Bolstering University Infrastructure for Leading Development in Research (BUILD) is a collaboration between Arkansas Tech University (ATU) and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) to improve their institutional position to engage with Arkansas’ state-wide research ecosystem. Both institutions play central roles in the rural economic development of their regional ecosystems in central and southeastern Arkansas. However, severely underfunded research and partnership offices have led to extreme inefficiencies that affect the ability to leverage external partnerships fully and have a societal impact. Through this project, these universities will grow research capacity by aligning faculty research with regional partnership opportunities; expanding existing partnerships that currently depend on individual faculty into more sustainable collaborations; building partnerships that better meet employer needs and fully leverage university capabilities; and addressing the regional brain drain due to underemployed or relocation of STEM talent. BUILD aims to create a robust research development enterprise, leading to a revitalized rural economic ecosystem, inclusive STEM workforce growth, and strengthened regional economic competitiveness. This initiative addresses the cohort’s shared strengths and challenges in building sustainable external partnerships essential for increasing research capacity. The cohort’s strengths include a strong commitment and track record of teaching and learning and being geographically situated in central and southeastern Arkansas as regionally accessible rural economic development partners. This project will address the challenges associated with limited staffing and access to professional development that support pre- and post-award services in research administration that plague emerging research institutions (ERIs) nationwide. The cohort will use gap analysis, program and project evaluation and faculty/staff shared governance to improve and implement policies and procedures to build sustainable partnerships with regional industry. This work will enhance institutional research infrastructure to secure competitive funding and conduct impactful research at both ATU and UAPB. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.