A new chapter for innovation in North Carolina. The RTI Pilot Xcelerator was built for innovators who are ready to prove, not just pitch. As RTI President and CEO Tim Gabel shared at the grand opening, "Discovery alone is not enough. The value of science is fully realized when it's applied, adopted and brought to scale." Watch highlights from the ribbon cutting and see how the RTI Pilot Xcelerator is helping transform breakthrough technologies into real-world impact. #RPX #Innovation #ScaleUp #TechnologyCommercialization piped.video/sQOgsS7n5fo?si=ZsZx…

Asking about alcohol use is a starting point. What happens next matters. A new RTI-led study found that only 3.5% of adults reporting heavy drinking received advice from a health care provider to reduce their consumption. “Alcohol screening is an important first step, but screening alone is not enough,” says RTI’s Katherine Karriker-Jaffe. The findings highlight an opportunity to connect screening with early intervention and support. Read more:rti.org/news/alcohol-screeni…

How do we inspire the next generation of environmental scientists? Start by giving students real-world problems to investigate. New, standards-aligned lessons from RTI bring drinking water research and data into K–12 classrooms, helping students see how science can be used to understand water quality and protect public health. Created with environmental scientists, STEM education experts and classroom teachers, the lessons range from short activities to multi-day projects that build inquiry, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Thank you to Clean Water for US Kids for making these resources available! Explore the lessons: cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/c…

Sustainability leaders might not be able to predict the next chemical of concern, but they can prepare for it. Download RTI International’s latest whitepaper to learn about recurring warning signs that can help strengthen products, portfolios, and resilience. trellis.net/resource/from-ch…

Please join us in welcoming Bennet Waters as our senior vice president of growth! Bennet brings more than 25 years of experience in strategy, innovation and organizational transformation across public, private, nonprofit and academic organizations. He will lead RTI’s growth strategy across public-sector and commercial markets, connecting our expertise, partnerships and capabilities to help solve the world’s most pressing challenges. We’re excited to welcome Bennet to RTI! “Leading growth in today’s environment requires someone who has operated at scale, navigated complex markets and built high-performing teams,” said Michael Kaelin, RTI executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Bennet brings that experience, along with a strong understanding of RTI’s mission and capabilities. His ability to align vision, strategy and execution will help RTI identify opportunities and translate them into meaningful impact.” ow.ly/6IEl5102338

The best ideas rarely take shape alone. It takes great minds sharing ideas, bringing different expertise to the table, and making thoughtful bets on technologies with the potential to make a real difference. RTI is excited to join AP Ventures as an investor in Fund III and we look forward to continued collaboration in the broader innovation ecosystem. Together, we can help promising ideas move closer to real-world impact, including RTI Pilot Xcelerator clients Aether Fuels and Lydian Labs. That’s the kind of collaboration worth betting on. Learn more about Fund III: ow.ly/5YOk5101SGl

How can opioid treatment programs improve care when important patient outcomes aren’t always visible? Programs often don’t know when patients visit an emergency department or are hospitalized after beginning care. A new quality measure developed by RTI researchers helps close that gap by tracking these events within 90 days of starting care. The measure creates a way to compare outcomes across programs and better understand where additional patient support may be needed. Learn more: ow.ly/aT1X5101w5O

Our roots in North Carolina drive our commitment to helping communities across the state prepare for the future. After Hurricane Helene, RTI researchers spoke with people across eight of the hardest-hit North Carolina counties to understand a critical question: Why didn’t warnings about catastrophic flooding always translate into action? Their experiences revealed important lessons about how people perceive risk, how local context shapes decisions and how communities support one another when disaster strikes. These insights can help strengthen risk communication and preparedness across North Carolina. What we learned about flood risk perception after Hurricane Helene 👉 rti.org/insights/flood-risk-… #NorthCarolina #NCResearch #DisasterPreparedness #CommunityResilience

Every great team has an origin story. ⚡ Meet the scientists, engineers, strategists and connectors joining forces at RTI's Pilot Xcelerator to turn bold ideas into real-world impact. See how it all started → ow.ly/EAWw5101bT7 #RPX

How can connected research help us prepare for emerging viral threats? RTI will coordinate NIAID’s CREID Network, helping nine research centers share data and resources to advance understanding of emerging and re-emerging viral diseases. “The renewed CREID Network brings together experts from across disciplines to address critical questions about emerging and re-emerging viral diseases,” said Greg Sempowski, principal investigator of the CREID coordination center at RTI. Explore RTI’s role: rti.org/news/rti-coordinate-…

What does it take to ensure AI advances in ways that serve people and communities? RTI recently joined leaders from Charlotte at the TechRising Summit to explore that question and opportunities emerging on AI, workforce, and the future of talent. We’re grateful to @shareclt, @QueensUniv, @elonuniversity, and @TruistChamp for bringing community partners together. Dive deeper into RTI’s work bringing together researchers and partners to explore the opportunities and implications of #AI: ow.ly/R6Gz50ZYz0V

