As research funding grows more competitive and interdisciplinary, building durable teams with this type of expertise is increasingly important.

Daniel Loveless. Photo courtesy of the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and EngineeringAt the Center for Reliable & Trusted Electronics, or IU CREATE — a centrally administered Center, Institute, Museum or Service Center within IU Research  — a Research Innovator Career Track has supported our early success, working to build on IU’s historic investment in microelectronics.

Research innovators are staff positions that include three criteria: being substantially externally funded; directly engaging in research or creative activity in any discipline, and/or providing a highly specialized, technical or creative service that directly supports externally sponsored research; and contributing to the public dissemination of findings, knowledge and creative endeavors.

To speak through example, IU CREATE has hired the following research innovators:

• Jack Clarke, associate research innovator, recently secured his first external funding as principal investigator. His work focuses on very large-scale digital integration design for systems-on-a-chip and field-programmable gate arrays — expertise that directly supports federally funded microelectronics research. In addition to leading sponsored work, he manages student research groups and oversees computing infrastructure critical to multiple projects.
• Isaac Hudson, assistant research innovator, contributes to IU CREATE’s radiation testing and small satellite programs. He has led hardware and software system design for a heavy-ion test at Michigan State’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, supporting efforts to optimize the performance and survivability of commercial off-the-shelf electronics.
• Hope Hunnicutt, assistant research innovator, manages and assists students with microelectronics radiation testing across IU CREATE projects. With experience in proton, heavy-ion and total-ionizing dose testing, Hunnicutt provides specialized expertise that strengthens grant-funded work and ensures continuity across research initiatives. This sustained technical leadership is essential to maintaining competitive research programs.

The Research Innovator Career Track has made it possible for IU CREATE to hire these highly skilled individuals. It provides a structured path for specialized research professionals whose work strengthens funded programs, builds long-term technical capacity and supports student training.

These roles complement faculty leadership through dedicated technical expertise embedded within research centers; meaningful participation in grant activity, including principal investigator eligibility where appropriate; long-term stewardship of research infrastructure; and active mentorship of students in applied research environments.

The IU 2030 strategic plan calls for innovation that delivers real-world impact. Meeting that challenge requires more than just ideas; strong researchers, infrastructure and technical expertise are essential to initiate and sustain growth. The Research Innovator Career Track provides critical flexibility to meet these needs by recruiting top talent with specialized experience and skills; paying market-based, competitive compensation; and providing a career path to support retention over time.

I encourage all IU faculty to learn how the Research Innovator Career Track can support your team’s research goals.

Daniel Loveless is director of IU CREATE, the Center for Reliable & Trusted Electronics, and associate professor of intelligent systems engineering at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering.