The Indiana University Council for Regional Engagement and Economic Development, or CREED, impacted businesspeople, university students and other community members around the state in 2018 thanks to a record amount of funding awarded to engagement projects.
CREED has overseen the Regional Economic Development Fund since it was established in 2011. In the 2018 calendar year, CREED approved almost $25,000 in RED Fund awards to 11 projects developed by campus leadership:
- “Creating Entrepreneurial Experiences (CEO) Program” at IU Kokomo, $1,500.
- “Indianapolis Sustainability Summit” at IUPUI, $2,500.
- “Innovation Policy Workshop: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine” at IUPUI, $2,500.
- “Indianapolis Youth Empowerment Summit” at IUPUI, $2,500.
- “Intellectual Property Commercialization Summit” at IU Fort Wayne, $2,500.
- “Developing NWIBCI: A Business Confidence Index for Northwest Indiana” at IU Northwest, $2,500.
- “Together We’ll Grow: Enhancing College and Career Readiness for Southern Indiana p-12 Students” at IU Southeast, $2,500.
- “Columbus Conversations” at IUPUC, $2,500.
- “Lead by Design: An Inspirational Initiative” at IUPUC, $2,300.
- “The Summit Student/Alumni Event” at IU Southeast, $1,800.
- “SOURCE Pitch Fests and Open House” at IUPUI, $1,850.
CREED representatives from IU’s campuses and regional academic centers submit proposals for RED Fund grants, which are typically capped at an upper limit of $2,500. Proposals that qualify for RED Fund grants are reviewed by all CREED representatives for final approval. Since 2011, the fund has awarded more than $95,000 total in 48 awards.
“Through the grant funds it awards, the RED Fund enables campus organizations to undertake key initiatives directly supporting economic development that they might not have the capacity or resources to do so otherwise,” said David Gard, CREED vice chair and Indiana University’s assistant vice president for economic engagement. “The record levels achieved in 2018 by the RED Fund serves as testament to the vital role CREED plays in expanding IU’s economic reach and impact across all of Indiana’s regions.”
