The ‘Why’ Axis
Jeff Rhoads, the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research at Notre Dame, resonates with the mission at the heart of the University’s work.

Jeff Rhoads, the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research at Notre Dame, resonates with the mission at the heart of the University’s work.
Latest Research
- Notre Dame Research accepting applications for fall internal research grantsThe application window is now open for the Research and Scholarship Program (RSP) – Regular Grant (RG). This grant program aims to support Notre Dame faculty researchers and programs that advance the University’s research enterprise, scholarly output, and creative endeavors through a competitive funding…
- Francis and Kathleen Rooney make transformative gift for Notre Dame institute focused on democracy research and educationFrancis and Kathleen Rooney of Washington, D.C., and Naples, Florida, have made a gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow an institute in the College of Arts & Letters committed to the preservation of American democracy through research, teaching and public engagement. The Rooney Democracy Institute, formerly known as the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy, aims to advance Notre Dame’s role as a national and global leader in democracy scholarship and as a convener of bipartisan conversations about the future of democracy.
- Shaping Innovation within the Notre Dame Ecosystem: An Alumni Spotlight with Ben Hoggan ‘15Meet Ben Hoggan, an ESTEEM alumnus from the Class of 2015. Before ESTEEM, Ben received a bachelor's degree in physics from Utah Valley University. From first hearing about ESTEEM after receiving a free application code when he took the GRE, to working at the University of Notre Dame for over seven…
- Researchers deconstruct chikungunya outbreaks to improve prediction and vaccine developmentThe symptoms come on quickly — acute fever, followed by debilitating joint pain that can last for months. Though rarely fatal, the chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne illness, can be particularly severe for high-risk individuals, including newborns and older adults. While the virus is common…
- Entrepreneurship in Action: Mapping Indianapolis's Startup Ecosystem with ESTEEMESTEEM Class of 2026 - Trip to Indy The ESTEEM Class of 2026, accompanied by several faculty members,…
- Notre Dame to Award 2026 Evangelium Vitae Medal to Wm. David Solomon, Founding Director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and CultureThe de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame is proud to announce that the late Wm. David Solomon, associate professor of philosophy emeritus and founding director of the Center, has been named the recipient of the fifteenth annual Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal, the nation’s most important award for heroes of the pro-life movement. The medal will be presented to Professor Solomon’s family at a special Mass and dinner on Friday, May 1, 2026, at the University of Notre Dame.