Research Centers

Our research centers are at the forefront of innovation and academic excellence. These centers fostering collaboration among faculty, students and industry leaders. By addressing critical business challenges and exploring emerging trends, they contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the development of practical solutions that drive economic growth and societal progress. Whether it’s through groundbreaking studies in entrepreneurship and innovation, real estate, or leadership science, the Belk College of Business is committed to producing impactful research.

Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) works with students, faculty and community innovators through a variety of programs aimed at commercializing their research, elevating their ideas and incorporating entrepreneurial thinking into the campus academic experience.

CEI was recognized as a National Science Foundation I-Corps site in 2015 and received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Lab-to-Market Inclusive Innovation Visionary Award in 2021. The SBA-supported Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC) operates as part of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and serves 1000+ small businesses in the Charlotte region. 

Childress Klein Center for Real Estate

The Childress Klein Center for Real Estate (CKCRE) at UNC Charlotte was established in 2005 to further the knowledge of real estate, public policy and urban economics in the professional community through teaching, research and community outreach activities. The center administers the M.S. in Real Estate program, the real estate MBA concentration and certificate programs in real estate, finance and development.

Center for Leadership Science

The Center for Leadership Science (CLS) takes an interdisciplinary approach to researching and teaching leadership, and addresses the barriers and challenges that emerging leaders face in rising to leadership positions. Our strategic priority is to fundamentally redefine leadership and, in turn, its application across countless leader development and training programs in business and society. CLS houses and disseminates leadership research, teaching and impact to the Charlotte community via undergraduate, graduate and UNC Charlotte community outreach.