Board of Trustees Approves IU Inc., a New Nonprofit to Accelerate Research, Advance IU 2030
The Indiana University Board of Trustees has authorized the university to form IU Inc., a nonprofit organization designed to expand and enhance IU partnerships with industry, start-ups and government agencies, with the goal of more rapidly transforming discovery into real-world impact for Indiana and the world.
IU Inc. will catalyze innovation and new economic activity by driving stronger collaboration between IU’s research enterprise, entrepreneurs and other potential partners, while creating new opportunities for students and faculty to advance transformational research.
As the front door for partners seeking to connect to the university’s more than $1 billion research enterprise, IU Inc. will further accelerate IU’s role in driving start-up activity and business attraction. The organization will also enhance IU’s ability to compete for large-scale, multi-organization research projects, including public-private partnerships and consortium-led federal grants, in high-demand fields such as biosciences, microelectronics, artificial intelligence and national security. Through revenue-generating ventures, IU Inc. will also drive reinvestment in the university’s academic and research mission.
“IU Inc. represents a major evolution in the way Indiana University brings innovation to the world while remaining grounded in our academic and research mission,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “IU Inc. will strengthen our ability to move at the speed of industry to bring new ideas to market and into communities, expand opportunities for our faculty and students, and advance IU’s role as a driver of innovation and economic growth for Indiana and beyond.”
Following the IU Board of Trustees’ authorization, IU will file articles of incorporation to formally establish IU Inc. as a 501(c)(3) supporting nonprofit with three subsidiary limited liability corporations: IU LAB LLC, IU ARC LLC and IU Realty LLC. All IU Inc. activities will uphold the university’s commitment to protecting academic freedom. IU expects the organization will begin operations later this year.
Learn more about IU Inc.
Learn more about IU’s investments in the biosciences
IU Adopts Chicago Principles, Affirming University’s Commitment to Free Expression, Academic Freedom
The Indiana University Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Feb. 20 to adopt the Chicago Principles, affirming Indiana University’s enduring commitment to free expression, academic freedom and institutional neutrality across its nine campuses.
Originally articulated by the University of Chicago’s Committee on Freedom of Expression, the Chicago Principles provide a widely recognized statement of values that underscore the role of universities as places where ideas may be freely examined, debated and challenged in the pursuit of knowledge. With this action, Indiana University adopts the principles as a foundational expression of its academic mission.
“For generations, Indiana University has been guided by a deep commitment to academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas,” Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said. “Adopting the Chicago Principles reflects and reinforces those values, strengthening an environment in which students learn through open inquiry and develop as thoughtful, engaged members of society.”
As a next step, the University Faculty Council and the Academic Leadership Council will establish a joint implementation task force to design and coordinate efforts to educate the university community about the Chicago Principles.
Learn more about the Chicago Principles
Learn more about the University Faculty Council-led review
Learn more about IU’s adoption of the Chicago Principles
State Update
The tenth and final week of the short session marked the third reading deadlines for Senate bills in the House and House bills in the Senate. This week has seen a flurry of activity as both chambers work to finalize language in remaining bills through the conference committee process. If all goes to plan, the legislative session plans to adjourn “sine die” later today, two weeks early (accounting for the two weeks the General Assembly met in December 2025). By state statute, the short session must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on March 14th.
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Federal Update
This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional and Executive Branch activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
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Economic Engagement Update
IU School of Medicine’s 2025 NIH funding ranked No. 15 among public universities
The National Institutes of Health invested more than $230 million into Indiana University School of Medicine research in fiscal year 2025, fueling the determined pursuit of new treatments, therapies and cures for diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. IU finished the year as the 15th highest-funded public medical school in the country.
According to data from a report by United for Medical Research, every $1 million in NIH funding awarded to Indiana researchers in 2024 created nearly 10 jobs. This income and other associated expenses generated $2.69 million in economic activity in the state. Estimating for 2025 based on that data, the IU School of Medicine's 2025 NIH funding is responsible for creating about 2,287 jobs and an estimated $627 million in annual economic activity in Indiana — more than half of the estimated total $1.09 billion in economic activity generated in Indiana from all NIH funding in the state.
