project Assists in Saving New Jersey Residents from Losing their Homes
A Rutgers University–Camden law professor and...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers, University Hospital Lead Way in Treating COVID-19 with Convalescent Plasma from Recovered Patients
Rutgers physicians and University Hospital are...
Read More
Foundation News
Rapid Screening Process for Infectious Diseases Being Created in Rutgers University–Camden Research Lab
The fight against the coronavirus is underway in...
Read More
Foundation News
New Rutgers Saliva Test for Coronavirus Gets FDA Approval
The FDA has granted emergency use authorization...
Read More
Foundation News
How the CARES Act Affects Charitable Giving
On March 27, in response to the economic strain...
Read More
Foundation News
Message from President Barchi
Rutgers President Robert Barchi sends a message...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Launches Genetic Testing Service for New Coronavirus
Rutgers’ RUCDR Infinite Biologics has launched...
Read More
Foundation News
What it Takes to Beat a Worldwide Pandemic
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) has...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Creates COVID-19 Center to Fight Pandemic
Rutgers has created a new center to coordinate...
Read More
Foundation News
New Device Quickly Detects Harmful Bacteria in Blood
Engineers have created a tiny device that can...
Read More
Foundation News
How the Building Blocks of Life Got Built
Rutgers researchers have discovered the origins...
Read More
Foundation News
Message to Alumni and Donors Regarding COVID-19 Response
Rutgers University Foundation president, Nevin...
Read More
Foundation News
Supporting students during the COVID-19 outbreak
Many of you have asked how you can help students...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Recognized as a Leader in Supporting Low-Income Students
Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a national...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Leads $1.5 Million Project for Ocean Acidification Monitoring on the U.S. Northeast Shelf
Grace Saba, assistant professor, is the lead...
Read More
Surgeon who Separated Conjoined Twins Mentors Rutgers Undergraduates
A Rutgers graduate, Stylianos led the teams that...
Read More
Foundation News
Jonathan Holloway Named 21st President of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Holloway will begin serving as president on July...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Giving Tuesday Initiative to End Student Hunger
Being a student is hard. It’s even harder when...
Read More
Foundation News
Putting an End to a Pernicious Disease
Rutgers neuroscientists are exploring promising...
Read More
Foundation News
Putting the Promise in Scarlet Promise Grants
In an effort to help more students avoid...
Read More
Foundation News
Growing for the Greater Good
Through the generosity of donors such as Richard...
Read More
Foundation News
Grand Opening Held for RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center at Rutgers University
Rutgers Athletics held a ribbon-cutting ceremony...
Read More
Donor Profiles
Rutgers Alumnus Makes Largest Scholarship Gift Ever to University
Richard N. Weeks, a 1950 Rutgers graduate who...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers’ Record-Breaking Fundraising Year Will Improve Lives in New Jersey and Beyond
Rutgers donors committed a record-breaking $250.9...
Read More
Impact Stories
Rutgers Community Donates Paul Robeson Plaza
Rutgers is in the midst of celebrating 2019 as...
Read More
Foundation News
Lavelle Fund Gift for Blindness Program
A grant from the Lavelle Fund for the Blind to...
Read More
Donor Profiles
From Meter Reader to Multimillion-Dollar Donor: The Remarkable Journey of a SMLR Alumnus
Bill and Lois Dwyer are gifting $50,000 to...
Read More
Impact Stories
Alumna Marlene Brandt commits $30 million to transform behavioral health care for young people
Spurred by a pressing need for comprehensive...
Read More
Impact Stories
Helping Tomorrow’s Leaders Meet Their Potential
Former Rutgers Assistance Grants get a boost with...
Read More
Impact Stories
Prudential Establishes Newark Scholarship Program
Rutgers University–Newark received welcome news...
Read More
Foundation News
The Demand for Special Needs Dentists
John Barnosky became an advocate for expanding...
Read More
Foundation News
Rutgers Approves Construction of Athletic Practice Facility
The Rutgers University Board of Governors today...
Read More