Higher Education Research Council (HERC) | Idaho State Board of Education

Public Post Secondary Institutions

Vice President for Institutional Research, Planning & Effectiveness, Lewis-Clark Sate College
Dr. Grace L. Anderson
At-Large Institution

Term: Jul. 1, 2025 - Jun. 30, 2027

Co-Founder
Ms. Eileen Barber
Keynetics
Vice President of Research and Economic Development
Dr. Martin Blair
Idaho State University
Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology
Dr. Todd Combs
Chief Research Officer, Idaho National Laboratory
Vice President for Research and Economic Development
Dr. Nancy Glenn
Boise State University
VP, External Affairs
McKinsey Lyon
Perpetua Resources
Vice President for Research and Economic Development
Dr. Christopher Nomura, Chair
University of Idaho
Principal Fellow and CVP
Gurtej Sandhu
Micron Technology

HERC Program Manager

John Thomas Jthomas@edu.idaho.gov

The Higher Education Research Council (HERC) is responsible for implementing and administering the Board’s higher education research policy and the grant programs created by it. These programs are designed to stimulate competitive research at Idaho’s institutions.

HERC has worked diligently to attract projects that serve to strengthen the research capabilities and contribute to economic development in the state of Idaho. HERC was formed in the Fall of 1998 as a result of the Idaho State Board of Education’s interest in promoting basic and applied research at Idaho’s public, four-year institutions. Learn more about each institution’s research office below.

Institutional Research Offices

For more information, see the Higher Education Research subsection of the governing policies and procedures.

Higher Education Research Council Programs

These programs are designed to stimulate competitive research at Idaho’s institutions, under the direction of the Higher Education Research Council.

Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) Grant Program

IGEM Program Awards

Funding under this program will be awarded for competitive state university research in support of the goals of the IGEM initiative. These funds are to be used as seed funding for strengthening Idaho’s future by strategically investing in the development of expertise, products, and services which result in state economic growth.

Selected project proposals will be in alignment with the statewide higher education research strategic plan and will leverage the talents and expertise of Idaho’s research universities and the private sector to further the economic vitality of the state; they will create a platform to facilitate and accelerate the transfer of technology out of Idaho’s public state research facilities and into the private sector; and they will create new ideas, products and companies that lead to higher-paying jobs and a strong economic foundation for Idaho.

Priority will be granted to those proposals that can show a strong collaborative effort between institutions as well as the private sector or exhibit high potential for near term technology transfer to the private sector.

The FY2027 Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) Initiative Request for Proposals is now open. Pre-Proposals are due October 27, 2025, by 6 pm Mountain Time. Pre-Proposals selected to advance to the Full Proposal stage will be notified no later than December 12, 2025. Full Proposals will be due February 27, 2026, by 6 pm Mountain Time.

Incubation Fund Program

There will be no Incubation Fund Request for Proposals for FY2027.

Current HERC Projects and Recent Reports

The Higher Education Research Council (HERC) supports research efforts at Idaho institutions through several programs, including IGEM, the Incubation Fund, and Undergraduate Research Grants. Current reports are available in the Related Resources section below. Previous reports dating back to 2020 can be found in the Research Archive Index. Reports published prior to 2020 may be requested through a Public Information Request.

Parent Committee

Instruction, Research & Human Affairs (IRSA)

Higher Ed Research Council (HERC)