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Big Ideas Initiative

See the RFP

Big Ideas Initiative

Questions?

Contact bigideas@nebraska.edu with questions or comments.

What is a Big Idea?

Big Ideas are transformational, build upon the university’s strengths, and could come from any corner of campus.  They are future-focused and forward thinking and they positively impact the world. More specifically, big ideas:

  • Are inter-disciplinary, with a focus on areas where the University has a unique capacity to lead
  • Incorporate four or more key characteristics of a great university, developed through the University of Nebraska Visioning Day:
    • Learner-focused and experientially infused
    • Relentlessly focused on student success
    • Research relevance
    • Diversity: promoted and encouraged
    • Talent leveraged throughout the system
    • Local and global relevance
    • Purposefully and creatively changing the world
  • Are bold and build on existing programs to dramatically change an approach or create new levels of collaboration. Big Ideas are not about incremental improvements.
  • Can come from any area of the University, not just STEM or research fields.

Big Ideas are not:

  • Simply bundling related ideas
  • Capital projects that are not critical to deliver on the core initiative