Centers and Institutes Connecting with the Environment

Center for Agriculture -Administers and distributes federal experiment station funds and monitors research-related activities in applied management, plant and animal systems, and the environment.

Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA)-CASA seeks to revolutionize the way we observe, understand, and predict hazardous weather by creating distributed collaborative adaptive sensing networks that sample the atmosphere where and when end user needs are greatest.

Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy -Provides technological and economic solutions to environmental problems resulting from energy production, industrial, manufacturing, and commercial activities, and land use practices.

Center for Fueling the Future -Carries out research that addresses several fundamental aspects of proton transport, the molecular level process that underlies the functioning of a central component of fuel cells.

Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing -Conducts to leading research in nanotechnology and to foster the development of new advances from laboratory innovation to manufacturable components and devices.

Center for Public Policy and Administration -Conducts research and analysis in a broad range of policy areas including environmental policy.

Center for Rural Massachusetts -Strives to employ the most advanced tools and techniques to local planning, rural and small town development.

Center for UMass-Industry Research on Polymers -A National Science Foundation established Industry / University Cooperative Research Center (NSF-I/UCRC) since 1980 that develops collaborations between university researchers and industrial and government partners in polymer science and engineering.

Climate System Research Center -Focuses on climate system, climate variability and global change issues, including the causes and consequences climate variations.

Environmental Biotechnology Center -Geobacter species are of interest because of their novel electron transfer capabilities, impact on the natural environment and their application to the bioremediation of contaminated environments as well as their ability to harvest electricity from waste organic matter and renewable biomass.

The Environmental Institute- The Environmental Institute (TEI) provides a central coordinating structure reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement to encourage and support collaborations across colleges and disciplines in environmental research and education. Core participating Colleges include Natural Resources and the Environment, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Public Health Sciences.

Institute for Cellular Engineering -Exploits the synergistic interface between engineering and the life sciences to enable novel graduate training in areas of cellular form, function, and processing.

Institute for Global Health- The University of Massachusetts Amherst Institute for Global Health (IGH) is committed to protecting and promoting the health of people throughout the world, especially those living in developing nations.

MassNanoTech -Coordinates research on nanoscale materials, devices and systems, collaborates with industry, advances nanotechnology commercialization, educates students, and fosters outreach activities.

Massachusetts Center for Renewable Energy and Science Technology (MassCREST) -Brings together complementary expertise in molcular design and synthesis, physical characterizations, device fabrication, and theoretical modeling from at least five different departments within UMass Amherst.

Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center -The Center supports research, education, and outreach on water resources issues of state, regional, and national importance as one of 54 centers nationwide belonging to the National Institutes for Water Resources.

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center - Conducts research in interdisciplinary and fundamental polymer research.

Northeast Center for Urban and Community Forestry - facilitates and supports new and existing research, and coordinates the exchange of information among the states in the region in order to contribute to healthy and sustainable communities.

Northeast Regional Environmental Public Health Center -Provides education and training, conducts research, and focuses on the analysis, assessment, and remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater and the biological effects of low levels of exposure.

Office of the Massachusetts State Geologist -Conducts research on the land, mineral, and water resources of the state; coordinates and facilitates research and communication among agencies, researchers, and stakeholders; collects, analyzes, and preserves data pertaining to the geological environment; and disseminates maps, databases, reports and other publications.
 
Political Economy Research Institute -Conducts research and policy advising related to the environment through its globalization, peacekeeping and the environment program.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Educational Institute -Considers how it might be possible for Western Massachusetts teachers to take science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, courses at the University.

Transportation Center -Conducts interdisciplinary research to find innovative, applied, and long term solutions to transportation problems.

UMass Extension Natural Resources Conservation -Provides educational programs and materials statewide to help inform citizens and promote the preservation of natural resources and systems.