Research Centers Establishment and Reauthorization Process
Please refer to the Centers Establishment and Reauthorization Process and Procedures at the University of Colorado Boulder for the full policy, instructions and information about establishing, reauthorizing or discontinuing a CU Boulder center may be found below.
To view a listing of CU Boulder research centers please visit the Research Centers webpage.
Email centers@colorado.edu in the Research & Innovation Office with any questions.
Proposals for new centers must include the following materials.
- Program Plan Template please submit in Microsoft Word
- Bylaws Template please submit in Microsoft Word
- Budget Template - Establishment
- Statement of support from the dean or director of the proposed center’s parent unit
- External membership agreement (e.g., with industry), if applicable
Proposals for new centers must be submitted to the dean or director of the parent unit (or their designee – typically the Associate Dean for Research) for approval. The parent unit dean or director (or their designee) will make a recommendation to the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation regarding the establishment of the proposed center. The Research & Innovation Office will ensure that all proposals for new centers are accompanied by an assessment from (1) University Counsel describing any potential legal liabilities, and (2) the Office of Budget & Fiscal Planning to ensure fiscal solvency.
The Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation will approve or deny the center proposal.
New centers will be conditionally authorized for an initial period of time (1-6 years) until the subsequent Academic Review and Planning Advisory Committee (ARPAC) review of the center’s parent unit. At the end of the initial authorization period, centers will be subject to review for reauthorization by the parent unit and the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation.
Center reauthorization requests will be evaluated, in part, on the basis of the center’s ability to:
- achieve success in fulfilling its mission,
- contribute to the missions of its parent unit and the university,
- engage faculty and students across disciplines,
- attract and generate external resources,
- provide outward facing activities
- and evolve and change over time.
Requests for reauthorization run concurrently with the parent unit’s ARPAC review process (every seven years). Parent units should conduct a mid-cycle review of each center in the time period between each reauthorization request.
Requests for reauthorization should include the following materials. Materials should be submitted in Microsoft Word using track changes mode to allow for easy identification of updates.
- Updated Program Plan (Template) submitted in Microsoft Word using track changes mode
- Updated Bylaws (Template) submitted in Microsoft Word using track changes mode
- Budget Template - Reauthorization
- Statement of support from the dean or director of the center’s parent unit
- A 1-2 page (1,000 words maximum) statement which describes:
(a) the center’s success in accomplishing its goals, supporting the missions of the parent unit and the University, and maintaining fiscal solvency,
(b) the benefit of the center’s work to the research, education and/or service programs of CU Boulder and
(c) the justice, equity, diversity or inclusion efforts your center has undertaken, is involved in and/or is planning for in the next 7 years. - External membership agreement (e.g., with industry), if applicable
The Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation will approve or deny the center reauthorization.
Centers may be discontinued at any time at the discretion of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation.
The parent unit must notify and secure approval from the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation of any decision to discontinue a center by emailing centers@colorado.edu with the proposed end date of the Center. RIO will provide an MOU for the Discontinuance in consultation with the Center Director, Department Chair (or Institute Director) and appropriate Associate Dean for Research.