Enabling Discovery: NRRI Research Support Infrastructure
At the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), world-class science and engineering require an equally world-class foundation. Our Research Support Infrastructure teams provide the operational, financial, technical, and safety framework that enables our researchers to deliver high-impact, integrated solutions for our economy, communities, and natural world.
Core Pillars of Research Support
1. Finance, HR & Administrative Operations
The Administrative Operations team manages the complex fiscal, human, and organizational workflows across the Institute, keeping research projects on schedule and compliant with University of Minnesota standards.
- Grant Administration: Comprehensive pre-award proposal development and post-award grant management to maximize funding success.
- Financial Management: Transparent tracking and real-time oversight of research portfolios and Institute budgets.
- Talent & Employee Lifecycle: Strategic talent acquisition, onboarding, HR policy implementation, and staff development.
- Operational Logistics: Procurement, contracting, effort reporting, event management, and client/visitor engagement.
2. Technical Operations
Technical Operations delivers facility management, specialized equipment oversight, and project support across three distinct areas:
- Infrastructure Upgrades: Strategic planning and execution for facilities, pilot plants, and specialized laboratories.
- Project & Portfolio Management: Ensuring technical rigor, milestone tracking, and seamless cross-disciplinary execution.
- Partner & Client Engagement: Direct operational support for external collaborations and industrial pilot demonstrations.
3. Quality, Environmental Health, Safety & Training (QEHST)
Safety and quality are core values embedded into every decision, project plan, and daily operation across NRRI. The QEHST Office ensures research is executed responsibly, safely, and to the highest standards.
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
- Injury Prevention & Preparedness: Active risk mitigation, hazard management, and emergency response planning.
- Regulatory Compliance: Oversight of hazardous materials and environmental compliance across all labs and testing sites.
- EHS Training Programs: Equipping personnel with the knowledge to navigate complex, high-rigor research environments safely.
Quality & Training
- Organizational Excellence: Implementing robust procedures, verification systems, and quality control frameworks.
- Documentation & Compliance: Maintaining institutional training systems to track compliance and support continuous learning.
4. Strategic Partnerships & External Affairs
The Strategic Partnerships and External Affairs team ensures that NRRI’s scientific discoveries and economic solutions reach key stakeholders, legislators, industry partners, and the public.
- Strategic Partnerships: Cultivates multi-stakeholder collaborations across industry, government, Tribal Nations, academia, and non-profits to address complex challenges in ecosystem resilience, forest products, and minerals.
- Business Development & Commercialization: De-risks innovation from feasibility testing through pilot scale. Partnering with UMN Tech Commercialization, the team guides project scoping, IP, and tech transfer to move novel solutions to market.
- External Engagement & Legislative Affairs: Bridges NRRI with state leadership, elected officials, and local communities—translating science into actionable insights to inform resource policy and advance regional economic goals.
- Strategic Communications: Amplifies NRRI’s real-world impact through targeted media relations, digital channels, storytelling, and outreach across state and national platforms.
Why Our Infrastructure Matters
By investing continuously in our physical assets, administrative agility, and safety culture, NRRI ensures its research team can focus on what matters most: driving sustainable innovation for the region and the nation.