Indianapolis (March 5, 2026) – The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) has announced the launch of the Catalyst Scholars Fund, which marks the first phase of a broader Advanced Chemistry strategy for Indiana. The strategy involves a coordinated effort to position Indiana as the national leader in the development and deployment of technologies needed to reshore and secure critical supply chains for medicines, animal health products, and agricultural inputs, which is a national security priority.
The Catalyst Scholars Fund is a five-year initiative to enable Indiana’s leading STEM higher education institutions, including its four R1 research institutions (Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University Indianapolis, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame) along with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to attract world-class research teams in Advanced Chemistry through strategic cluster and eminent scholar recruitment. The Fund will provide matching support for major equipment, laboratory infrastructure, and startup packages, strengthening the State’s ability to attract and retain top research talent with the expertise and capabilities to develop new technologies with translational potential that can be deployed to strengthen domestic supply chains.
Supported by a $69.4 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to the CICP Foundation Inc. and matching commitments from participating universities, the Catalyst Scholars Fund, spearheaded by CICP and powered by its branded initiatives, BioCrossroads and AgriNovus Indiana, will enable these Indiana higher education institutions to recruit 25 to 45 world class faculty and their teams over five years to tackle industry informed grand challenges in analytical chemistry, novel macromolecular chemistries, automation, and artificial intelligence applications in bioscience manufacturing.
Leveraging Indiana’s unique strengths, including global life sciences leaders Eli Lilly and Company, Elanco Animal Health, and Corteva and these world-class research and teaching institutions and the State’s position as the nation’s leading exporter of life science products, the initiative will accelerate new research and translation of platform technologies. Together, these tools and capabilities are relevant across human health, animal health, and plant science, serving as a compelling example of the power of Indiana’s One Health ecosystem.
“The Catalyst Scholars Fund begins to position Indiana as the go-to location for innovation and technology implementation in Advanced Chemistry manufacturing,” said Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) CEO Melina Kennedy. “CICP and its initiatives, BioCrossroads and AgriNovus, are pleased to help align these CEOs, university presidents, and ecosystem partners around a single vision: making Indiana the national hub where world-class academic researchers and industry partners come together to strengthen our nation’s most critical supply chains.”
“The Catalyst Scholars Fund builds on IU’s longstanding strengths in the life sciences and accelerates the momentum of IU LAB to rapidly translate research into innovation that fuels Indiana’s competitiveness,” said Indiana University President Pam Whitten. “As Indiana’s largest research institution with a statewide footprint, IU brings unmatched scale, depth, and capability to this effort. By joining forces with the other initiative partners and industry leaders, we are creating research clusters and recruiting talent that will help secure the nation’s medicine and food supply while opening new opportunities for Hoosiers in every corner of the state.”
“From its two Nobel Prizes in Chemistry to the recently launched One Health strategic priority, Purdue is ready to work with industry partners to develop breakthrough research and excellence at unparalleled scale in talent pipeline through four chemistry-related departments, thus securing critical supply chains onshore and positioning our state as the default destination for advanced chemistry innovation,” said Purdue University President Mung Chiang. “The Catalyst Scholars Fund and the visionary support from Lilly Endowment accelerate our efforts to build the infrastructure and recruit and retain the best faculty in advanced chemistry.”
“Throughout our history, the University of Notre Dame has been guided by its Catholic mission and our founder’s vision to be a ‘powerful means for doing good in this country,’” said Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame president. “By supporting advanced chemistry efforts that help to develop our nation’s early career workforce and to reshore manufacturing in critical areas, the Catalyst Scholars Fund reflects our ongoing commitment to harnessing discovery and collaboration, particularly in service of the most vulnerable and underserved in society. These efforts build upon our existing leadership of major initiatives in this space, including the NSF-funded Center for Bioanalytic Metrology and the Center for Computer Aided Synthesis. We look forward to working alongside our industrial and academic partners to realize the vision of Catalyze Indiana and strengthen the health and capacity of our state.”
