IUPUI is Indiana's premier urban research university. The campus enrolls more than 30,000 students in 21 schools and academic units.
Investing in the future of research
In January, 2007, IUPUI Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties Uday Sukhatme announced the proposals to be funded under the Signature Center initiative.
“This initiative is intended to take IUPUI’s research effort to a much higher level by helping to create a significant number of Signature Centers which will stand out like skyscrapers over the surrounding landscape,” Sukhatme said.
Such structures need support and the Signature Center initiative is designed to provide each selected center initial funding for a period of three years, equally shared between the central administration and the academic units.
A Signature Center is a research unit distinctly identifiable with IUPUI. In addition to representing an area of research strength, the center will usually build on some ongoing activities and have many of the following attributes:
- Signature centers will often be interdisciplinary in character. They should have the capacity to attract significant external funding appropriate to the disciplines involved, including federal grants and foundation support. The centers need to bring academic distinction to the campus. After an initial period of campus-based seed funding, they should become largely self-sufficient in a 3 to 5 year time frame.
- The work of the center should have something unique and distinctive, which makes it stand out. It should not focus on an area commonly studied at many other universities, although collaborations with other institutions could be a desirable feature.
- The center should engage in work which takes advantage of the urban location in Indianapolis and establish partnerships with local community and cultural organizations.
» Signature Centers Funded 2006-2007
» Signature Centers Funded 2007-2008
IUPUI Signature Center Directors [pdf]
