Notre Dame Research

Each year millions of people become infected with malaria. The disease can often be fatal, despite traditional safeguards such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets. As reported in The Lancet, a randomized controlled trial showed that a spatial repellent reduced malaria transmission by one-third in an area of western Kenya. The trial was part of the Advancing Evidence for the Global Implementation of Spatial Repellents (AEGIS) project, funded by global health agency Unitaid and led by Nicole Achee at the University of Notre Dame. “We are elated,” said Achee, who also holds a joint associate professor appointment in the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame. “Results from the Kenya trial mark a seminal event in decades-long research on spatial repellents in support of public health.” To learn more about the impact of this research and the collaboration that made it possible, read the press release: https://lnkd.in/erD66-ME Eric Ochomo University of Notre Dame - College of Science Photo: SC Johnson

Closing out a year of groundbreaking research on a musical note — literally 🎵 Thanks to the Basses of the University of Notre Dame Marching Band for joining Vice President for Research Jeff Rhoads in a performance of “Deck the Halls.” Wishes of comfort and joy to the entire Notre Dame Research community of supporters over the coming weeks! Video: Angelic Rose Hubert

At the University of Notre Dame, community and global impact go hand in hand. 🌍 As President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C said of the surrounding community, “We share a future.” Within the region — consisting of St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Marshall counties — Notre Dame’s annual economic impact is $3.3 billion. Key initiatives, from cutting-edge research and discovery to athletics visitor spending, contribute to outcomes like that. But at the center of the metric lies integral partnerships with community leaders who believe in the same unifying goal: a safer, healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable world. Learn more about research impacts, downtown transformation, educational opportunities, and more in Notre Dame's 2024 Economic Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/gmYxGTTQ

At the University of Notre Dame, researchers meet big questions with big data. 📈 📊 That approach will fortify a new research initiative that responds to demographic realities, from rising inequality to declining health. Known as Notre Dame Population Analytics (ND Pop), this effort will convene scholars who tackle important population-level issues. Launched through a partnership between the University of Notre Dame - College of Arts & Letters and the Poverty Initiative, ND Pop will accelerate policy-relevant work while empowering social scientists with key tools: access to curated datasets, specialized staff and research associates, and other essential support services. Along with Notre Dame Research, the Notre Dame Center for Research Computing (CRC) and the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, ND Pop aims to establish a Federal Statistical Research Data Center (RDC), bringing a secure research environment to campus for social science researchers to responsibly access sensitive data. “Notre Dame has long been a driving force behind some of the most significant research on poverty,” said Jeff Rhoads, vice president for research and professor of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame. “Notre Dame Research is proud to partner with ND Pop to further enhance that strength by connecting it with the University’s expanding capabilities in advanced data and computational science.” In a new story, learn more about some of ND Pop's initial impacts and collaborations, including those at the University of Notre Dame - Keough School of Global Affairs: https://lnkd.in/e5xjhZzi

Twenty three NFL teams and over 80 college athletics programs now use a revolutionary brace developed by Mike Bean — a longtime associate athletic trainer for the Notre Dame football team. ABC commentators even called out the TayCo Brace during a recent broadcast, during which the Texas Longhorns quarterback donned one. But before this uptake, The IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame worked behind-the-scenes to expand the commercial impact of this innovation. The IDEA Center saw TayCo collaborators through the patent filing process, and helped the founders to find investors, structure the business, and build a board of directors. Watch the segment to see the brace in action: https://lnkd.in/es6jaB38 Read the story of entrepreneurship that made this all possible: https://lnkd.in/eAsDjuW5

A new round of multi-year investments will support democracy-related research and education at the University of Notre Dame, while also funding 12 convenings for scholars and thought leaders. These journeys will produce new knowledge about civic engagement, human rights, influential rhetoric, and much more. As Notre Dame experts continue to establish themselves as leaders in this space, research inquiries will take varied forms — from assessing the role of stakeholders in shaping Chile's Constitutional Referendums to examining music's function during Philippine martial law. These cutting-edge projects are made possible through the University's inaugural Democracy Catalyst Fund, intended to support work that closely aligns with the Democracy Initiative — a key pillar of the strategic framework. Learn more about the awardees: https://lnkd.in/gAnUu6DM

