Our Mission

Bold Challenges events and programs are designed to support core the objectives:

  • Increases cross-school collaboration, public impact, and U-M’s competitiveness for large grants on essential challenges.
  • Forecasts funding opportunities and identifies comparative advantages.
  • Offers broad and inclusive pathways to large-scale external research funding.

Events

Bold Challenges events empower U-M researchers to:

  • Meet collaborators
  • Learn from funders
  • Engage stakeholders
  • Improve communication
  • Enhance leadership skills
  • Build diverse, dynamic teams
  • Create stronger proposals

Programs

  • Bold Challenges programs are application-based and designed for cross-school teams.
  • The programs offer different levels of expert support for proposal development and funding opportunities for activities that are necessary for strong proposals

There are two programs:

  • BOOST is Bold Challenges’ Team Development Program. It empowers diverse and dynamic cross-school research groups to generate competitive large-scale proposals.
  • ACCELERATE is Bold Challenges’ Advanced Consulting Program. It offers a rigorous approach for cross-school teams ready to submit large proposals within the next 18 months. 

Bold Challenges Team Members

Arthur Lupia

Arthur Lupia

Executive Director

Email: lupia@umich.edu

Nick Wiggington

AVP for Research – Strategic Initiatives

Jill Jividen

Jill Jividen

Director of Research Development

Email: jjgoff@umich.edu

Kelsey Ebbs

Kelsey Ebbs

Program Manager

Email: klucinda@umich.edu

Sean O'Connor

Sean O’Connor

Program Manager

Email: spoconno@umich.edu