n recognition of its strong commitment to economic engagement, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has designated UND as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University.
The IEP designation highlights how the University works together with public and private sector partners to support economic development, spark innovation, foster entrepreneurship, develop a skilled workforce and strengthen communities.
“Earning the IEP designation is a defining characteristic of who we are as a research university, committed to serving our state and nation,” said UND President Andrew Armacost.
“Economic engagement is not a single initiative at UND, but a web of connected actions that bring us together with industry partners and communities. This designation reinforces key parts of our campus strategic plan, called UND LEADS, as we align our academic strengths, research enterprises, and partnerships to deliver real-world solutions.
“This validates the progress we’ve made while also pushing us to go further by building deeper connections across the state to ensure our impact continues to grow.”
Said APLU President Waded Cruzado, “Universities are powerful engines for economic growth. We are thrilled to recognize the University of North Dakota for its dedication to collaborating with its community to propel statewide and regional economic development.”
UND earned this designation after a rigorous, independent review process led by Jason Jensen, professor of Political Science and Public Administration, and Cortnee Jensen, executive director of Economic Development. This involved a thorough two-year self-assessment of the University’s economic engagement initiatives, enriched by valuable insights from key stakeholders, including input gathered during the UND LEADS strategic planning process.
APLU’s Commission on Economic and Community Engagement — a national leader in this field — oversees this process, ensuring that universities effectively plan, assess and communicate their impact. UND is now one of just over 90 higher education institutions designated as an IEP university.
The IEP designation reflects UND’s institution-wide strategy to align research, education and partnerships in service to regional and statewide prosperity. UND approaches economic engagement in ways that produce measurable public benefits, and its economic impact reflects the scale of that engagement. For example, in the 2022–2023 academic year, an economic impact analysis done by the UND Institute of Policy and Business Analytics showed UND contributed $1.93 billion in industry activity, supported nearly 17,000 jobs, generated $1.13 billion in labor income and produced $284.9 million in total statewide tax revenue.
This impact is driven by a coordinated portfolio of high-performing initiatives. UND is a nationally recognized leader in rural health through its School of Medicine & Health Sciences and the College of Nursing & Health Professions; in autonomous and uncrewed aerial systems through the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site; in commercialization and startup support through the Center for Innovation; and in applied business and community development through the Center for Business Engagement & Development and the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers network, which have contributed billions in economic impact.
The University is also home to the globally recognized Energy and Environmental Research Center and is rapidly emerging as a leader in research, development and testing of cutting-edge technologies to support efforts in national security and space.
Initiatives such as UND CONNECT and the Experiential Learning Center further demonstrate how the University integrates student learning, faculty expertise and industry collaboration to address real-world challenges across the state, translating strategy into tangible economic and societal outcomes.
“I am so pleased to receive the IEP designation from APLU, but this is not the end, rather a catalyst for what comes next,” said Armacost. “We will build on this momentum through our moonshot goal of innovation everywhere all at once to continue making a difference for North Dakota.”
The IEP program emphasizes continuous improvement, with designated universities actively sharing best practices and collaborating within a national community of practice to maximize their economic and societal impact. Building on this designation, UND will advance the plan developed through the self-study process to further strengthen economic engagement over the next five years.
By: UND Today