Solution Center

Abstract

The IUPUI Solution Center, a division of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, was created in 2004 through IUPUI funding and generous support from the Lilly Endowment. The Solution Center mission is to serve as IUPUI’s “Front Door” to the community to assist in the economic development of Central Indiana by connecting the university’s intellectual capital to the pressing demands of business, government, and the nonprofit sector. Drawing on the talent of IUPUI’s faculty and students, the Solution Center facilitates partnerships designed to build human capital, respond to external challenges, and retain the best and brightest baccalaureate and graduate degreed professionals in the state. The center works in concert with OVCR to coordinate meaningful research collaborations between students, faculty, community organizations, and companies. The cornerstone of the Solution Center’s work with the community is its ability to serve as a knowledgeable and informed point of contact for thousands of businesses, nonprofit, and government leaders, connecting them to the talent and expertise of IUPUI for internships, community-based research, and business assistance projects. Equally important to our success in the community is the IUPUI Venture Fund program that allows us to grant match funding to organizations in order to create and sustain meaningful, challenging, and career-relevant internships and applied projects.