CenTiRe operates under a National Science Foundation (NSF) program called the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC). This program was set up by NSF in 1973 to strengthen university / industry collaborative research and technology transfer. There are currently around 70 I/UCRC’s in operation covering a wide range of technical and scientific research fields. CenTiRe is the I/UCRC for tires and tire-related research.
As an NSF I/UCRC, CenTiRe receives input on best practices for operating the Center that NSF has learned through many years of sponsoring the program. This allows our Center to take advantage of the experiences of other Centers, bringing the best and most appropriate into the operation of our Center.
NSF provides some administrative support funding to the Center as part of the I/UCRC program. Although this funding is not used in supporting the research work of the Center it does allow the Center to handle operating costs without tapping into the members’ funds.
NSF has several additional funding opportunities for centers like CenTiRe which help augment the funds provided by membership fees. In the past years, approximately 1 million dollars/year has been granted to CenTiRe through competitive proposals submitted by CenTiRe Directors.
Additional information can be found on the NSF I/UCRC website.