Guiding Innovation in North Carolina starts with questions close to home. What’s in our well water? How can flood warnings help communities act sooner? RTI experts are finding answers that help North Carolinians make informed decisions and prepare for what comes next. rti.org/northcarolina

From a compound found in a Pacific yew tree to the realities of life after diagnosis, breast cancer research has many chapters. RTI researchers have contributed to work on discovery, risk, screening and survivorship. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, swipe through the connections you might not expect. Explore RTI’s cancer research: rti.org/focus-area/cancer-re… #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #PinkOctober

More computing power. More possibilities for discovery. RTI International has joined a Southeast Regional Super-Intelligence Computing Consortium to expand researchers’ access to advanced computing infrastructure. Through public-private collaboration, the consortium aims to accelerate scientific discovery for the public good. Read more: ow.ly/FNtn50ZX8ax

The Genesis Mission is expanding its reach. Today’s White House announcement builds on the foundation established by the U.S. Department of Energy, with 11 industry partners committing a combined $2.4 billion in SI tools and compute credits to support scientific discovery across more than 15 additional federal agencies. As operator of the Genesis Mission Consortium, RTI International is proud to support collaboration among government, industry, academia, and other partners working to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, health, space, and other national priorities. Learn more 👉 ow.ly/TScK50ZW5YN

When it comes to antimicrobial resistance, the next breakthrough may not only be a new medicine. It could be a better way to deliver one. By targeting medicines directly to the lungs, inhaled therapeutics could offer new opportunities for treating respiratory infections while helping researchers rethink how existing antimicrobial therapies are used. 🫁 RTI’s Sara Maloney explores why pulmonary drug delivery is gaining momentum and the scientific considerations behind developing effective inhaled therapies. 😮‍💨 🔗 Read more 👉 ow.ly/pMFP50ZR0H7

More complex models do not automatically produce better answers. Next week, RTI scientist Erin Huber will explore how rigorous design, characterization, and appropriate biological complexity can improve confidence in in vitro results and strengthen their relevance for decision-making. Topics include: 📋 Primary human respiratory models 📋 Biological variability and technical noise 📋 Exposure realism and model design 📋 Balancing complexity, reproducibility, and interpretability The discussion focuses on a central idea, that human relevance is a design objective, not a label. Register here: ow.ly/rTWk50ZJr8q  #NAMs #InVitroToxicology #PredictiveToxicology

Innovation doesn’t happen alone. 💡 As we look back on the grand opening of the RTI Pilot Xcelerator, we’re grateful to the leaders, partners, innovators and community members who came together to celebrate this milestone and who continue to champion innovation across North Carolina. A special thank you to our guest presenters and ribbon-cutting participants: Mary Elizabeth Wilson, Chief of Staff and General Counsel for the North Carolina Department of Commerce; Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02); Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04); Penny Freer, Chairman of AP Ventures; Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, RTI Board Member; and Alessio Butti, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition in Italy. Thank you to everyone helping make North Carolina a place where bold ideas can grow, scale and make an impact. 📸 Take a look back at some of our favorite moments from the celebration. #RPX #Innovation #NorthCarolina

Can you trust the forecast? At Clean Currents 2026, RTI's Amy Volckens and Shaun Carney will put that question to the test at the Innovation Power House. Join them to step into the role of a reservoir operator, making release decisions before knowing how reliable the forecast is. Then explore RTI's interactive forecast evaluation dashboards to see how forecast skill, uncertainty, and historical performance can influence decision-making. 📍 Innovation Power House – Sustainable Development & Operations 📅 Wednesday, September 23 ⏰ 2:00-3:45 p.m. Stop by, take the challenge, and connect with Amy and Shaun to discuss how better forecasting and decision support can strengthen resilient, sustainable hydropower operations. Learn more: ow.ly/rr8C50ZOxQQ And while you're at Clean Currents, visit the rest of the RTI team at Booth #735. #CleanCurrents2026 #Hydropower

What might traditional single-exposure studies miss about the effects of vaping on the developing lung? On Tuesday, Sept. 22, RTI expert Erin Huber will present invited research at the 2026 Association for Inhalation Toxicology Annual Meeting in Madrid, Spain. Her presentation, “Repeated ENDS Exposure in Donor-Matched Adolescent Bronchial Co-Cultures: Divergent Responses and Implications for Long-Term Respiratory Health,” will highlight a new human-relevant model built entirely from primary adolescent lung cells. The study found that repeated exposures produced distinct biological responses that traditional single-exposure testing did not capture, reinforcing the importance of studying realistic patterns of use, interactions among lung cell types and differences among individual donors. Connect with Dr. Huber to learn more: rti.org/expert/erin-huber