Over the next decade, Under Armour and the University of Notre Dame, through a new long-term partnershipm will co-invest in research initiatives that span multiple colleges and disciplines, enabling Notre Dame’s faculty, staff, and student researchers to collaborate with Under Armour personnel to identify research questions and design solutions on and beyond the campus.
“Notre Dame and Under Armour already have a long-standing partnership focused on driving excellence on the playing field and shaping elite student-athletes,” said Jeffrey F. Rhoads, the John and Catherine Martin Family VP for Research and professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. “We are thrilled by this evolution in our relationship, which will similarly drive excellence in the research lab and shape the next generation of elite scientific, engineering and business innovators.”
A key focus of the research collaborations will be to build on the University’s expertise in materials and environmental science. This will include testing recyclable, biodegradable or low-impact fabrics and polymers; exploring the environmental impact of garment degradation; and researching polymer materials. Other initiatives will leverage Notre Dame’s student-athlete health and performance testing protocols to evaluate Under Armour prototypes in real-world settings. The cooperative testing will also enable products to be tailored to meet the exact needs of Notre Dame student-athletes as they adapt to the ongoing effects of intense training and the travel inherent in college athletics.
In addition, the partnership will explore opportunities to leverage the University’s advanced capabilities in computation and predictive modeling to enhance performance insights and product development, thereby better serving student-athletes at Notre Dame and across the nation.
“At Under Armour, innovation is hardwired into everything we do — that includes designing and manufacturing products that help athletes at the highest levels gain that extra competitive edge, and that fulfill our core commitment to thinking, acting and operating sustainably,” said Kyle Blakely, senior vice president of Innovation, Development and Testing at Under Armour. “This is a perfect partnership because it will combine Under Armour’s expertise in producing the best-performing gear and apparel on the market with Notre Dame’s world-class research in materials and environmental science. Providing athletes with performance solutions that simultaneously help protect the planet is the dream, and through this partnership we’ll be able to get even closer to making that dream a reality.”
By leveraging Under Armour’s commercial expertise in human performance and athletic product development on campus, the partnership also facilitates educational and professional advancement for undergraduate and graduate students, including research experiences, internships and employment opportunities.
The new agreement will further strengthen internal ties between Notre Dame Research and Notre Dame Athletics. Earlier this year, the two units awarded three research teams the first Humna Performance & Wellness Research Grants, which provide funding to support research projects that make meaningful contributions to fields related to human health, well-being and performance.
“We are incredibly pleased with the momentum Athletics and Research have already built together,” said John Wagle, the Pat and Jana Eilers senior associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance. “While standing on this strong internal foundation, partnering with Under Armour will add a new dimension of industry expertise that elevates our efforts to bring innovations from the lab to the playing field.”
Image courtesy Under Armour x University of Notre Dame
