Micah Vandegrift appointed to ARL Accelerating Social Impact of Research program

Micah Vandegrift

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has named Open Knowledge Librarian Micah Vandegrift as a visiting program officer in the Accelerating the Social Impact of Research (ASIR) program for July 2021-July 2022.

As visiting program officer, Vandegrift will design and deliver a pilot experience for a cohort of eight ARL member libraries that are advancing open research practices at their institutions. The pilot ASIR program will help participants develop a strategic approach for advancing the social impact of science, aimed at building and reinforcing institutional points of influence for open research practices. This initiative is in coordination with the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Science and with the NASEM Board on Research Data and Information (BRDI).

“Micah’s commitment to increasing the global connectivity and impact of research and scholarship is evident in his professional activities, and the Libraries is invested in supporting his work to develop a network of ARL institutions committed to socially engaged research impact,” said Senior Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Greg Raschke.

As the inaugural open knowledge librarian at the Libraries, Vandegrift has drawn on his experience in scholarly communication and digital scholarship to develop programs in the context of NC State University’s strategic priorities. For example, he has run several iterations of the Open Program Engagement Network (OPEN) Incubator, a research development program that explores open principles and practices while advancing projects from an idea to a proof of concept.

The ARL Visiting Program Officer program provides opportunities for outstanding staff in ARL member libraries and archives to contribute to special projects and programs, either in whole or in part, in order to advance the agenda of the Association. Visit the ARL website for more information about the Visiting Program Officer program.