UMD to Launch Grand Challenges Graduate Communities

New graduate housing at the University of Maryland, opening this summer, will offer more than a place to live. Designed as a hub for connection, collaboration and discovery, Discovery House will also serve as the home of a first-of-its-kind universitywide initiative aimed at transforming how graduate students and faculty work together. 

The new Grand Challenges Graduate Communities, or (GC)², will be small, faculty-led, residential research communities designed to bring together master’s and doctoral students from across disciplines to tackle some of society’s most pressing issues. 

Each (GC)² community will bring together 15-20 graduate students from multiple schools and colleges who live in Discovery House, Graduate Hills or Graduate Gardens to engage in a shared intellectual experience. The communities are built around collaboration. Students will co-author grant proposals, publish interdisciplinary research and develop innovative projects tied to a unifying Grand Challenge theme, from sustainability to global health to ethical technology and more.  

“At Maryland, we recognize that solutions to humanity's grand challenges require collaboration across multiple disciplines and perspectives, and we are designing the graduate experience at UMD to reflect that,” said Jennifer King Rice, UMD’s senior vice president and provost. “With the launch of the new Grand Challenges Graduate Communities, we’re creating a national model for building interdisciplinary research communities that connect graduate education to real-world impact.”

Discovery House is a 324,000-square-foot, 741-bed apartment community specifically for UMD graduate students. Located along Graduate Way at the nexus of main campus and the Discovery District, it includes 465 fully-furnished apartments, quiet study areas, collaborative building lounges and all-inclusive rates. 

"We can't wait for the opening of Discovery House, and we are thankful for the input and involvement of graduate students throughout the entire process. We are also grateful for the support we have received from the city of College Park, Prince George’s County, and the state of Maryland," said Dennis Passarella-George, director of resident life in the Division of Student Affairs.

The (GC)² communities will build on UMD’s status as one of the nation’s top-ranked universities for living-learning programs, yet will differ from the existing undergraduate models that focus on coursework and creating community through teambuilding activities. (GC)² is a research-driven framework that integrates directly into students’ existing scholarly work. Community in (GC)² is created through shared intellectual pursuits and professional development, recognizing that graduate students are advanced scholars whose sense of professional belonging emerges from meaningful academic work. 

As Grand Challenge Graduate Scholars, students will have opportunities for high-value interdisciplinary collaboration, expanded access to faculty mentors and potential thesis or dissertation committee members across colleges, professional development through speaker series and workshops, and tangible research support for conference travel and project-based work. 

The Graduate School is now seeking nominations and proposals from faculty to serve as faculty fellows for three inaugural communities. Faculty fellows will guide the vision of each community, mentor students and help build research networks that extend across campus and beyond. Nominations and proposals are due March 9.

Faculty fellows will serve renewable two-year terms beginning in Fall 2026 and shape the theme and structure of their community. Fellows will guide collaborative research, connect students with mentors across and beyond campus, and leverage dedicated program funding to bring in national and international experts and create hands-on learning experiences. 

“These communities are designed to open new doors for students and faculty,” said Stephen M. Roth, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School. “Graduate students will gain access to mentors, collaborators and professional opportunities they may not otherwise have encountered. At the same time, faculty will have new opportunities to connect with colleagues across campus, and build research partnerships within and beyond the program.”