Centers and Institutes

UMass was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to establish and lead ARROW. A collaboration with approximately 40 partners, including Johns Hopkins and Morgan State University in Maryland, the center's goal is to make sure equitable and reliable access to wind energy is available across the nation. That includes prioritizing the work that goes into educating the workforce.

CAFE links UMass Amherst to important business, policy, and public interest work happening in the state. The center is based in the College of Natural Sciences but works with the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the College of Engineering as well. 

CAFE includes the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, the UMass Cranberry Station, the UMass Extension, and the Water Resources Research Center.

CBIKS is centered at UMass Amherst, but it connects the university to Indigenous community partners across the United States and the world. The center is working to braid Indigenous and Western science research, education, and practice to work toward solutions in climate adaptation, food security, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

The intersection between technology and social issues is complex, and it has never been more important. The Center for Smart and Sustainable Society through the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences has research areas like mobile health sensing, smart infrastructure and energy, and IoT data privacy and analytics to help us plan for a better future.

The UMass Clean Energy Extension is one way the university fulfills its historic mission as a land-grant college by supporting and promoting clean energy projects across the state.

The extension works with cities and towns, businesses, institutions, farms, and others, and it supports research activities across the UMass system to advance technical, economic, and policy solutions in the area of clean energy. 

This program through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is providing funding to assist in "the deployment and commercialization of emerging climate technologies." Start-ups in the program will receive access to experts, service advisors, partners, and more.

The Energy Transition Institute works under the idea that the transition to clean energy across the U.S. can contribute positively to the prosperity of communities. 

To help make sure this transition is sustainable and equitable, the institute engages stakeholders with research at UMass Amherst focusing on both technological and human systems. 

The Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (CEERE) merged with ETI in 2024 after 27 years in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. 

Established in 1944, the Waugh Arboretum is a collection of trees on campus at UMass Amherst. The arboretum supports learning and research opportunities while making the campus more beautiful.

You can virtually tour the arboretum using the Campus Tree Storymap.

GMS is UMass Amherst's connection to the ocean ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine and provides the university with an opportunity to be a part of hands-on ecological and economic research into the impact of climate change, the sustainability of local fisheries, and much more. 

NE CASC is part of an expansive network of climate research centers. The center's work is all about collecting scientific information and building the tools we need to help fish, wildlife, water, land, and people adapt to the impacts of climate change.

PCAR works to improve our ability to translate atmospheric research into better hazardous weather prediction and other information systems. 

The Sustainable Economics and Policy Lab in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is focused on helping to create sustainable economic policy through research. They've collaborated with organizations locally, nationally, and even internationally—from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to the United Nations Environment Programme and beyond. 

WET, a core facility at UMass Amherst, provides researchers, entrepreneurs, and established companies a place to test new technology in water treatment and purification. The center has been doing this work since 1972. 

WEC has a long history of providing outstanding educational programs in wind energy. The center has a collaborative vision and approach, allowing it to stand as one of the national leaders in the area.