The Cornell Institute of Biotechnology is part of the Research Division. It receives investment from the Provost, administered through the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, and by the Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR)

The Institute of Biotechnology is composed of two centers: the BRC (Biotechnology Resource Center) and the CAT (Center for Advanced Technology).

• The BRC provides resources and services to the whole university, including the Cornell University campuses in Ithaca, Geneva, Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and Doha, Qatar. The BRC is composed of several core facilities. Each facility has a director who supervises the facility, and a Facility Advisory Board that provides feedback on current operations and future directions of the core facilities.
• The CAT's mission is to encourage greater collaboration between private industry and universities in the development and application of new technologies. The CAT supports part of the operations of the Center for Life Science Ventures.