▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁R TI ' s ▁staff ▁of ▁ 4 3 0 ▁was ▁re organ ized ▁into ▁four ▁research ▁groups : ▁social ▁and ▁economic ▁systems , ▁statistical ▁sciences , ▁environmental ▁sciences ▁and ▁engineering , ▁and ▁chem istry ▁and ▁life ▁sciences . ▁It ▁also ▁created ▁a ▁division ▁for ▁education ▁called ▁the ▁Center ▁for ▁Education ▁Research ▁and ▁E valu ation . ▁Four ▁years ▁later , ▁R TI ▁created ▁the ▁Office ▁for ▁International ▁Program s ▁to ▁manage ▁international ▁projects . ▁R TI ▁provided ▁fund ing ▁assistance ▁to ▁help ▁found ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁School ▁of ▁Science ▁and ▁Mathemat ics ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁Two ▁years ▁later ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁joint ▁vent ure ▁to ▁create ▁Micro elect ron ics ▁Center ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁( MC NC ), ▁a ▁non - pro fit ▁whose ▁computer ▁network ▁connected ▁local ▁K - 1 2 ▁schools . ▁ ▁Organ ization ▁R TI ▁International ▁is ▁a ▁not - for - pro fit ▁research ▁organization . ▁R TI ▁was ▁initially ▁established ▁by ▁three ▁local ▁univers ities ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁managed ▁by ▁a ▁separate ▁board ▁and ▁management ▁team . ▁R TI ' s ▁structure ▁consists ▁of ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁corpor ation , ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁govern ors ▁and ▁corpor ate ▁officers . ▁The ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁corpor ation ▁elect ▁govern ors , ▁who ▁in ▁turn ▁create ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁policies . ▁▁ ▁R TI ▁has ▁primarily ▁eight ▁practice ▁areas : ▁ ▁R TI ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁separate