Centers and Institutes at Columbia

Columbia establishes Centers and Institutes to facilitate research and educational initiatives that cross school, departmental, and disciplinary boundaries. They are essential to the University’s mission of advancing knowledge and learning at the highest level. Centers and Institutes provide opportunities to explore interdisciplinary collaborations and often benefit from partnerships with external organizations. The work of Centers and Institutes enhances Columbia strengths and expands its research horizons by drawing together faculty, scholars, fellows, and students for academic inquiry and training.

Centers are typically organized to conduct research, and vary in size and scope. At Columbia, currently the following Centers exist. 

  • University-Designated Centers are established to promote the conduct of research in a particular area and/or educational activities that cross School, departmental, and/or disciplinary boundaries. They will typically be led by at least one senior faculty member, but should engage faculty from multiple units, from within the same School or across the University. These Centers may also be involved in instruction, community outreach, or clinical services. University-designated Centers require Provostial Approval. Financial support for such centers may come from grants (processed through Sponsored Project Administration or SPA), gifts (see the Office of Alumni and Development’s Gift Policies Manual), industry funding, and/or multi-source funding.
  • School-Designated Centers typically comprise faculty and research and/or educational activities within a given School, and are initially established with some or all funding from the School. These Centers are established with the requisite approvals of a given School, and do not require Provostial approval or registration.

Institutes are interdisciplinary in character and bring together faculty and officers of research from multiple departments and/or schools to promote multidisciplinary teaching and research that revolve around a broad mission with a common theme. Institutes may house centers, and may also be involved in community outreach or clinical services. All Institutes are established by the President on the recommendation of the Provost, and they must also be approved by the University Senate. An Institute director is nominated by the President and appointed by the Trustees. (See University’s Charters and Statutes §350-§351.)

Centers and Institutes may appoint officers of research, but not officers of instruction. Officers of instruction may have appointments in Centers and Institutes, but only in addition to their primary appointments in academic units. Centers and Institutes may support and administer educational programs, but they cannot offer degree programs independently of a School. Degree programs may only be offered through one of Columbia's 17 Schools.

There are hundreds of Centers and Institutes at Columbia University. The full list of University-Designated Centers and Institutes can be found here.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs (OVPAP) oversees the review and approval of new Centers and Institutes on behalf of the Provost. An initial proposal for the Center or Institute must be submitted to OVPAP via the online Database for Agreements, Renewals, Centers and Institutes (DARCI). (If you do not know who in your unit has DARCI access, please contact OVPAP at [email protected] for assistance.)

Proposals for new Centers and Institutes will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • The scientific and programmatic potential resulting from the formation of the unit (Center or Institute) is of greater value than that which could be achieved by faculty working without the structure of a unit.
  • The unit should not duplicate activities already being performed elsewhere at the University.
  • The unit must have a clearly defined strategy for financial support (including philanthropy and/or sponsored activity).

OVPAP reviews proposals and may request further information to complete the review. OVPAP then shares the proposals with the Provost for review and approval, and additional approvals as required.

Requirements for Proposals to Establish a University-Designated Center or Institute

The review and approval process for a University-Designated Center can take anywhere from two to four weeks if all of the required documentation is provided. The approval process for a new Institute or named Center (founded in the name of a person or organization and are typically based on a gift) can take three to six months.

The approval processes for different types of University-Designated Centers and Institutes are summarized in the table below. If your proposed Center does not meet the criteria below, please follow-up with your department chair and/or School leadership on the process for establishing a School-Designated Center. All Centers and Institutes are subject to formal review three years after being established.

All centers processed through SPA only require registration with, but not formal approval by, the Office of the Provost.

Approval Process for University-Designated Center and Institute

* Establishing named Centers should be done in collaboration with the Office of Alumni Development and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs to handle academic appointments. 
** Establishing University-Designated Centers with a gift should be done in collaboration with the Office of Alumni Development. Endowment and Gift Fund Administration and Compliance 
*** Only named Centers require Trustee approval

Requisite Documentation for the Provost’s Office 

Centers funded by grants processed through SPA need only provide the award letter, as well as the grant proposal executive summary/overview. (Note: Must reflect the award amount and award length). 

