WASHINGTON, D.C. - Cornell, with support from the Foundation for Prevention and Early Resolution of Conflict (PERC), plans to establish an institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations for the study of conflict resolution.

The institute, to be located on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, N.Y., is expected to open in August 1996.

"The new institute will enable Cornell University and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations to bring their commitment to public service and applied research to a new level," said Cornell University President Hunter Rawlings. Under this strategic alliance, PERC will entrust key research and instructional responsibilities to the new Cornell institute.

PERC, a non-profit institution, is dedicated to "hands-on" engagement in conflict prevention and resolution throughout contemporary society and to stimulating thoughtful public discourse on the theory and practice of dispute prevention and resolution. Theodore W. Kheel, PERC's president, has served as a mediator or arbitrator in thousands of disputes. PERC co-chairmen are Thomas Donahue, former president of the AFL-CIO, and William L. Lurie, former president of The Business Roundtable.

Kheel said that PERC would benefit immeasurably from its strategic alliance with Cornell.

"The School of Industrial and Labor Relations is exactly the school at Cornell to take the lead in establishing an institute for prevention and resolution of all types of conflicts," Kheel said. "The School of Industrial and Labor Relations has now enjoyed 50 years of intense experience coping with labor-management disputes under the procedures of the National Labor Relations Act. That law is a model statute on the techniques and procedures of conflict prevention and resolution. They can be applied with equal force to all types of disputes. Only the issues, personalities and circumstances vary."

The Cornell institute will eventually focus on all areas of conflict resolution, including those relating to commercial and real estate transactions, the environment, communities, health care, civil rights and what has come to be referred to as alternative dispute resolution. The institute will conduct research on issues related to conflict resolution, develop educational programs for various institutions interested in implementing conflict resolution programs and design courses on conflict resolution to be offered by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

David B. Lipsky, dean of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), said the institute will be an incubator for influential research on issues of interest to all parties. "Every workplace -- school, plant, office, hospital or store -- can benefit from a better understanding of conflict prevention and resolution," Lipsky said. "This institute, combined with ILR School's existing resources and the support and expertise of PERC, also will shape the discussion, study, development and application of successful conflict prevention and resolution techniques outside the workplace." The new institute brings to five the number of research centers at the ILR School devoted to examining and solving today's key workplace and labor issues.

These centers have created new alliances between ILR School faculty and corporations, unions, government agencies, law firms, associations and foundations. Research projects funded by the centers' members enable faculty and students to study theories and practices on-site. The centers also sponsor workshops and conferences to provide members with opportunities to discuss the latest findings with professionals from management, labor, government and Cornell.

Current centers and institutes at the ILR School are: " Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies. Founded in 1987 with initial support from IBM, the center identifies, explores and resolves important issues in human resource management, such as the use of computers to improve decision- making in human resource management. The center's 55 corporate sponsors include Aetna Life and Casualty, Kodak, Merck and Xerox.

" Institute of Collective Bargaining. The institute works to foster changes in the collective bargaining process that will enhance the competitiveness of the American economy.

" Institute for Labor Market Policies. Established in 1990, the center brings together Cornell faculty and federal and state policy-makers to analyze and respond to changing labor market conditions, including changes in technology and job skills.

" Smithers Institute for Alcohol-Related Workplace Studies. Created in 1986 with an endowment from the R. Brinkley Smithers family, the institute examines issues related to workplace substance abuse. The institute recently completed a study of union-based peer assistance programs in the railroad and airline industries.