Making an impact

Continuing a legacy of innovative solutions

Indiana University has a reputation as a world-class research institution—and for good reason. Faculty and student researchers collaborate to address some of the biggest challenges facing the state of Indiana, the country, and the world. The result? A community determined to make a difference.

Faculty innovation

Indiana University has a long history of life-altering research and discoveries, from pioneering the formula that led to the development of Crest toothpaste and revolutionized oral health to transforming treatment for obesity. Faculty research solves local problems, improves Indiana's economy, and helps people all over the world live better lives.

Faculty member discusses research methods with a student inside an advanced laboratory environment.

Faculty breakthroughs

Disrupting healthcare, tech industries

Professor Amar Flood is globally recognized for creating the brightest fluorescent materials in the world, known as small molecule, ionic isolation lattices. The use cases for this kind of technology, Flood explained, are endless.
Tackling diabetes and obesity

Approximately 700,000 adults in Indiana struggle with diabetes. Obesity affects about a third of adult Hoosiers. Indiana University’s Richard DiMarchi has dedicated his career to developing cutting-edge pharmaceutical treatments for both conditions.
Propelling innovation in Indiana

An agreement between Indiana University and Cook Medical will address real-world problems to propel innovation, bolster Indiana's economy, and grow the state’s workforce. IU and Cook will collaborate to apply innovations from the classroom and lab to the workplace, addressing challenges for both partners.

Supporting the innovation journey

Innovation isn't easy, and it rarely happens alone. That's why IU Bloomington intentionally creates an entrepreneurial community built on helping each other. Students receive support for every step of the innovation journey, from talking through an idea to see if it's viable to learning how to receive funding.

Student entrepreneurs benefit from founder groups and peer networks, participate in workshops and mentorship programming, and gain access to microgrants and startup support.

The entrepreneurial ecosystem at IU Bloomington helps students take their ideas and discover how to make them reality—leaving a lasting impact on the university, the state, and the world in the process.

IU Innovates

Student innovation stories

Having such a supportive culture makes it easier to navigate challenges and grow my startup more effectively.

Matt Gacek

Computer Science Major

Student research and innovation success

Students have countless opportunities to participate in real research that leads to real results. By connecting with industry partners, students also learn what companies look for in interns and full-time employees. See some of the ways students have found research and innovation success thanks to the resources and support available to them at IU Bloomington.

Student successes

Addressing microelectronics needs for a rapidly growing industry

From coding and data analysis to presenting and communicating, Huseyin Amac is gaining the skills he needs at Indiana University to land a job as an engineer in the microelectronics industry after graduation.
Student startups spotlighted at global entrepreneurship event

An international event focused on encouraging entrepreneurship across the globe recently offered Indiana University students the opportunity to showcase the university’s central role in fostering innovation in Indiana to the world.
Students make glasses that benefit community

Students at IU Bloomington carefully cut lenses and fit them into frames, transforming prescriptions into glasses that patients rely on every day. Glasses created by students are also donated to community-supported programs.