The Cooling Technologies Research Center (CTRC) is a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center, and addresses pre-competitive, longer-term research and development issues in the area of high-performance heat removal from compact spaces. The agenda for the Center is set on a yearly basis with research projects identified through a ranking by all members. Regular updates on the work are made available to members through a restricted-access web page. The Center meets twice a year to review progress and choose upcoming projects. One of the distinctive features of CTRC is that the research agenda is set by the members -- each member has a strong input in the research directions adopted. Since members are from diverse industries, beneficial cross-industry interactions are common. A product-oriented focus is maintained. Equipment manufacturers are included amongst the participants, and this facilitates a translation of research ideas and prototypes into products. In addition to results from the experimental and computational research and analyses carried out by the CTRC, members are provided regular updates of work in the technical and patent literature. Graduate and undergraduate students trained in center projects are available to members for hiring.