The University of Iowa has allocated up to $15 million in P3 funding for fiscal year 2027 to support high-impact initiatives aligned with the university's strategic plan.

The funding will support one new interdisciplinary project focused on brain science selected from a campuswide call for proposals, three key infrastructure projects, additional investments in faculty hiring and retention, and timely support for other strategic plan initiatives throughout the year.

"Our strategic plan challenges us to identify opportunities where the university can have the greatest impact," says Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost. "These investments support the people, infrastructure, and ideas that drive excellence in teaching, research, and creative scholarship while building capacity in areas that will shape the university's future."

Translating cutting-edge research into next-generation treatments

A three-year, $600,000 project will help the UI build on its strengths in brain science by developing new treatments for brain disorders. The Iowa Program in Experimental Neurotherapies will bring together researchers from across campus to develop new treatments for brain disorders. The program will focus on addressing both neurodevelopmental disorders, which affect brain development, and neurodegenerative disorders, which cause progressive loss of brain function.

The collaborative project will help researchers turn scientific discoveries into new treatments, strengthen the university's competitiveness for large external grants, and attract partnerships with biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical-device companies.

The Iowa Program in Experimental Neurotherapies was selected from 18 projects submitted through a campuswide call for P3 proposals in fall 2025.

Investing in key academic infrastructure

The university will invest $7 million in FY2027 to advance several projects that will strengthen the performing arts, expand cancer research capabilities, and develop digital security infrastructure needed to ensure eligibility for federal research opportunities.

The university will invest $3 million in the final phase of renovations to the Dance Building, formerly the Museum of Art building, which will become the new home of the Department of Dance this fall. The renovated facility will better support the needs of students and faculty and encourage collaboration with other performing and visual arts programs.

A buildout of the sixth floor of the College of Pharmacy Building will provide laboratory space for cancer researchers and serve as the future home of the Iowa Institute for Cancer Drug Discovery and Development, pending approval by the Iowa Board of Regents. The project will receive $3 million in funding for FY2027, with additional support from the College of Pharmacy, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, and donors.

The HAWKTRUST project will create a university-wide secure research environment that will support compliance with emerging federal cybersecurity requirements. The project will receive $1 million in FY2027, strengthening the university's ability to support sensitive research data, protect federally regulated information, and establish a leadership position in compliance readiness.

Funding for strategic plan implementation and faculty hiring

The remaining $7.4 million in FY2027 P3 funding will support additional strategic plan initiatives throughout the year. Of that amount, $3 million has been designated for the High Impact Hiring Initiative, which strengthens Iowa's ability to recruit and retain faculty in areas of excellence and impact.

Since its launch in 2021, the High Impact Hiring Initiative has supported 93 faculty recruitments and 35 retentions across 11 colleges.

The SPARC Strategic Plan Implementation Fund was launched in FY2024 and has supported 28 funding proposals, including 10 in FY2026. A full list of projects funded through the SPARC Strategic Plan Implementation Fund is available on the strategic plan website.

About the P3 program

The P3 program provides resources for strategic investment into the UI's core missions of teaching, research, and scholarship. In March 2020, nearly $1 billion in funding from the university's 50-year partnership with ENGIE North America and Meridiam to operate the utility system was placed in an endowment. Earnings from the endowment allow the university to invest about $15 million per fiscal year in support of the UI's strategic plan priorities.

For more information on the P3 program and funded projects, visit the strategic plan website.