Learn more about IU School of Medicine’s 2025 NIH funding rankings
IU Angel Network Invests in Alumni-Founded Collegiate Clothing Company
The IU Angel Network, an investment vehicle of IU Ventures, today announced a follow-on investment in Homefield, the Indianapolis-based collegiate apparel brand founded by Indiana University alumnus Connor Hitchcock. The investment supports Homefield’s continued growth as it scales premium, officially licensed, vintage-inspired apparel while remaining deeply rooted in the IU community and the fan culture that helped shape the brand from its earliest days.
In 2026, the Hoosiers’ national championship victory capped a season that redefined what was possible for the program–and for the broader IU community that has believed in it through decades of near-misses and heartbreak. For one diehard Hoosier, that moment was especially full circle.
More than a decade earlier, during the infamous 2015 Pinstripe Bowl, an unreviewable field-goal call ended IU’s season in frustration. While the Hoosiers came up short on the scoreboard that day, then-student Connor Hitchcock found inspiration in the disappointment. From his basement, he turned a missed opportunity into momentum, creating a tongue-in-cheek T-shirt declaring, “The kick was good.” “That moment was the spark that introduced us to IU Licensing, and the rest is history,” Hitchcock said. The design resonated immediately, selling hundreds of units and proving that Hoosier fans don’t just endure the lows–they turn them into identity.
That same spirit led Hitchcock and his wife, Christa, to launch Homefield in 2018. By 2022, Homefield had built meaningful momentum with its premium, officially licensed, vintage-inspired collegiate apparel–prompting the IU Angel Network to invest. “There’s no Homefield without IU–from the athletic programs to the education I received in Bloomington,” said Hitchcock. “The continued support from the Hoosier community, including the IU Angel Network, has meant everything to us.”
Learn more about IU Angel Network’s investment in Homefield
Learn more about IU Ventures
Board approves new leadership degree to strengthen Indiana’s workforce
During its Feb. 20 meeting, the Indiana University Board of Trustees approved the new Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Systems degree launching at IU Indianapolis in fall 2026. The move marks the latest in a series of expansions for the Community and Organizational Leadership Studies program at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
This master’s degree prepares managers and leaders of tomorrow to advance in their careers by developing high-demand skills for success across the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including systems-level thinking, project management, organizational communication and leveraging artificial intelligence to address complex issues.
The flexible program was designed with working professionals, caregivers, veterans and returning students in mind, offering both online and on-campus options. Students can also earn credit for prior learning, helping them advance their careers without putting their lives on hold.
Learn more about the new MS in Leadership and Organizational Systems degree
IU in the News
IU Indianapolis’ seamless admissions initiative now includes 31 high schools in central Indiana
Indiana University Indianapolis continues to expand access to higher education and develop talent pipelines through its seamless admissions initiative, which is now partnering with 31 high schools across central Indiana. Since its initial pilot with four Indianapolis Public Schools district-managed high schools in 2023, the seamless admissions initiative has steadily expanded to include the IPS Innovation Network, Marion County township districts and now neighboring districts. Nearly 3,500 students across participating schools now qualify for seamless admissions for fall 2026.
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IU Bloomington to Invest $15.7 Million in Major Upgrades for Musical Arts Center
Indiana University will launch a nearly $16 million modernization of the Jacobs School of Music’s Musical Arts Center — one of the most iconic and technically complex performance venues in the nation — to ensure it continues to serve as a premier cultural and educational asset for Indiana. Known as the MAC, the Musical Arts Center has long been a centerpiece of the Jacobs School’s world-renowned programs, which draw students, performers and audiences from across Indiana and around the world.
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Hamilton Lugar to honor Governor David Beasley’s leadership in food security
The IU Bloomington Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies will honor one of the world’s leading champions of global food security when it presents the Morris Humanitarian Award to Governor David Beasley on Tuesday, March 3. Beasley, the former executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), led the organization when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger and prevent the use of food as a weapon of war.
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