The Institute for Applied Creativity was established in summer 2002 by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents to promote the study and application of creativity and innovative thinking across colleges and disciplines of Texas A&M University and throughout a network of corporate partners.

The institute's research, education and outreach initiatives focus on developing the science of creative learning and an understanding of techniques that unleash the hidden capabilities of the human mind to think creatively and provocatively.

The institute provides expertise and leadership for guiding students, the university and the state of Texas into a new era in which creativity and the production of knowledge ― the currency of the future ― are paramount. It strives to help students unlock their creative potential and become lifelong learners, thought leaders and knowledge creators who embrace possibilities, not subdue them.

The Institute for Applied Creativity is now housed in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University.