Office of the Vice President for Research
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) advances Carnegie Mellon’s research enterprise, working with staff and faculty researchers across the entire university. The office develops strategic partnerships with external partners; helps build interdisciplinary teams; and connects researchers with the tools, expertise and resources they need to advance ambitious work from funding and development to innovation and impact.
Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives
AI Science Foundry
The AI Science Foundry hosts the nation’s largest collection of co-located research tools for hard materials, chemistry and biology, coupled with scalable, flexible and programmable orchestration software that can call upon these instruments in parallel or in any sequence.
Software Engineering Institute
The Software Engineering Institute conducts research for the U.S. government as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) — a nonprofit, public–private partnership. It develops and applies technologies to address issues in software engineering, cybersecurity, AI engineering and other areas of computing.
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC)
The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center makes high‑performance computing accessible to researchers, educators and students nationwide, empowering a broad and diverse research community. PSC staff also contribute to inclusive and scalable high-performance computing outreach nationwide, sharing best practices that broaden participation in computational research.
Technology Transfer & Entrepreneurship
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship
The Swartz Center provides entrepreneurship education, engagement, collaboration and opportunity for the entire Carnegie Mellon community. It helps researchers tap into CMU’s innovation ecosystem and bring innovations and promising ideas to the global marketplace.
Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation (CTTEC)
The Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation CTTEC supports the commercialization of Carnegie Mellon research and technology, including:
- Negotiating and executing technology transfer agreements
- Managing Carnegie Mellon’s patents, copyrights and other assets
- Ensuring compliance with IP-related federal regulations, reporting requirements and obligations
- Encouraging entrepreneurship among faculty and students
External Collaboration & Engagement
The OVPR works closely with critical offices across CMU that support our efforts to build and expand partnerships — and advocate for CMU’s leadership in research.
Center for Business Engagement
The Center for Business Engagement team connects industry and government partners with CMU faculty seeking external collaborations. It starts and guides the conversations that lead to sponsored research partnerships, tech transfer, capstone projects, talent recruitment and more.
Office of Government Relations
The Office of Government Relations works with legislators and their staff to influence public policy and increase awareness of the university's research and educational programs. It serves as the principal liaison and point of contact between the university and all levels of government.
Research Support Services
Sponsored Programs
Our sponsored programs team helps faculty and staff find and manage funding, providing guidance for each step of the process:
- Finding funding opportunities
- Preparing and submitting funding proposals
- Negotiating contracts
- Administering grants and subcontracts
Research Integrity & Compliance
Our research integrity and compliance team assures that research activities are planned and conducted in accordance with regulations and university policy, including assistance with:
- IRB approval for human subjects research
- Conflicts of interest
- Global export compliance
- Animal care and use
- Allegations of research misconduct