In responding to climate change, decision-makers now have a new resource to track progress around the world: the Global Urban Climate Assessment (GUCA). Developed by a team at the University of Notre Dame, this decision-support tool offers leaders a way to understand and compare city vulnerabilities, assess adaptation plans, and develop resilience. The pilot features critical evidence from 12 cities: Abuja, Nigeria; Amman, Jordan; Beijing, China; Berlin, Germany; Bogotá, Colombia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mogadishu, Somalia; Mumbai, India; Panama City, Panama; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Shenzhen, China. The team aims to expand the GUCA framework going forward, amid continued population growth in urban environments. “At the start of the 20th century, only 13% of the world’s population lived in urban areas,” said Danielle Wood, Associate Professor of the Practice in the Environmental Change Initiative — of which the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative, which Wood directs, is a research facility. “By 2050, that number is expected to rise to 60%, with an estimated 4.9 billion people living in cities. Our team at Notre Dame is eager to see the tool evolve with feedback from partners around the world.” Discover more about the insights GUCA brings to the process of lowering risk and enhancing readiness: https://lnkd.in/eatrhtyj

Students at the University of Notre Dame - Keough School of Global Affairs are supplying key evidence to policymakers. ✍📚💡 Findings from a number of research projects — which center on global conflict prevention — will inform the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) within the U.S. Department of State. From interviewing local leaders in Guinea to analyzing how bureaucratic processes affect policy outcomes, addressing these research inquiries has taken a variety of forms. In a new article from Josh Stowe, learn more about what the Keough students have been up to, the potential applications for their findings, and the faculty mentorship that defined the journey. As a partner in the Academic Centers of Conflict Anticipation and Prevention, the University of Notre Dame - Keough School of Global Affairs has a unique opportunity to engage with officials and specific policy priorities. The University of Notre Dame was selected for membership, in part, because of the Keough School’s proven track record of policy-relevant conflict prevention work, most notably through the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) — a key initiative of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. PAM houses the world’s largest existing collection of implementation data on intrastate peace agreements. Its database serves as a valuable source for analysis, which the Kroc Institute uses to support the negotiation and implementation of peace accords, including the historic Colombian peace accord. Learn more about the student contributions that are unfolding: https://lnkd.in/ehH6QtXc

In 1882, Notre Dame student Albert Francis Zahm built one of the world's first wind tunnels on campus. Throughout the years, the University's excellence in aerospace innovation has paved the way for new milestones, including the recent opening of a Large Mach 10 Quiet Wind Tunnel. The facility — the first and only of its kind in the world — supplies a unique environment for exploring hypersonic flight dynamics, turbulence, flight control, and propulsion. In addition to advancing aerospace technology, it will play a crucial role in training and workforce development, bringing substantial benefits to both Indiana and the broader United States. “Our new Large Mach 10 Quiet Wind Tunnel embodies Notre Dame’s commitment to boundary-breaking research in aerospace engineering and fluid dynamics,” said Jeff Rhoads, vice president for research and professor of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame. Learn about the critical need that this facility responds to, the opportunities this research can empower, and more: https://lnkd.in/ew9sH8Zs Photo credit: Angelic Rose Hubert

Since the 1950s, federal law has protected Oak Flat, a sacred space for the Apache people. But now, a mine has the potential to destroy the land, rendering it unsafe for humans. In the legal battle to protect Oak Flat for the Apache, Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Clinic works with a coalition of Indigenous groups. Toward that end, the clinic has filed five amicus curiae briefs — most recently, to the U.S. Supreme Court. “You don't have to be a member of a group to recognize the harm that can come to other groups,” Marcus Cole, Dean of the Notre Dame Law School, said. That premise has been foundational for the Religious Liberty Clinic, which represents individuals and organizations from a diversity of faith traditions —including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native American, and Sikh. In a new installment of the “What Would You Fight For?” series, discover more about the outcomes of this approach, the defense of fundamental freedoms, and the Apache people's continued efforts.