5/6/2026 Amy Clay
Written by Amy Clay
Eight new research centers, an institute, a campuswide hub for science communication, ecosystems to develop and advance clinical and translational research, leadership and training pipelines, instrumentation and research infrastructure, and more.
This is just a snapshot of the bold visions shared by the 2025-26 cohort of the Emerging Research Leaders Academy (ERLA).
Designed to support mid-career faculty and researchers, ERLA provides vital leadership and team science training that will help faculty pursue large, multi-PI grants, lead campus research initiatives, enhance their own research programs, and ultimately position the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for even greater research excellence.
Throughout the fall and spring semesters, the participants attended a series of monthly workshops on topics such as strategic leadership and management, team science, fostering inclusion, mentorship, and research communication. There were also supplementary discussion sessions, or “critical conversations,” that gave participants a chance to dive deeper into each topic and consider its application to their own endeavors.
Catherine Corr, a professor of special education, is one of several faculty who are already putting what they have learned into action.
Professor Corr and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been selected to coordinate research efforts for the State of Illinois’ new Department of Early Childhood (IDEC), which is set to launch July 1, 2026.
Prof. Corr used an early childhood metaphor of “connecting the dots” to share her vision. She explained that much of the state’s early childhood research has been conducted in silos, or scattered dots across the state.
“I want to make sure [the university] is well-positioned to ‘connect the dots’ in ways that will build a cohesive early childhood research ecosystem for Illinois. Many of the lessons I take away from this experience have helped in that process.”
She also credited ERLA with helping her to lay the groundwork for a strong institutional partnership between the university and the new state agency.
“This leadership experience taught me a lot about understanding others’ priorities, the need for listening for understanding, and making space for competing priorities, which were necessary and valuable during this process,” Prof. Corr explained.
Many members of the cohort credit ERLA for helping them to understand leadership in a new way. In fact, it was the major theme of the cohort presentation that kicks off the action plan presentations each year. Deanna Hence, a professor of atmospheric sciences, spoke on behalf of the cohort, explaining that ERLA helped participants understand leadership as something that comes from deliberate structure rather than an innate quality.
“ERLA framed leadership as a set of relationships and habits: values made visible in everyday behavior, mentoring that evolves with need, and inclusive communication,” Prof. Hence explained.
Pinshane Huang, a professor of materials science, is one of the researchers empowered by this deeper understanding of research leadership. Prof. Huang has been passionate about the atomic world ever since she learned that there are as many atoms in a tater tot as there are stars in the observable universe.
In 2024, Prof. Huang and her collaborators published the highest-resolution image of a single atom ever taken. She explained how ERLA helped her define her vision—to pioneer the use of electron ptychography to usher in the next revolution in microscopy, something that hasn’t happened in almost 20 years.
“This program has helped me crystallize these little pieces I had been viewing as random thoughts and start seeing them as a cohesive vision. And realize, in fact, I do have the skills and training needed to push that science forward,” Huang said.
Ambitious plans like these are exactly what ERLA was designed to foster. As researchers presented their action plans, they referred to the lessons learned and the insights they gained. Several presenters also talked about the space that ERLA created in their busy careers.
“I want to acknowledge this amazing program for giving us the opportunity to cultivate and expand our ideas,” said Rachel Garthe, a professor of social work. “The tenure process requires such intense focus that we rarely have the time or space to look beyond it. This past year gave me the chance to think big again and focus on how to scale my work.”
Maggie Berg, Senior Research Development Manager for IHSI who leads ERLA, agrees that this time and space is part of the 'secret sauce' that makes ERLA such a transformative experience for participants.
“This is why ERLA works best for researchers that are ready for this next phase of their career. They are building their research programs and seeking larger awards. They are ready to think big about their future,” Dr. Berg said.
Don Takehara, Director for Research for the Grainger College of Engineering who helped Dr. Berg run the program sessions, emphasizes the benefits of the peer mentorship the cohort experiences during the program.
“They need time and space to be able to dream. But also to dream with others,” Dr. Takehara said. “Bringing in faculty who are at the same point in their careers. They are looking ahead. They are talking to each other. ERLA creates a place where they can do that safely.”
The results? Big, collaborative, interdisciplinary visions.
“This is why ERLA works best for researchers that are ready for this next phase of their career. They are building their research programs and seeking larger awards. They are ready to think big about their future.”
IHSI Director Stephen Boppart listened carefully to each presentation, jotting down thoughts, his enthusiasm visible.
“Hearing from these ERLA graduates and hearing their ideas has been inspiring to me and hopefully to you as well. I think as scholars, we crave opportunities and events like this because they fill our minds with ideas.”
Dr. Boppart ended on some advice to the graduates, encouraging them to connect with their respective communities, to not let the how get in the way of the why, and to focus on the bigger picture,
“I think it’s important that we let the big challenges, the big ideas, the big solutions, be our guide star, and to never lose focus that there is something important that we can do that’s on that grand scale.”
2026-27 ERLA Nominations are Open
IHSI is accepting nominations for the 2026-27 ERLA program. We are seeking associate or recently promoted full professors who have not yet led a large, multi-PI grant or campus initiative, as well as non-tenure track faculty and research scientists with a record of independent funding as single-PIs who are now looking to lead larger efforts. Nominations are vital to the success of the Emerging Research Leaders Academy, helping the Selection Committee to identify and support future leaders who will drive innovation and excellence in research.
Participants must be nominated by a department head, dean, or director before applying. Nominations are due May 29, 2026.
Others can support the Emerging Research Leaders Academy by spreading the word about the opportunity for faculty at Illinois, or providing financial support to help us continue fostering the next generation of research leaders. Please contact Maggie Berg with questions.
The ERLA program is facilitated by IHSI, in partnership with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, College of Applied Health Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Grainger College of Engineering, and the Office of Proposal Development.