What We Do

GRI’s mission is to accelerate research at W&M from ideas to impact.

How We Do This

We create a community based on creativity and innovation.
We assemble student-faculty research teams and give them the tools to build something that lasts.
We empower students to take risks and develop skills through real work.
We take research to the people who can use it to change policies, solve problems, and improve lives.

Good ideas can come from anyone.

We don't filter by experience, discipline, or seniority. We look for ideas with potential and people with commitment. We trust students with real responsibility and expect them to rise to it.
We take work and community seriously.

Rigor and warmth aren't mutually exclusive. When we’re not briefing policymakers or running field experiments, you’ll find us grilling out on the patio at Gates Hall.
Success means letting go.

We nurture ideas, help them grow, and celebrate when they find permanent homes beyond GRI. Our influence is measured not by what we keep, but by what flourishes after it leaves.
Don’t admire the problem—solve it.

GRI is a community of doers who find joy in pushing through barriers that keep good work from happening.
The default answer is "why not?”

We'd rather try something and learn than protect ourselves from failure. A culture of permission—fueled by trust and creativity—is how new things get built.