In 2013, President Obama called on companies, research universities, foundations and philanthropists to join in identifying and pursuing the grand challenges of the 21st century, with the goal of expanding knowledge, solving global problems and creating jobs of the future.

In 2014, IU took up that charge as part of the university wide Bicentennial Strategic Plan, which states, “IU will ask faculty and academic leadership to identify the grand challenges to which IU can contribute most effectively” and will “support multi-disciplinary and multi-campus teams to address those grand challenges.”

Grand challenges may be defined as problems whose scope spans institutional and disciplinary boundaries, whose solutions require new knowledge, new tools and new approaches. The Grand Challenges Strategic Initiative for all of IU is being led and administered by the IU Vice President for Research.

Grand challenges may be defined as problems whose scope spans institutional and disciplinary boundaries, whose solutions require new knowledge, new tools and new approaches. The Grand Challenges Strategic Initiative for all of IU is being led and administered by the IU Vice President for Research.