Seeking Interest: the I2IDL Higher Education Council

Higher Education Council
Written By Shelly Blake-Plock

Now Soliciting Interest from Research Universities and Academic Programs

Feel free to reach out so that we can discuss how the Council might serve your interests.

Learning data infrastructure is at an inflection point.

The convergence of AI-enabled education, newly ratified international data standards, and growing demand for interoperable workforce and credentialing ecosystems has created an unprecedented opening for universities to help shape the foundational data architecture of modern learning.

The question is no longer whether learning systems will become interoperable and AI-integrated.

The question is: Who will define the infrastructure?

The I2IDL Higher Education Council is where that work begins.

A Seat at the Table Where Learning Data Infrastructure Is Being Built

The Institute for Infrastructure and Interoperable Data in Learning (I2IDL) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization advancing open source data systems for education, training, and workforce development worldwide.

We serve as a neutral steward for the open source infrastructure and conformance tooling that makes learning data interoperability possible. In practical terms, we help coordinate the ecosystem that enables lifelong learning systems to speak the same language.

I2IDL is:

  • A hub for applied R&D across government, industry, and academia

  • Recognized by the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee and Learning Engineering community

  • A signatory of Data Standards United

  • Led by President Shelly Blake-Plock and governed by a founding board with deep roots in learning technology standards, training modernization, and education R&D

Now, we are building an academic council designed specifically for research universities ready to lead in this space.

What Is the I2IDL Higher Education Council?

The Higher Education Council is an invitation-based body of research universities that:

  • Advises I2IDL’s technical and research agenda

  • Gains privileged access to the growing I2IDL ecosystem

  • Operates at the intersection of standards development and applied R&D

Council members have early visibility into government and industry trends shaping education technology, workforce modernization, and global data standards.

While membership is curated and limited to ensure meaningful collaboration and strategic alignment, we are actively soliciting interest from qualified institutions. We welcome exploratory conversations to determine mutual fit.

This is not an open enrollment association. It is a focused working council designed for institutions prepared to actively shape the infrastructure of modern learning.

What the Council Is Designed to Do

1. Influence the Global Data Ecosystem

Member institutions contribute to:

  • Research priority setting

  • Evolution of digital standards

  • Infrastructure design decisions

Early engagement means meaningful influence.

2. Open Pathways to Competitive Funding

Council membership creates structured opportunities for:

  • Curated grant and contract alerts

  • Matchmaking with government and industry collaborators

  • Joint proposals rooted in shared infrastructure

  • Participation in I2IDL’s applied R&D pipeline

As I2IDL scales its own research programs, members gain early collaboration access and opportunities to help shape funding priorities.

3. Elevate Faculty and Student Work

I2IDL amplifies academic contributions through:

  • Coordinated calls for papers

  • Placement in the I2IDL speakers bureau

  • Promotion across institute publishing and event channels

  • Recognition at I2IDL’s annual symposium and awards gala

This extends visibility beyond traditional academic conferences into government, defense, and Fortune 1000 workforce audiences.

How I2IDL Is Different from a Standards Body

I2IDL is not a standards development organization.

We deeply respect and want to foster collaboration with formal standards bodies such as IEEE, ISO, and 1EdTech, especially through our participation as a signatory to Data Standards United. Those organizations are responsible for the formal ratification and governance of technical specifications. Their role is essential.

I2IDL plays a different role in the ecosystem.

We are an independent NGO designed as a think tank and applied research hub focused on:

  • Advancing open source infrastructure that implements and operationalizes standards

  • Building conformance tooling that ensures standards work in practice

  • Conducting applied R&D that translates standards into usable, scalable systems

  • Convening cross-sector stakeholders to accelerate real-world interoperability

Where standards bodies define what the specifications are, I2IDL focuses on how they are implemented, tested, evolved, and deployed at scale.

In short:

  • Standards bodies ratify.

  • I2IDL operationalizes and provides the research evaluations and software incubation required to impact outcomes in learning, training, and human performance.

This distinction allows I2IDL to act as a neutral, cross-sector catalyst—supporting standards adoption without competing with standards governance. It also allows the Higher Education Council to engage directly in applied infrastructure research and experimentation that complements formal standards development while remaining agile and innovation-focused.

Membership Benefits

Research and Funding Opportunities

Expand institutional capacity in learning data science, interoperability, AI in education, and digital standards research. Gain structured support in pursuing cross-sector funding and collaboration.

Visibility and Recognition

Be part of a curated network of academic leaders and institutional partners. Increase institutional presence in a fast-moving, cross-sector ecosystem.

Knowledge and Community

Quarterly briefings provide:

  • Technical deep dives

  • Emerging trend analysis

  • Cross-institution dialogue

  • Access to experts in open infrastructure, AI in learning, and education analytics

Sessions convene leaders from defense, global industry, edtech, and peer research institutions.

Student and Faculty Excellence

The annual I2IDL symposium and awards gala recognizes outstanding research, innovative student projects, and emerging scholars. Member institutions receive priority nomination access and institutional visibility.

Membership Tiers

Information regarding annual fees for participation is available upon request.

Council Member

  • Quarterly briefings

  • Curated funding alerts

  • Coordinated calls for papers

  • Priority awards nominations

  • Direct participation in shaping emerging infrastructure

Strategic Member

Includes all Council benefits, plus:

  • Guaranteed placement opportunity in the I2IDL speakers bureau

  • Priority funding matchmaking

  • Featured visibility in publications and event programming

Steering Member

Includes all Strategic benefits, plus:

  • Seat on the Higher Education Council Steering Committee

  • Direct input into I2IDL’s research agenda

  • First-right partnership on curated proposals and co-hosted events

  • Recognition as a founding institutional partner

Membership Eligibility

The Council is open to accredited research universities and academic institutions with demonstrated activity or strategic interest in:

  • Learning data science, learning engineering, or learning analytics

  • Education technology research or implementation

  • Workforce development and credentialing ecosystems

  • Open data standards and interoperability

  • AI applications in education and human performance

  • Modeling, simulation, or experiential learning systems

Membership is institutional. Each participating university designates a primary representative and may include additional faculty or administrators according to tier.

Why Now

International standards are being ratified. AI is reshaping credentialing and training. Governments and employers are demanding interoperable (and explainable) learning systems.

The institutions that engage earliest will have the greatest influence over how learning data infrastructure develops globally.

This is a defining moment. Universities can either adapt to infrastructure shaped elsewhere—or help design it.

Year One Roadmap

Q2 2026

  • Founding cohort announced

  • Inaugural quarterly briefing convened

Q3 2026

  • First curated call for papers issued

  • Funding matchmaking program launches

Q4 2026

  • Inaugural I2IDL Symposium and Awards Gala

  • Speakers bureau opens

Ongoing

  • Quarterly briefings

  • Funding alerts

  • Publishing coordination

Get Involved

We are currently identifying institutions for the founding cohort of the I2IDL Higher Education Council.

If your university or research program is interested in exploring membership, we invite you to schedule an introductory conversation with institute leadership. These discussions are exploratory and designed to determine mutual alignment.

To arrange a no-commitment consultation, please contact: Shelly Blake-Plock, President of I2IDL.

Shelly Blake-Plock
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