1. to allow the common pursuit of the highest quality multidisciplinary research based on a theme by researchers from multiple units across the campus.
2. to facilitate such multidisciplinary research so as to maximize its potential to attract external funding to fully or partially support it.

1. School Centers and Institutes (Application to OVPR is not required): When all of the main faculty in a center or institute are drawn from units within a single school, the establishment, administration, and governance of the center or institute is the responsibility of the school. Such centers and institutes will be formally known as school centers or institutes. The Trustees of IU have entrusted OVPR to maintain a list of all IU centers and institutes. Accordingly, schools should formally notify the Office of the Vice Provost for Research of the establishment of a new center or institute and provide OVPR with copies of all documentation used to establish a school center or institute. OVPR will communicate details of the new center or institute to the Bloomington Campus Centers and Institutes Committee. Following this process, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research is responsible for including information about the center or institute on the Research website (www.research.indiana.edu/centers/alphaindex.html). While an application to OVPR is not required for school centers and institutes, all schools should have formal written procedures for the establishment and review of centers and institutes.
2. IU Bloomington Research Centers and Institutes(Application - RTF, PDF - to OVPR is required) IUB research centers and institutes involve faculty from multiple schools and report to a higher level of administration within the university, not to the schools from which their faculty are drawn, although in some cases faculty might report to both. Such centers or institutes are normally expected to be financially self-sufficient after a period of establishment, typically two to three years, during which one-time seed funding may be made available from OVPR or other sources. However, financial arrangements for centers and institutes such as the allocation of indirect costs recovery and the need for continued matching funds shall be determined on a case by case basis. The establishment of such centers requires an application to OVPR.
3. IU Bloomington Infrastructure Centers and Institutes(Application - RTF, PDF - to OVPR is required) IUB infrastructure centers and institutes involve faculty from multiple schools and report to a higher level of administration within the university, not to the schools from which their faculty are drawn, although in some cases faculty may report to both. Infrastructure centers and institutes may be established around a particular facility, theme, or research service where such an administratively separate concentration is advantageous for research and education. Examples are the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, The Kinsey Institute, and the Center for Survey Research. Such centers may have a component of base funding. The establishment of such centers requires an application to OVPR.
   
   Note that in what follows, "centers and institutes" refers to both IU Bloomington Research Centers and Institutes and IU Bloomington Infrastructure Centers and Institutes, but not School Centers and Institutes.

1. Centers and institutes may be established in two ways:
   1. on the initiative of the Provost with advice from the key faculty or deans who are involved.
   2. by application to the Vice Provost for Research (VPR) who will make final recommendations to the Provost for approval.
2. In the latter case, the VPR will submit the application to the OVPR Faculty Advisory Committee who will advise the VPR. This committee shall be established by the VPR in consultation with the Provost and shall consist of a diverse group of distinguished and senior faculty. In addition, nominations will be sought from the Bloomington Faculty Council Nominations Committee.
3. Applications for the establishment of centers and institutes should address all of the following criteria, the first two of which should be addressed in detail:
   1. Centers and institutes should be multidisciplinary, involving faculty from at least two or preferably three schools.
   2. Centers and institutes should be organized around a research theme, facility or service of topicality and intellectual importance with high potential benefit for research and education at the university. A research infrastructure center or institute should be organized around a facility, theme, or the provision of research support services.
   3. Centers and institutes should have a clear mission based on the identified research theme, facility, or service.
   4. The proposed Director should be a researcher of seniority and standing, or a person with comparable qualifications, who has demonstrated administrative experience and the ability to obtain external funding.
   5. The application should nominate a principal faculty member from each participating school. Principal faculty members are usually researchers of seniority and standing or junior faculty members of outstanding potential.
   6. Centers and institutes should have the potential to attract enough external funding to be financially self-sufficient within three or preferably two years. Applications must include a three-year budget plan that identifies expected sources of internal and external funding. If self-sufficiency within two to three years is not possible, the proposal should include a rationale for why internal funding should be provided and details on the sources of internal funding available to and needed by the center or institute.
   7. The proposal should provide internal and external testimony from informed individuals and organizations to support the claims of topicality, intellectual importance, and high potential academic benefit of the center or institute as well as its potential to attract external funding.
   8. The proposal must be endorsed by appropriate deans.
4. Centers and institutes are usually established for a period of up to five years and reviewed in the fifth year. The review committee report (see Section E: Reviews of IUB Centers and Institutes) is considered by the OVPR Faculty Advisory Committee and the VPR who advises the Provost on whether the center or institute should continue for a further period of up to five years.

1. All centers and institutes should establish one or more advisory committees to provide them with advice and direction concerning their mission and goals, and any other pertinent issues deemed important by the director, OVPR, or the university.
2. The Director, who is appointed by the VPR, should consider establishing both an internal and external advisory committee. However, the VPR and Director may decide to establish a single advisory committee made up of internal and external members.
3. Each advisory committee should have a charge developed by the center or institute and approved by the VPR. This charge should describe the role the committee(s) is/are expected to play, and its meeting procedures, including frequency of meetings, identifying new members, selecting a chair, etc. Members of these committees are usually appointed for a term of two years. The Director of the center or institute can make recommendations to the VPR as to members of the advisory committees, but the VPR will make the final decision about the membership.
4. Research infrastructure centers and institutes should establish a user's committee that represents those who use their facilities or services. Feedback from this committee should be included as part of each year's planning and budget document. The internal members of the institute's or center's advisory committee can constitute the user's committee if appropriate.

1. Timing of reviews. Centers and institutes should be reviewed on a regular basis, usually every five years. Such reviews are vital to ensuring that there is a continuing need for the center or institute and for ensuring that their research, facility, or service is of the highest quality. The charge to each review committee shall be based on the two key rationales for center and institute establishment given in Section A: Rationale for Centers and Institutes. The VPR can bring this review forward or delay it if there are good grounds for doing so.
2. Appointment of review committee. Reviews should be carried out by committees of three to five researchers of distinction and seniority with acknowledged substantive and relevant expertise and experience. The VPR is responsible for appointing review committees. The Director of the center or institute is encouraged to make recommendations for membership of review committee to the VPR.
3. Composition of review committee. While the composition of the committee will vary depending on the size and mission of the center or institute under review, membership will generally include the following:
   1. One to three external members (non-IU) who have acknowledged expertise in the areas in which the center or institute works. An external member will normally be asked to chair the committee.
   2. One member of the OVPR Faculty Advisory Committee.
   3. One senior IU faculty member nominated by the BFC nominations committee.
   4. The Associate VP for Research responsible for the center or institute under review will be an ex officio member of the review committee and will serve as a facilitator of the committees work.
4. Review dossier. The Director of the center or institute under review will provide OVPR with a dossier that addresses the justification for the continued existence of the center or institute, the successes and challenges faced since the last review, the funding history and budget of the center or institute, and recommendations for the future of the center or institute. Specific details regarding the dossier will be provided by OVPR at the start of the review process. OVPR will provide the review committee with copies of the dossier.
5. Evaluation of review. The review committee report is considered by the OVPR Faculty Advisory Committee, the Dean of the academic unit where the majority in the center or institute reside, and the VPR who advises the Provost on whether the center or institute should continue for a further period of up to five years. If it is decided to close a center or institute, the VPR can extend the time period for up to two years to allow the center or institute to gradually dissolve.

Revised: April, 2009