Research + Innovation

As key components of the Strategic Plan, research and innovation remain at the forefront of the university’s framework for campus development. The physical environment must foster all types of research pertaining equally to the humanities and to the natural and social sciences. The university will dedicate new research and innovation space in several campus areas including the new Research District with emphasis on external collaborations and the Innovation District with dedicated space for start-ups and incubators. New space and strategic programmatic investments will allow the university to further address a range of 21st-century challenges and create a lasting impact at the global scale.

Innovation

The Innovation District will consist of a mix of research and innovation spaces that benefit from a proximity to health sciences and healthcare uses. Research uses will be concentrated to the north, including the new HSRB II building, and collaboration and startup space will be located further south in closer proximity to the university core. This district will also include an element of live/work residential space targeted to staff and graduate students, as well as work environment amenities related to food and wellness. A new central open space will provide a sense of identity, as well as a mixing ground for this new cluster on campus.

Innovation District

Research

The Research District will create a new research hub for the campus focused on partnerships and external collaborations. Given the district’s location adjacent to the Lullwater Preserve, these buildings should employ biophilic design principles to create a peaceful and sustainable work environment conducive to focused research. This district will also include a residential component of live/work space for graduate students or staff, resulting in available research space on the core campus to help address the growing demand for undergraduate research space. In order to provide visibility along Clifton Road, the development of this district will require the removal of the former Clifton Tower and the Woodruff Residential Center. These undergraduate beds will be replaced closer to the campus core to foster a more integrated undergraduate residential experience.

Health Sciences

The Health Sciences District will benefit from a new Interprofessional Education (IPE) building located directly south of the Rollins Public Health building and an expansion of 1462 Clifton for general academic programming. These recommendations stem from previous space utilization and planning studies for the health sciences with the overall intent of integrating education, discovery, and healthcare within one district. The IPE building will include learning space for all three Health Science schools including the Rollins School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, and the School of Medicine. This building supports the notion of “One Emory” by creating an interdisciplinary building, reducing overall costs and increasing collaboration and efficiency.