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From entrepreneurship to marketing, social impact to artificial intelligence, the research centers at Chicago Booth are creating lasting and profound impact in business, culture, and society.

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, for instance, is providing the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators with the resources they need to launch successful companies. Other centers such as the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation are tackling some of the world’s most significant social and environmental problems.

An Invaluable Asset to Our Collaborative Community

The research centers at Chicago Booth, and those with whom we partner at the University of Chicago, provide our faculty, students, alumni, and those outside of our community with a reservoir of value. Here's how:

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Supporting Faculty Research

Some of the pathbreaking research created by Booth faculty members is conducted under the auspices of our research centers, which in turn are a draw for recruiting top faculty.

Supporting Faculty Research
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Enriching the Educational Experience

At Booth, faculty members have the freedom to incorporate their research into the classes they teach. This provides our students with educational opportunities not found elsewhere.

Enriching the Educational Experience
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Keeping Alumni Connected

Through opportunities including advising startups via the Polsky Center and networking with faculty and students at a Rustandy Center event, our research centers act as a resource for alumni to remain engaged with their alma mater.

Keeping Alumni Connected
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Expanding Our Reach

Our research centers reach people outside of Booth. Policymakers and journalists, for instance, rely on the Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets for insights and thought leadership from our faculty.

Expanding Our Reach

Dynamic Centers for Research and Innovation

Developed by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UChicago, the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC) is among the top-ranked university accelerator programs in the world. The Harry L. Davis Center for Leadership is a proving ground for new ideas and approaches to leadership. Booth’s Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets supports trailblazing research and insights into international business, financial markets, and public policy. The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation is leveraging entrepreneurial thinking to tackle the world’s toughest challenges.

Find out how Booth’s research centers are helping mold the future of business and society.

A Resource for Students and Alumni

Many of our research centers provide in-depth opportunities for students and alumni to engage in scholarly work, expand their professional networks, and gain hands-on experience in their field.

  • The Healthcare Initiative’s Healthcare Analytics Laboratory teaches Booth MBA students how to apply quantitative analytical tools to improve the delivery of healthcare.
  • The Kilts Center partners with a variety of student groups to host marketing-focused events that complement the Booth curriculum.
  • Through the Rustandy Center, Booth MBA students gain hands-on experience in impact investing with the Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund.
  • The Polsky Center’s New Venture Challenge provides funding for student and alumni entrepreneurs to launch and scale new businesses.

Winning group from the NVC challenge

Catalyzing Ideas into Impact

Catalyzing Ideas into Impact

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation fuels the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators with the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to turn their ideas into successful companies, products, and services.

The Polsky Center runs the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC), which is recognized as one of the top accelerator programs in the nation along with accelerators such as Y Combinator and Techstars. Polsky has more than 60 professionals on staff and works with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors to provide guidance and support along the entrepreneurial journey.

The center manages the Svider Private Equity Program, which includes a variety of networking opportunities and experiential programs such as the Private Equity/Venture Capital Lab class and the Innovation Fund Associates program. These opportunities prepare students for a potential career in private equity and venture capital.

In recent years, the Polsky Center has helped Chicago Booth emerge as a leading university for training students on the model of entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), the process of running a search fund and seeking a company to acquire and manage. ETA resources include an annual conference, podcast series, and class at Booth, as well as additional resources for students interested in this career path.

Polsky is also home to the University of Chicago’s technology transfer office, which manages the technology and invention portfolio emerging from faculty research. Through events such as the Collaboratorium, MBA students and scientists come together to bring these nascent scientific discoveries to the market.
Learn more about the Polsky Center

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Harry L. Davis Center for Leadership

Named in honor of renowned leadership professor Harry L. Davis, Booth’s leadership research center serves as an incubator for generating new insights about leadership that impact education, practice, and discovery for future generations of students. The center helps foster Booth’s culture of curiosity and continual discovery for future generations of leaders through a deep commitment to collaboration and experimentation. The center also offers programming for alumni to learn, grow, share, and increase their impact as leaders.
Explore the Davis Center

Harry L. Davis Center for Leadership

Stories About Our Research Center Impact