Establishing a New Center

Institutes and Centers exist in order to enhance member capacity to successfully pursue research in existing and emergent topical areas. Each brings together researchers with diverse backgrounds and disciplines from multiple colleges and/or departments. Institutes and Centers provide members with various forms of support to garner external funding in a particular research area.

If you are interested in creating a new center please start by contacting the Executive Director of the Frontiers Research Institute to discuss your concept. 

The formal process for establishing a Center is outlined below. Informal research groups that do not extend beyond a Department or College or aim to receive additional IRAD do not require approval.

Proposal

A written proposal must be developed and approved in order to establish a Center. The proposal must contain the following elements:

1. Statement of Purpose - Describe the Center's purpose succinctly.
2. Mission Statement - Define the mission of the proposed Center using concise language.
3. Justification - Explain the rationale for establishing the Center and the anticipated benefits from its creation.
4. Proposed Research Development Activities - Describe planned activities to assist member development of funded research projects (i.e. proposal development, pilot research projects, etc.) as well as other research-related activities.
5. Governance Structure - Answer the following questions:
   1. Describe how the Director will be chosen, by whom, and how long their term will be.
   2. Describe the Director’s duties and responsibilities.
   3. Explain how researchers become members of your Center.
   4. Describe member rights and responsibilities.
   5. Describe how members will be included in Center governance.
   6. Describe the Center's planned activities to assist member development and management of externally-funded research awards.
6. Financial Goals and Strategic Planning - Provide a table showing projected Center five year total expenditures and revenue balance per fiscal year. In addition, describe financial and membership goals directly related to enhancing research expenditures. Provide and describe metrics if appropriate.
7. Space and Facilities Requirements - Describe existing laboratory and office facilities that will be used by the Center. Assignment of this space to the Center must be approved by the Dean and Department Chair.
8. List of Prospective Members - List all prospective members and their academic units, including their Department and College.
9. Signatures - Provide each Department Chair with prospective members in your Center with a copy of your proposal for its establishment. If they support its creation, ask them to provide their signature on the signature page document. The AVPRD will gather signatures from the Deans with prospective members after your presentation to them.
10. Appendix - Include an appendix containing curriculum vitae of all potential initial members.

Approval

Establishment of a Center has implications for the Departments and Colleges with participating researchers. Therefore, establishment of a Center requires the approval of the Executive Director of the Frontiers Research Institute and the Vice President for Research (VPR). If approved by the Executive Director and the VPR, the new center will be added to the Frontiers Research Institute.

Each Center will typically be established for a five year term. At the end of the term, the existence of the Center will terminate unless it is specifically reauthorized to continue following its review and evaluation. 

Charter

Upon approval, each Center will develop a Charter during its first year of existence. The Charter will describe the mission, proposed activities, and governance structure, and include a strategic plan describing the means of addressing the mission of the unit. The plan will specify explicit goals regarding the types of planned activities to support member external research funding and management, amount of research funds to be generated, and goals for usage of any revenues garnered by the Center. The Charter shall be approved by the Institute Director and the VPR. Once approved, the Charter must be posted on the Center's website.

Renewal Process

The Executive Director will will schedule a meeting to be held with the VPR to consider the request for renewal.