Robert A. Coons, President, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology shared, “I hope every Rose-Hulman graduate leaves with not only knowledge, but a passion for innovation and a drive to keep discovering new ways to solve hard problems. The Catalyst Scholars Fund amplifies those instincts across Indiana’s higher education institutions, empowering faculty and students to take smart risks, push the boundaries of what’s possible in advanced chemistry, and create technologies that will secure critical supply chains and improve lives for years to come.”
Indiana is uniquely positioned to become the nation’s epicenter for advanced chemistry manufacturing, with global life sciences leaders, top-tier research universities, and a deep manufacturing base that already generates more than $43 billion annually and employs nearly 40,000 Hoosiers in advanced chemistry-related sectors. By prioritizing talent through the Catalyst Scholars Fund, Indiana is building the research depth and technical capacity required to support workforce training and supply chain infrastructure.
The program also promotes statewide collaboration through coordinated equipment sharing agreements among universities, maximizing the impact of infrastructure investments. Major analytical instruments and specialized facilities enabled through the fund will be available to researchers across institutions.
Industry partners including Eli Lilly and Company, Elanco Animal Health, and Corteva will help inform annual technology priorities and engage directly with recruited scholars through sponsored research, advisory input, and collaborative programs. This structure ensures that academic research remains aligned with the real manufacturing challenges facing companies operating in food, medicine, and advanced materials.
“Modern medicines are increasingly complex to manufacture,” said David A. Ricks, Chair and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company. “Advancing the technologies that make production more efficient and reliable is essential to keeping supply secure and ensuring access for patients. This investment deepens Lilly’s collaboration with Indiana’s leading research universities and advanced chemistry experts, and Lilly is excited to work with the researchers recruited through the Catalyst Scholars Fund to help translate innovation into impact.”
Additional Perspectives from Initiative Partners
Chuck Magro, CEO, Corteva
“Innovation in advanced chemistry and manufacturing processes is essential because as the world grows, we will need to grow more food on the same amount of land, manage our environmental footprint, and strengthen the food supply chain farmers and Hoosiers depend upon. The Catalyst Scholars Fund creates exactly the kind of industry-university partnerships we need, bringing world-class scientists together with global agriculture leaders to turn new ideas into practical tools that help farmers do what they do best – feed the world.”
Jeff Simmons, President and CEO, Elanco Animal Health
“When people find their ‘why,’ they go further than they ever imagined, and the same is true for regions and ecosystems. The Catalyst Scholars Fund gives Indiana researchers and innovators a compelling purpose: supporting the health and wellbeing of pets and increasing the availability and affordability of protein that the world is counting on. Further, we’re creating a destination for global talent that wants to make a real difference in animal health and the future of food.”
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About Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP)
The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) was formed in 1999 to bring together the chief executives of the region’s prominent corporations, foundations and universities in a strategic and collaborative effort dedicated to Indiana’s continued prosperity and growth. To advance this mission, CICP sponsors five key talent and industry sector initiatives, AgriNovus Indiana, Ascend Indiana, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana, and TechPoint, each of which addresses challenges and opportunities unique to its respective area: agbiosciences, talent and workforce development, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics, and technology. CICP Foundation, Inc. operates exclusively for the benefit of and carries out the mission of CICP by engaging and supporting its charitable activities. To learn more about the CICP, visit www.cicpindiana.com.
About BioCrossroads
BioCrossroads is a catalyst for life sciences innovation and growth in Indiana. As an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, BioCrossroads connects industry leaders, research institutions, investors, and entrepreneurs to advance breakthrough discoveries, accelerate startups, strengthen manufacturing, and develop talent. Through strategic partnerships and targeted investments, BioCrossroads has helped position Indiana as the nation’s leading state for life sciences and pharmaceutical exports. Visit www.biocrossroads.com to learn more about BioCrossroads.
About AgriNovus Indiana
AgriNovus Indiana, a branded initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), is a non-profit organization focused on advancing the agbioscience sector by connecting and convening stakeholders to deliver innovative ways to inspire and attract agbiosciences talent, companies and innovation to the state. Learn more at www.AgriNovusIndiana.com.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. While the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States on an invitational basis to support these causes, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
