Kean University Joins Prestigious Research Portal, Fostering Collaborations

Kean University has joined the ResearchwithNJ community portal, raising visibility of the growing research activities and facilities at New Jersey’s urban research university. 

The ResearchwithNJ portal was developed by the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) to spark collaboration between New Jersey’s research institutions and the wider community of businesses and entrepreneurs.  

Created with Elsevier, a scientific publishing company based in Amsterdam, the site features New Jersey’s eight leading research institutions in a centralized space that allows businesses and entrepreneurs to access information about research and researchers. It also fosters collaboration among faculty members.  

“Joining the ResearchwithNJ portal is an exciting step for Kean as a research university,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. “Inclusion in this platform enhances the visibility of our university, our faculty and their academic and research activities. This is another way of showing the world the incredible work being done at Kean and our University’s unlimited potential.” 

The initial Kean cohort includes 183 faculty conducting research in STEM and social science fields, and pulls together repository data resources such as publications, grants and information about collaborations around the world. 

Kean University Associate Provost for Science and Technology Keith Bostian, Ph.D., who is also CEO of the Kean-based Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship, said the website will expand the reach of Kean’s research. 

“Kean University faculty are eager to expand their research capacity and projects, and the opportunity to promote their academic work and intellectual property will support this effort,” Bostian said. “This has the potential to attract collaborations and partnerships that might not have been possible otherwise, while also extending the reach and impact of their research into new and previously inaccessible networks.” 

Each Kean researcher included on the platform can access and personalize their own profile.  

Further instructions for faculty regarding engagement with the portal will be posted in the coming days and weeks

The research topics on the ResearchwithNJ site are aligned along the 17 U.N. Sustainable Goals, including good health and well-being; affordable and clean energy; and climate action. 

Bostian said there are plans to expand Kean’s list of researchers beyond the initial 183 faculty members. Kean administrators are currently testing the website and will evaluate the results, he said.  

Kean’s site is managed by Bostian and Associate Dean for Research Derrick Swinton, Ph.D., of The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology. The portal also benefits Kean student researchers.  

“Students gain valuable experience by collaborating with their faculty mentors on research projects,” Swinton said. “Publishing their work on the research portal will give them a credible reference to highlight in their applications to graduate and professional schools. It will also provide a resource to see how their research is connected to the larger research enterprise and enable them to decide which research areas to pursue as they navigate their future careers.” 

The portal also furthers the goals of the recently established Kean Office of Science and Technology and Office of Technology Commercialization. The objectives of the offices include supporting the University’s research and development efforts and fostering collaboration with businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Kean is working toward designation as an R2 research university by the Carnegie Commission. 

Judith Sheft, executive director of the CSIT, said the organization’s ties to both the startup community and the state’s academic institutions make management of the portal a natural fit. 

“We anticipate this expansion of ReseachwithNJ, combined with our ongoing efforts to expand outreach to emerging companies and academic professionals, will help strengthen connections between New Jersey’s research universities and the industry,” she said.