4 min read March 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Tim Gabel, CEO of the independent nonprofit research institute RTI International, shared how the organization leverages the strength of the Research Triangle. He shared that some of RTI’s most prominent North Carolina projects lie at the intersection of antiviral drug development, clean water initiatives, and environmental justice.
What is your vision for RTI and your approach to realizing it?
While celebrating our 65th anniversary last year, we reflected on our rich history since our founding in 1958. Thus, in 2023, we focused on both honoring 65 years of great outcomes and embracing the future. From a business perspective, we’re coming off our most successful year ever in terms of research revenues. We’ve also achieved remarkable success in winning new projects, setting a positive trajectory for the future.
Additionally, our organization’s culture is a vital part of our identity. We place a strong emphasis on supporting our people and ensuring their well-being. As a global employer of choice, RTI is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace and the communities and markets where we serve our mission.
What is RTI’s international focus, including the areas of emphasis and the overall strategy for international projects?
A significant portion of our international work is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), although we also collaborate with other funders and organizations, such as foundations and the World Health Organization (WHO). As such, our priorities closely align with that of USAID, and we have seen substantial success in several key areas.
One prominent focus has been at the intersection of energy and climate, where programs like Power Africa have played a vital role. We have a substantial portfolio dedicated to improving electrification and promoting renewable energy in various African regions, marking significant growth in this sector. Another area where we have a strong presence is the food and agriculture sector, which has also witnessed substantial development. Additionally, health and education have always been core aspects of our international initiatives. This includes distributing medications for neglected tropical diseases, and we recently celebrated remarkable achievements in Laos and Bangladesh where they completely eliminated a debilitating disease known as lymphatic filariasis.
What are some of the projects you’re most excited about?
As leaders in strengthening health systems and the prevention and control of infectious diseases, we bring extensive expertise in preventing, detecting, and responding to disease outbreaks and emerging pandemic threats. For more than twenty years, we have helped clients around the world reinforce global health security through our multidisciplinary expertise in disease surveillance, public health workforce development, governance, health information systems and integration, antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, economic impact analysis and data management and analysis. One of our noteworthy projects has been our ongoing support for the COVID-19 response. As the pandemic has transitioned into a more chronic phase, the National Institutes for Health (NIH) has relied on RTI to facilitate research funding to various clinical sites, particularly focused on therapeutics and treatments.
Our collaboration with the North Carolina state government has also been productive and supportive. Currently, we are partnering on a program titled Clean Classrooms for Carolina
Kids™. This initiative involves the state of North Carolina receiving infrastructure funding and, in conjunction with RTI, working to identify and eliminate exposure to lead and asbestos in public schools and daycare centers. This program exemplifies the state’s commitment to improving children’s health in partnership with us.
How does RTI continue to utilize the strengths of the Triangle in its work?
We were founded on the vision of public and private sector leaders and university partners who wanted to keep the best and brightest minds here in the state. Opportunities for collaboration within our region abound.
A particularly noteworthy collaboration is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) project where we’re collaborating with North Carolina Central University and seven other universities across the Southeast. Through the program, Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC), we will connect under-served communities with training, assistance and funding to help them develop the skills needed to address environmental injustices in the long-term and live longer, healthier lives. Together, we’re tackling critical issues related to health disparities and environmental health challenges. This exemplifies how we leverage the expertise and resources within our region to address complex problems.
How do you foresee technology continuing to disrupt and enhance RTI´s work, given its tech-infused service portfolio?
Indeed, the ever-accelerating pace of change is something we’ve been navigating for quite some time. One trend everyone is talking about is emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), which have the potential to revolutionize how we work, presenting both opportunities and risks.
It’s imperative to approach these technologies ethically and responsibly. As an organization, our brand is built on a foundation of quality, scientific rigor, and objectivity. Some AI tools, including ChatGPT and similar models, scrape data from the internet, where information quality varies widely. Therefore, ensuring the ethical and appropriate use of these tools in alignment with scientific rigor is paramount.
To address these challenges, we’ve internally commissioned four Tiger Teams to assess various aspects of how these technologies apply to our organization, research, and client services. This proactive approach ensures we leverage these tools when appropriate and align them with our mission and client needs.
I also want to highlight the RTI Rarity™ Tool, which is a fascinating example of how we combine AI, ML, and publicly available datasets into a single health research tool. Our researchers are using advanced technology to quickly analyze large data sets in an easily accessible dashboard that would otherwise be very time intensive. Now available to the public, the dashboard illuminates the biggest social inequities in health outcomes across the U.S. at a neighborhood-level, which indicates where more resources are needed to address health disparities.
Looking ahead two to three years, what is your outlook for RTI and the Research Triangle, and how will this outlook guide your priorities during this period?
Civic leaders are making commendable efforts to address various aspects of our community, including transportation and affordable housing. Maintaining a focus on these elements is crucial. Additionally, the quality of public education is a pivotal consideration, and it’s an area where we actively work within the state of North Carolina. Our education services team is deeply involved in leadership development for school principals and superintendents, running peer coaching networks for teachers, and more.
We’ve seen a positive uptick in economic development outcomes in our region, which is encouraging and reinforces our growth. However, we must continue to emphasize our commitment to infrastructure development. We’re also prioritizing agriculture and agtech to address the evolving agricultural landscape impacted by climate change. Our engineering team has made significant progress in developing new carbon capture technology, which is aimed at removing CO2 from greenhouse gasses. We’ve patented and licensed this innovative technology, and it’s a vital part of our clean energy portfolio. My outlook on the Triangle region remains bullish.
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