MPact Conference to Explore Regional Partnerships for American Competitiveness

University of Maryland hosts 3-day event focused on community-engaged research, AI, and social innovation

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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The University of Maryland is hosting the Mpact Conference on Understanding Regional Opportunities and Partnerships to Drive American Competitiveness from March 25-27, 2026. The 3-day event, supported by the National Science Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, Sage Publishing, and several UMD colleges, will bring together representatives from academia, government, industry, and nonprofits to explore how to achieve societal impact through collaborative, cross-disciplinary research and innovation.

Why it matters

As the U.S. faces increasing global competition, this conference aims to identify ways that regional partnerships and community-engaged research can help drive American competitiveness across key areas like technology, policy, and economic development.

The details

The Mpact Conference will feature presentations and discussions on topics such as optimizing the impact of community-engaged research, developing trustworthy AI, addressing grand challenges through partnerships, the future of funding for public impact research, and building ecosystems to support social innovation.

  • The conference will take place from March 25-27, 2026.
  • It will be hosted at the Samuel Riggs Alumni Center in College Park, Maryland.

The players

University of Maryland

The host institution for the Mpact Conference, located in College Park, Maryland.

National Science Foundation

A major supporter of the Mpact Conference, providing funding and resources.

Rita Allen Foundation

A philanthropic organization that is supporting the Mpact Conference.

Sage Publishing

A publisher that is sponsoring the Mpact Conference.

Ted Knight

The contact person for more information about the Mpact Conference.

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What they’re saying

“For more information about the conference, please contact Ted Knight at teknight@umd.edu.”

— Ted Knight (socialsciencespace.com)

What’s next

The Mpact Conference will take place from March 25-27, 2026 at the Samuel Riggs Alumni Center in College Park, Maryland.

The takeaway

This conference represents an important opportunity for researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and community organizations to come together and explore how regional partnerships and collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches can drive American competitiveness and address critical societal challenges.