All other applications for University-Designated Centers and Institutes (the "unit" hereafter) are required to provide the following documentation:

  1. Description and rationale: Provide the unit’s name, mission, objectives, and expected impact on the University from its activities. Describe how it will transcend School and/or department lines, and how it could enhance Columbia’s strengths and expand its research horizons. Include a list and brief description of the major goals for scholarship and/or educational programming, including community outreach and clinical services, as appropriate, during the unit’s first five years.
  2. Host: Indicate the School(s) that will host the unit, as appropriate.
  3. Strong letter of support: A strong letter of support from the leaders of the hosting units.
    1. Periodic assessment: Letters should include a description of how the unit will be assessed and who will be overseeing the assessment
  4. Affiliates: Provide the anticipated number of faculty, number of post-doctoral fellows/scientists/scholars or student members
    1. Leadership: Describe the process by which a Director is appointed, duration of appointment, and the individual to whom the Director will report.
    2. Administrative support: Describe how the unit will receive administrative support (e.g., department staff, center staff)
    3. Outlining faculty appointments: Provide an estimate of how many faculty will be members, and their rank and affiliation. This may also include expected researchers, post docs, and students.
    4. Membership: Give a summary of how faculty, post-docs, and students (as appropriate) can apply and be selected for membership and their duration of appointment
  5. Space: Describe the space required, and the proposed physical location of the unit.
  6. Budget: Provide a budget for the first five years, clearly indicating funding already acquired versus funding still needed. List all grant resources, philanthropic resources, or associated gifts.
    1. Named, endowed, and/or other gift-funded centers/institutes must also provide information on the donor, as well as a copy of the gift agreement.

Name changes to University-Designated Centers and Institutes require Provostial approval. Changes to a Named Center or Institute may also require Trustee approval. All changes must be processed through DARCI and contact [email protected] if further guidance is needed. All proposals for the change will be required to provide the following information:

  • A justification of the substantive change in name from School leadership
  • A description of structure and any financial changes that may occur as a result of the name change

Centers and Institutes are established for the purpose of facilitating research and educational initiatives that cut across school, departmental, and disciplinary boundaries. Given their focus on innovation and pioneering approaches, Centers and Institutes can be more short-lived than more traditional academic units, such as departments. The process for closure is described below.

When the director of a University-Designated Center or Institute and the director’s supervisor (Dean and/or Executive Vice President) determine that it is time to “sunset” the unit, they should co-sign a letter to the Provost, via the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs ([email protected]) addressing the following points:

  • Describe briefly the Center or Institute’s lifespan and major accomplishments (for creating a record of the unit’s activities in a central University repository).
  • Indicate whether the unit oversees educational efforts, and a plan for moving these programs to another unit at the University or for discontinuing the programs entirely should be provided. If there are students currently enrolled in a program to be discontinued, describe how the needs of these students will be met.
  • List any current grant funding or other sources of support that the Center or Institute regularly receives, and the plan for shifting, discontinuing, or returning the funds. The plan should specify the steps that will be taken to inform any funder(s) of the unit’s discontinuation.
  • State whether research and/or administrative staff members will be terminated as a result of the Center or Institute’s closure. Be sure to consult the appropriate Dean’s Office and Human Resources personnel regarding letters of non-renewal.
  • Describe plans for the space, as well as any major equipment or furnishings that will be made available upon the closure of the Center or Institute. 

Upon the completion of a review, the Provost will contact the relevant parties (University Senate, Trustees, etc.) as needed to finalize the closure.

Reviews of University-Designated Center or Institute 

Every five years, all University-Designed Centers and Institutes undergo a review by the leadership of their primary host school. These reviews are intended to help schools identify if the Centers and Institutes are meeting their stated missions and fiscal goals. OVPAP will coordinate with schools about such reviews. An online form to aid in the review process is available here.

University-Designated Centers funded by grants that are processed through SPA may be exempt from this review if there is SPA confirmation of continued grant funding at comparable or higher levels. 

Questions/Contact

Please direct any questions to [email protected].