NSF EPIIC / SPARK

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Building partnership and research capacity

RISD is one of four institutions in the Supporting Partnerships for Advancement, Research, and Knowledge (SPARK) cohort, funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) via its Expand Partnerships for Innovation and Capacity (EPIIC) program. Supported by $1.6 million in NSF funding, with $400,000 awarded to each institution, the cohort—which also includeds Guilford College, Southern Arkansas University, and State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport—is working collaboratively to strengthen research and partnership capacity, build shared infrastructure, and support long-term institutional growth.

At RISD, the EPIIC / SPARK initiative focuses on strengthening the systems, resources, and institutional pathways that support faculty research and academic and creative partnerships. Through a faculty fellows program, faculty-informed gap analysis, professional development opportunities, improved partnership tracking, and the development of ethical partnership practices, we are testing approaches designed specifically for the needs of an art and design institution.

As part of the SPARK cohort, RISD will share these models and lessons with partner institutions while learning from their distinct approaches to building research and partnership capacity. Together, the cohort is creating adaptable models that can help colleges and universities strengthen research infrastructure, foster meaningful external partnerships, and support longterm institutional growth.

Partner institutions

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Guilford College

Located in Greensboro, NC, Guilford College is a Quaker-founded liberal arts college grounded in ethical leadership, equity, and community engagement.

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Southern Arkansas University (SAU)

SAU is a public university in Magnolia, AR that serves a rural region through programs spanning the arts, education, business, science, and engineering.

a college building, with a sign reading LIBERAL ARTS BUILDING on its outer face, sits below a navy blue night sky
SUNY Brockport

As part of the State University of New York system, SUNY Brockport in western New York offers broad undergraduate and graduate programs across liberal arts and professional disciplines.

RISD’s EPIIC-SPARK team

Katherine Cooper
Katherine Cooper — Principal Investigator

Katherine Cooper, who is also RISD’s director of Academic and Creative Partnerships, develops strategic partnerships across art, design, fashion, technology and related fields, drawing on experience in arts organizations, nonprofits, writing, and socially engaged creative practice. For EPIIC / SPARK, Cooper provides overall programmatic leadership, coordinates RISD’s participation in the national cohort, and guides the initiative’s partnership-building and institutional capacity goals.

kcoope01@risd.edu

Margot Nishimura
Margot McIlwain Nishimura — Co-Principal Investigator

RISD’s assistant provost for academic engagement, Margot McIlwain Nishimura is an art historian and academic leader with more than two decades of experience in teaching, curatorial practice, libraries, special collections, fundraising, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. As co-principal investigator, she helps align EPIIC / SPARK with RISD’s broader research and academic priorities and provides oversight related to grant administration, institutional infrastructure, and longterm sustainability.

mnishimu@risd.edu

Tyanna Buie
Tyanna Buie — Co-Principal Investigator & Faculty Liaison

Also the graduate program director of the Printmaking department, Professor Tyanna Buie is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and nationally recognized printmaker whose practice includes exhibitions, residencies, public commissions, and community-engaged workshops. In her role for EPIIC / SPARK, she supports the development of the faculty fellows initiative and helps connect faculty perspectives to the broader program, and will develop and lead workshops focused on research visibility, partnership development, and faculty capacity-building.

tbuie@risd.edu

Sara Ossana
Sara Ossana — Program Manager

Sara Ossana is a designer, educator, and transdisciplinary practitioner whose work spans spatial practice, material ecologies, and scenography. A member of the Academic and Creative Partnerships team, Ossana is also program manager for the RISD’s partnership with Tiffany & Co., and is on the college’s part-time faculty. In her EPIIC / SPARK role, she works closely with the principal investigator to oversee the grant’s planning, budgets, implementation, and coordination, supporting alignment across the RISD team, institutional partners, and the broader SPARK cohort.

sossana@risd.edu

Upcoming events & open workshops

Programs open to the RISD community, including workshops, information sessions, and networking opportunities. This section will be updated as new programs and dates are confirmed.

Faculty Fellows curriculum

A sequence of workshops, mentoring, and collaborative learning experiences for faculty selected to participate in the Partnership & Research Faculty Fellows Program.

Contact information

For questions about NSF EPIIC / SPARK, upcoming opportunities, research and partnership resources, or other support needs, please reach out to NSF EPIIC / SPARK Program Manager Sara Ossana at sossana@risd.edu. Sara can also help coordinate a conversation and schedule time with Katherine Cooper or other members of the EPIIC / SPARK team.