The Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation at University of Michigan recently published a story on how their Grand Challenge model inspired the University of Utah’s own initiative: High Tech West.

Thanks to the inspiration of U of M’s Massey Traumatic Brain Injury Grand Challenge, High Tech West, formerly known as the RAC Grand Challenge, was launched in 2024, an intramural pitch competition  that unites leading research experts, industry partners, and program managers to deliver groundbreaking technologies and  interdisciplinary solutions to tackle pressing national security and defense challenges. Awards distributed help fund bold new projects across multiple academic disciplines including  medicine, aerospace, engineering, and more.

​​Michigan demonstrated how a Grand Challenge can unlock ambitious, cross-disciplinary thinking. High Tech West proudly follows those footsteps, creating an opportunity where visionary ideas can emerge and ultimately drive solutions to some of the most urgent challenges facing the country.

“The University of Michigan proved that early stage, academic innovation thrives when you create the right environment to foster it,” said Dr. Jim McDonough, LP.D, Executive Director, Department of Defense Research at the University of Utah. “High Tech West builds on that legacy in a way that aligns with the nation’s defense and critical technology priorities, giving our researchers a platform to pursue solutions that can have real impact.”

Click the link below to read how two institutions 1,600 miles apart connected through shared ambition to re-imagine what research impact looks like.

Click here to read the U of M story.

To learn more about the U’s High Tech West event, click here.