UCI School of Medicine Centers

The designation of “School Center” was established by the UCI Office of Research as a means of offering the flexibility for faculty, predominantly within a particular school, to create research units that suit their needs and areas of expertise. The UCI School of Medicine, with a faculty of wide-ranging and diverse expertise, encourages its faculty to form partnerships within the School of Medicine for the purpose of pursuing a research initiative that can be strengthened by the establishment of a School Center.

 

Guidelines for the Establishment of a UCI School of Medicine-based Research Center

UCI School of Medicine Centers may be established by a Dean if the following conditions exist:

  • Faculty members are predominantly from their school;
  • Title of the unit clearly implies its association with a particular school; and
  • No resources are expected from the Vice Chancellor for Research or the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.
Medical Education building

The Dean of the School of Medicine will decide on the viability of a proposal for a SOM School Center. Once the application to establish a Center has been completed by the requesting faculty, it must be submitted to the Dean’s Office of Research. Proposals will be reviewed by the Senate Committee for Research, which could ask for clarification and make their recommendation to the Dean. The Dean will make the final determination as to whether the proposed School Center will be established. If the application is successful, the Dean will submit the name of the proposed Center to the Vice Chancellor of Research for approval. (Note: The use of the word “Institute” in the title remains restricted to approved ORUs and multicampus research programs.)

The Dean of the School will be responsible for the following:

  • Establishing procedures for submitting proposals for School Centers;
  • Appointing the Director and determining the term of service;
  • Establishing terms of existence; a period of three to five years is recommended, with provisions for review by the Dean at the end of the term to reaffirm the merits of the Center and to renew its term;
  • Budget, space, and administration or administrative oversight; and
  • Any review the Dean deems necessary.

After submission by the Dean, the Vice Chancellor for Research will review the proposed names of School Centers for distinctiveness and appropriateness of the title. The Office of Research will maintain a list of the approved School Center names. Use of the word "Institute" in the title remains restricted to approved Organized Research Units (ORUs) and multicampus research programs. Proposals for designation as a School Center will not be subject to review by the Academic Senate.

School Centers may be listed on academic unit Websites and the Office of Research Website. However, only ORUs, Campus Centers, Special Research Programs, and multicampus research programs will be highlighted on the UCI Web page of research organizations and in the database maintained by the UC Office of the President.

For other Research Centers outside the School of Medicine, please review the following information from the UCI Office of Research: