President Steven Leath was recently installed as president of Iowa State but he is already making strides toward building his legacy.

A document, released Tuesday, Sept. 25, outlined the president’s plan for encouraging interdisciplinary research at Iowa State. Three research teams will receive generous funds to carry out interdisciplinary research projects.

The idea is to increase Iowa State’s reputation for diverse research and to provide funds for projects that also encourage collaboration. The document outlines specific conditions for receiving funds, including an outline of how the funds should and should not be spent. Higher-risk research, or “proof-of-concept” projects, might receive funds between $50,000 to $100,000.

Each of the three leading teams will be selected to receive a $500,000 pursuit fund over a three-year period. According to the document, research teams require “colleagues from other academic institutions, national laboratories and industry.”

“The Office of the President will proactively invest in such faculty initiatives in order to promote a culture of interdisciplinary research, to secure new large-scale research grants and contracts and to build the university’s reputation for innovation,” according to a “Presidential Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research” document.

Tahira Hira, senior policy adviser for the Office of the President, said she expects the program to gather a lot of interest from faculty members at Iowa State.

“We just sent [the Presidential Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research] out today,” Hira said. “I think it’s a wonderful initiative; it’s the right thing to do at this time.”