Our Research Centers extend Darden's influence in critical areas advancing both thought leadership and the application of new ideas.
The Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS)
The Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) advances rigorous academic research on corporate sustainability issues by providing data, tools and networking opportunities to scholars. ARCS held its second annual research conference at Harvard Business School in May 2010. ARCS also co-sponsors with the University of Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business an annual PhD Sustainability Academy, which immerses young scholars in a multidisciplinary dialogue with leading sustainability faculty. In 2010, ARCS conducted a National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop on Data Needs for Accelerating Progress on Corporate Sustainability. Founded in 2009, ARCS is housed at the Darden School of Business. The Faculty Director is Darden Professor Michael Lenox, and the Managing Director is Darden’s Manager of Sustainability Programs Erika Herz.
Current members of ARCS include: Cornell University-Johnson School of Management, Dartmouth College-Tuck School of Business, Duke University-Nicholas School of Environment, Harvard University-Harvard Center for the Environment, Indiana University-Kelley School of Business, University of Michigan-Ross School of Business, University of Pennsylvania-Wharton School of Business, University of Virginia-Darden School of Business, University of Western Ontario-Richard Ivey School of Business and Yale University-Yale Center for Environment.
The Batten Institute
The Batten Institute is a research center dedicated to advancing knowledge about the transformative power of entrepreneurship and innovation through scholarship that has clear, practical implications for managers and for society. The institute sponsors a diverse portfolio of research projects and supports the dissemination of new ideas through books, academic articles, teaching cases, conferences and workshops. Current initiatives examine the role of entrepreneurship and innovation in four broad areas: organic growth, emerging markets, sustainability and health care.
The Behavioral Research at Darden Lab
The Behavioral Research at Darden (BRAD) Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory supporting behavioral research at Darden. Researchers affiliated with BRAD study organizational behavior, marketing, business ethics, judgment and decision-making, behavioral operations, and entrepreneurship.
Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics
Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, housed at the Darden School, is an association of chief executive officers. Its mission is to enhance ethical behavior of business leaders in the conduct of day-to-day business decision making.
The Center for Global Initiatives
The Center for Global Initiatives develops and implements educational programs and research projects that enhance both student and executive understanding of international issues, in turn enabling them to take advantage of international opportunities. The center aims to increase global awareness of Darden and of the University of Virginia by promoting interaction between Darden and the rest of the world. It achieves this goal by supporting international programs with partnership agreements with a number of business schools. In addition, the center brings overseas faculty and business leaders to the university and the state to share their experiences, knowledge and perspectives. On any given week, CGI may have a distinguished global speaker, an international food festival, faculty members consulting abroad or the dean hosting a guest from outside the United States.
The Olsson Center for Applied Ethics
The Olsson Center for Applied Ethics, one of the world’s leading sources of thinking about ethics and business, conducts research, publishes books and other resource materials and sponsors the Ruffin Lecture Series.
The Tayloe Murphy Center
The Tayloe Murphy Center forms alliances with communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia that are facing challenging economic conditions. In addition, the Tayloe Murphy Center conducts path-breaking and leadership-focused research projects that inform pressing policy and business issues central to the challenge of economic development and social progress.
UVA Darden-Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education
UVA Darden–Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education merges best practices from business and education administration to provide senior leadership of school organizations and their business and community partners with a new leadership perspective.