Research initiatives related to public health, climate change and sustainability, entrepreneurship, and technology and innovation for education will be led by scholars from various universities that are part of the Hemispheric University Consortium, an alliance that brings together 14 higher education institutions from across the Americas.
The results of the ten winning research projects for the HUC Seed Fund 2024 have recently been announced. These projects will focus on interdisciplinary and inter-university collaboration, with each project composed of academics from at least two institutions. A total of 31 applications were submitted, involving 71 researchers from eleven universities that are part of the Hemispheric University Consortium (HUC), a network of leading institutions across the Americas. The selected research will tackle critical global challenges with a focus on social impact.
“We are very pleased with the results of the HUC Seed Fund 2024, which highlight the strength of interdisciplinary and inter-university collaboration across the Americas, involving two or more universities. In a highly competitive process that sparked great enthusiasm among member universities, ten projects were selected, focusing on challenges such as public health, climate change and sustainability, inclusive entrepreneurship and innovation, and technology for education, among others,” said Pedro Bouchon, Vice-President for Research at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC Chile), which has been driving this fund alongside the consortium. “We face complex, common problems in our region, so having perspectives from various countries is essential. This initiative aims to be a collaboration platform that generates innovative solutions with profound social and scientific impact,” he added.
Dr. Juan Bautista Etcheverry, Vice-Rector for Research at Universidad Austral (Argentina), emphasized the importance of developing such initiatives to promote research projects at the regional level. “Inter-institutional and international collaboration helps enhance the exchange of ideas and access to resources, which is fundamental for advancing knowledge and scientific development in our countries,” he stated.
With the goal of generating knowledge and solutions to address regional and global challenges, by promoting innovative projects with social, economic, and scientific impact, the HUC Seed Fund will provide over US$ 140,000 for the development of these ten research projects, which will focus on public health, climate change and sustainability, inclusive entrepreneurship and innovation, and technology and innovation for education.
This fund aims to be a key tool for advancing interdisciplinary and inter-university research, as well as the active participation of students and researchers in the consortium’s initiatives. Furthermore, it seeks to support scalable projects that, in the future, may access larger-scale funding.
“As part of the consolidation of this young consortium, after creating institutional bonds of trust and commitment to regional development, this HUC Seed Fund initiative is a boost for joint research, further strengthening the impact that can be achieved together in the hemisphere”
Awarded Projects: HUC Seed Fund 2024
The ten selected research projects are led by academics and researchers from the following universities:
- “Vector-Borne Pathogens in Dogs: A Review of Diagnostic Approaches and Regional Perspectives in the Context of Climate-Driven Risks in Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador”
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Perú), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) y Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador).
- “Leveraging AI-Assisted Remote Feedback to Scale Education for Health-Related Professionals”
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Tec de Monterrey (México) y Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador).
- “Comparison of Dropout Causes Between Higher Education Institutions in Mexico, Chile, and Argentina Using Explainable AI”
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Tec de Monterrey (México) y Universidad Austral (Argentina).
- “Post-Harvest Physiological Studies of New Papaya (Carica papaya) and Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium) Genotypes Using Modified Atmosphere Packaging”
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile y Universidad de Costa Rica.
- “Does the Human Pancreatic Islet Have the Capacity to Recover from Chronic Stress? A Study Using Long-Term Cultures that Preserve Pancreatic Cytosarchitecture”
Universidad Austral (Argentina) y Universidad de Miami (Estados Unidos).
- “Impact Investment Management in Latin America: Strategies and Challenges for Creating Inclusive Markets in Disadvantaged Communities”
Universidad Austral (Argentina) y Tec de Monterrey (México).
- “Thriving in a Changing Climate: Unveiling How Páramo Seedlings and Mature Plants Adapt to Hotter, Drier Conditionss”
Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) y Universidad de Miami (Estados Unidos).
- “Decision Model for Acquiring Climate-Indexed Insurance in Agriculture Using the Concept of Smart Agriculture”
Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) y Tec de Monterrey (México)
- “AI-Enhanced Experimental and Computational Modeling of Electric Submersible Pumps in Multiphase Flow Systems”
Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) y Universidad Estatal de Campinas (Brasil)
- “Resilience of Concrete Infrastructure in the Americas Adapted to Climate (CIRCA)”
Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador) y Universidad Estatal de Campinas (Brasil)
Impact on Research Promotion
Regarding inter-institutional collaboration, Dr. Marcelo J. Perone, academic and researcher at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at Universidad Austral, who will lead one of the projects, noted that such initiatives serve as catalysts for exchanges between academics from different universities to develop these kinds of studies. “This opportunity opens an important door for collaboration with colleagues from the University of Miami. The convergence of expertise from both institutions allows us to attempt to answer a question about the biology of pancreatic islets of interest to the field of diabetes mellitus research,” he mentioned.
Highlighting the significance of participating in this HUC initiative, Dr. Dolores del Río and Dr. Fernanda Figueroa, academics at Universidad Austral, added that the funding received will allow them to carry out crucial research on impact investment in Latin America, focused on disadvantaged rural communities. Their findings will provide concrete recommendations and strategies for investment fund managers, social entrepreneurs, and other relevant actors. “The collaboration between Universidad Austral and Tecnológico de Monterrey will enhance the research and expand its reach, laying the groundwork for future studies and the pursuit of additional funding, solidifying both institutions as leaders in impact investment research in the region,” the researchers concluded.
About HUC
Founded in 2018, the Hemispheric University Consortium (HUC) is composed of 14 universities from the Americas, including Universidad Austral (Argentina), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Brazil), York University (Canada), University of the West Indies (Caribbean), Universidad Andrés Bello (Chile), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Universidad de Costa Rica, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (Dominican Republic), Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador), Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru), and University of Miami (United States).
The purpose of the Hemispheric University Consortium is to promote collaboration among higher education institutions to improve the quality and reach of education, and to foster research and innovation aimed at developing innovative and impactful solutions to the social challenges faced by the region and the world. As part of this mission, the consortium has generated several initiatives in areas such as social entrepreneurship, virtual research internships, dialogues on the Sustainable Development Goals, library networking, and more.