University Economic Development Association

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Get full access to UEDA’s network and resources to help establish your institution of higher education as a driver of economic development in your community.

2023 Finalists Announced

Congratulations to the 2023 UEDA Awards of Excellence Finalists. Leading initiatives from across North America compete in a six-month process, including application, peer review, online presentations, and, ultimately, selection by attendees of the annual UEDA Summit as category leaders. These projects represent the top university-based economic development initiatives in the country, as judged by their peers.

The University Economic Development Association connects our members—higher education institutions, private sector businesses, and economic development organizations—to resources that facilitate economic growth in their communities.

UEDA members represent those on the cutting-edge of modern economic development. The 21st-century economy has evolved into an entity that behaves much differently from its predecessors. Attracting established industry into your town is no longer a reliable route to prosperity.

Success in our modern economy is about innovation and entrepreneurship. It is about fostering talent in young people from preschool through life to embolden them to think and create outside the traditional academic or professional requirements. It is about creating environments that attract those people who want to make and do things in new ways and retains that talent  to start the process over again in the next generation.

Never before have academia, the private sector, and economic stakeholders been so reliant on one another to create economic opportunity. UEDA members work together to expand economic opportunity in their communities and regions by leveraging talent, innovation and place, and recognizing the interconnectedness of each of these elements.

UEDA’s focus on talent, our economy’s human capital, encourages higher education to take a more cradle-to-grave approach in identifying and fostering students at all levels so they grow to be contributors to and leaders of further economic growth.

 

 

UEDA members are committed to encouraging innovation, creative problem solving, and entrepreneurship to encourage similar economic opportunities in their communities.

 

 

UEDA encourages institutions to be active members and contribute to vibrant communities where people want to live and work to lay a strong foundation for ongoing economic success.

 

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2025 and 2026 Summit Host Request for Proposals

2025 and 2026 Summit Host Request for Proposals

Is your region/ institution interested in hosting the UEDA Annual Summit? We are looking for communities and partners to submit their region for the 2025 and 2026 Annual Summit hosts. Full information, requirements, and instructions are available in the Request for...

HUD + Higher Ed Engagement Network Briefing

HUD + Higher Ed Engagement Network Briefing

The HUD + Higher Ed Think Tank recently held a very productive meeting to address a critical issue, improving the number of landlords who accept affordable housing vouchers in key communities. In this briefing, you’ll find key takeaways for priority communities and...

Economic Engagement Knowledge Network | See Our Talent

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UEDA Summit

Each year, higher education institutions and their affiliates compete for our prestigious Awards of Excellence, which recognize outstanding, leading-edge higher education projects and initiatives promoting economic development and engagement.

Foundations for Strategy and Practice

The Foundations publication is meant to inspire institutions to reinvent the relevant college or university for the 21st century and to think more comprehensively about how economic development and engagement activities connect to each other and to an institution’s core mission activities.

Join UEDA

When you join UEDA, every individual within your organization enjoys the benefits of being a member. Memberships are organized by branch campus and structured based on the Carnegie Classifications system. Each organization, has only one voting affiliate individual, which we call an Ambassador.

Awards of Excellence

The Awards of Excellence are given in recognition of outstanding economic development initiatives, research, or accomplishments. Proposals are submitted to the Awards of Excellence committee who choose the finalists. The finalists then present their projects at the Annual Summit, where attendees choose category leaders.

University Economic Development Association

PO Box 12546
Arlington, VA 22209
703.778.7713
info@universityeda.org