Indiana University will invest more than $250 million to advance scientific discoveries aimed at curing and treating diseases and improving human health, while cementing Indiana’s position as a global leader in biosciences.
IU President Pamela Whitten announced the funding commitments, which rival the largest investments made in these areas by the nation’s leading public and private research universities, during her annual State of the University address. The funding for two new research institutes, new faculty appointments in the life sciences, new and renovated facilities, and major education and research initiatives represents one of IU’s largest strategic investments in life sciences, human health and biotechnology.
“Indiana University’s multimillion-dollar strategic investments in the biosciences will ensure IU continues to be at the forefront of driving life-changing discoveries and advancing a robust health care and life sciences ecosystem in Indianapolis and across the Hoosier state,” Whitten said. “By establishing two major research institutes at IU Indianapolis, expanding life sciences research on our Bloomington campus, and enhancing our industry and community partnerships, we will accelerate the impact of IU research and development. We’ll also spur new businesses, high-paying jobs and dramatically better health outcomes for the people of Indiana and beyond.”
Drawing on decades of IU’s leadership in health sciences and medicine and the expertise of top-tier faculty on its core research campuses in Bloomington and Indianapolis, as well as the nation’s largest medical school, IU will launch the Convergent Bioscience and Technology Institute and the Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing. Aligned to the IU 2030 strategic plan, these Indianapolis-based institutes will drive transformative research in the areas of health, medicine, life sciences and technology, while equipping IU to nimbly address emerging disciplines.
The new institutes will be located within the new IU Science and Technology Corridor at IU Indianapolis but will foster faculty collaboration across IU. As part of the SciTech Corridor, they will advance STEM education and curriculum for Hoosiers and accelerate the transformation of IU Indianapolis into one of the nation’s leading urban public research universities.
In addition, IU will target more than $93 million of its total investments to hire and support new faculty members in the life sciences on the IU Bloomington campus, advancing the goals of the campus’s Faculty 100 initiative. These investments will also support startup packages for these new faculty hires with a track record of driving innovation, entrepreneurship and industry collaborations to address major economic and societal challenges. IU Bloomington will also fund major renovations in its research laboratory infrastructure, with a particular focus on STEM-based facilities.
Spurring Transformative Innovation
Whitten outlined IU’s current and future financial commitments — which build upon funding provided to IU by the Indiana General Assembly — targeted at attracting the best scientific minds in the nation to IU, designing and developing new teaching and research initiatives in the biosciences, and advancing collaborative activities with key local, state and national partners.
These commitments over the next several years include:
- Investing $60 million in appropriations from the state of Indiana to expand and renovate STEM research and laboratory space and interdisciplinary research facilities — serving as an anchor for the IU Science and Technology Corridor. These renovations will support the goals and aspirations of the new Convergent Bioscience and Technology Institute and the Institute for Human Health and Wellbeing at IU Indianapolis.
- Investing $47.4 million over the next five years at IU Bloomington to recruit new faculty members in fields related to biosciences, biotechnology and human health.
- Investing $46.1 million in faculty startup costs for new IU Bloomington faculty to accelerate innovative and interdisciplinary health science research, increase academic and industry partnerships, and expand federal grants and contracts.
- Completing $30 million of construction and renovation of an additional 48,000 square feet of research labs, teaching spaces and related support areas in the new medical education and research building at the IU School of Medicine. The 11-story, 326,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed in 2025.
- Funding $23.1 million in renovations to laboratory spaces and research facilities at IU Bloomington, subject to Board of Trustees approval, and providing an additional $7.5 million from IU Research to support life sciences research initiatives on the Bloomington campus.
- Allocating $10 million in state appropriations to recruit faculty to the new research institutes at IU Indianapolis and applying up to $30 million in both state and IU Research funds to support research operations and three new Indianapolis-based research consortia designed to complement the new Indianapolis-based institutes by providing expertise in AI;, machine learning; health informatics; and community- engaged research impacting health equity outcomes.
- Investing in a series of high-demand academic degree programs to complement the new research institutes at IU Indianapolis and areas of life science excellence in Bloomington and offer new opportunities for students.
Full story: IU Invests more than $250M to Strengthen Biosciences
