COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY BUILDING.
CONNECT. COLLABORATE. MOVE IDEAS FORWARD.
The 3rd Annual Higher Education Connections Workshop, hosted by The Institute for Underground Science at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), will bring together higher education leaders, researchers, STEM and education faculty, and partners from across South Dakota, November 1–3, 2026, in Lead, South Dakota.
This year’s workshop is focused on Collaborative Capacity Building, moving from connections and conversation to collaboration and action. Participants will explore shared priorities, identify opportunities to work across institutions, and develop ideas that can strengthen research, education, workforce development, and innovation across South Dakota.
Through featured speakers, facilitated discussions, concept sharing, and interactive working sessions, the workshop will create dedicated space to explore not only what we can accomplish together, but how we can begin moving those opportunities forward.
(NO registration fee and lunch provided Monday)
THE WORKSHOP IS STRUCTURED AROUND THREE GOALS:
CONNECT Build Relationships. Share Expertise. Discover Opportunities.
COLLABORATE Build Capacity. Develop Ideas. Create Partnerships.
ACT Turn Ideas Into Action.
Participants will have opportunities to identify shared challenges and opportunities, develop potential initiatives, connect with needed partners, and define actionable next steps to carry forward after the workshop.
EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES AROUND
- Collaborative Research & Grant Development — Build research connections, explore multi-institution opportunities, and strengthen approaches to collaborative funding.
- AI in Research & Education — Explore how AI is shaping research, teaching, and learning across higher education.
- Student Research & Workforce Pathways — Identify opportunities to strengthen undergraduate research, experiential learning, and workforce development.
- Shared Expertise & Resources — Connect complementary expertise, initiatives, and resources across institutions.
- Cross-Institution Partnerships — Develop new relationships and ideas that can grow into meaningful collaboration beyond the workshop.
EVENT DETAILS
Dates: Sunday, November 1 – Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Location: Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center and Sanford Underground Research Facility | Lead, South Dakota
Sunday, November 1 | CONNECT
Build relationships, share expertise, explore South Dakota’s higher education and research ecosystem, and identify potential connections and opportunities.
Monday, November 2 | COLLABORATE
Explore collaborative research and funding, student research and workforce pathways, AI and emerging opportunities, followed by facilitated working sessions to begin developing ideas.
Tuesday, November 3 | ACT
Move promising ideas toward action by identifying priorities, partners, next steps, and opportunities for continued collaboration.
Bring your ideas, challenges, and expertise to the table, and leave with new connections, potential partners, and opportunities to move forward.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Higher education leaders, researchers, STEM and education faculty, and partners interested in strengthening collaboration across South Dakota’s research, education, and STEM ecosystem are encouraged to participate.
2025 Participant Feedback
"I was able to network and meet new colleagues from high ed institutions and SURF. It was a chance to find out what all of us were doing. Coming in a cohort from our university meant we could strategize together.""I have started collaborating on a research idea I initiated at SURF."
DOWNLOAD THE FLYER PDF FILE BELOW (next to the paperclip), PRINT AND SHARE WITH OTHER STEM AND EDUCATION FACULTY:
