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Centers and Institutes

Our Centers and Institutes

These unique organizations work on incredibly broad topics to drive important scholarship and research that advances their fields. Take a look at the centers and institutes behind this important work.

Centers and Institutes Categories

Use these links to view centers and institutes in each category.

NC State Centers and Institutes

Advanced Self Powered Systems of Sensors and Technologies Center (ASSIST)

Director: Veena Misra, Alper Bozkurt

The mission of ASSIST is to transform health informatics, electronics, and biomedical engineering; to develop nanotechnologies for energy harvesting, battery-free energy storage, and ultra-low-power computation/communication; to integrate low power physiological and environmental nanosensors using biocompatible materials; to empower personal environmental and health monitoring.

Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center (APWMC)

Director: Todd See

The Animal & Poultry Waste Management Center (APWMC) provides infrastructure, programs, and assistance for innovative basic and applied approaches to animal waste management with emphasis on development of knowledge and waste management options contributing toward the enhancement of North Carolina's and the nation's animal production industries, as well as to the improvement of the environment and quality of life for all citizens.

Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research (BELK)

Director: Audrey Jaeger

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research brings together executive leadership development and actionable research to increase student success in community colleges. Its commitment is to develop the next generation of community college leaders in North Carolina and the nation who are committed to improving student success. Center will answer critical problems of practice that support leaders in making better decisions that improve student success.

Bioinformatics Research Center (BRC)

Director: Fred Wright

The mission of Bioinformatics Research Center (BRC) is to develop and implement methods for the management and interpretation of genomic data, with an emphasis on agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine.

Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL)

Director: Ola Lars Harrysson

The goals of the Center are to provide comprehensive research capabilities in additive manufacturing spanning polymers, metals and ceramics as well as the finishing of these components. In addition, the Center will study the distributed supply chain that will be inherent in these distributed networks of manufacturers.

Center for Educational Informatics (CEI)

Director: James Lester

The mission of the North Carolina State University Center for Educational Informatics is to lead national efforts to design, develop, and deploy next-generation adaptive learning systems for K-12 education, post-secondary education, and training.

Center for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy (CEnREP)

Director: Spencer Banzhaf

The mission of the Center for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy (CEnREP) is to link economics to science, agriculture and technology to improve public understanding and enhance public and private management of environmental resources.

Center for Family And Community Engagement (CFACE)

Director: Lorraine Taylor

The Center For Family And Community Engagement (CFACE) is dedicated to advancing safe, healthy, and productive families and communities. It promotes strategies that widen the circle of supports around families and communities. This is accomplished through emphasizing family leadership, community partnerships, cultural safety, and inclusive planning.

Center for Geospatial Analytics (CGA)

Director: Ross Meentemeyer

The mission of the Center is to promote graduate education and research in geospatial science and technology.

Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE)

Director: Sue Fenton

The mission of the CHHE is to understand how human health, at both the individual and population level, is impacted by environmental factors and to use this knowledge to prevent and/or reduce the adverse impacts of environmental factors on human health through integrative communication and research strategies.

Center for Integrated Fungal Research (CIFR)

Director: Ignazio Carbone

Center for Integrated Fungal Research (CIFR) provides leadership in research and educational objectives in the field of fungal parasitism and mycotoxins aimed to achieve significant breakthroughs in fungal research that will impact human welfare worldwide.

Center for Integrated Pest Management (CIPM)

Director: Danesha Carley

Center for Integrated Pest Management (CIPM) serves a lead role in technology development, program implementation, training, and public awareness for IPM at the state, regional, and national level.

Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST)

Director: David Eggleston

The principal mission of the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) is to discover innovative solutions to questions and problems in marine systems and provide effective communication of these discoveries, by promoting multidisciplinary studies among research scientists, educators and extension specialists from the participating NC State University colleges, enhancing interaction with other educational institutions and agencies concerned with marine sciences and coastal natural resources, and providing a focal point for citizen contact with NC State University's marine science and extension faculty.

Center for Nuclear Energy Facilities and Structures (CNEFS)

Director: Abhinav Gupta

The mission of the Center for Nuclear Energy Facilities and Structures (CNEFS) is to perform research on innovative but rigorous solutions to problems in nuclear power plants and to transfer this technology to the industry.

Center for Research in Scientific Computation (CRSC)

Director: Hien Tran

The Center for Research in Scientific Computation (CRSC) is a formally recognized, multidisciplinary center administered by North Carolina State University. Its purpose is to foster research in scientific computing and provide a focal point for research in computational science, engineering and applied mathematics.

Center for Research on Textile Protection and Comfort (TPACC)

Director: Roger Barker

The Center for Research on Textile Protection and Comfort (TPACC) provides faculty and students with a coordinated environment where interdisciplinary problems related to textile comfort and protection performance can be studied and solved.

Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education (CENTERE)

Director: James Kerns, Susana Milla-Lewis

Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education (CENTERE) promotes research on the turfgrass systems and works on creating a multidisciplinary research 'culture' that develops new, environmentally sustainable management strategies. Emphasis is on basic research to resolve underlying processes that can lead to long-term solutions.

Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture, The (CERSA)

Director: Danesha Carley

Mission: Catalyze innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange in regulatory science to advance safe, resilient, and sustainable food systems. Vision: Transforming agriculture through science-based regulation

  • Administrative Unit: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Charter Not Available
  • Org Chart Not Available

Comparative Medicine Institute (CMI)

Director: Jorge Piedrahita

The mission of the Comparative Medicine Institute(CMI)is to enhance collaborative, translational, interdisciplinary approaches for the comparative study of animal/human diseases.

Ergonomics Center of North Carolina (The) (TECNC)

Director: Julia Abate

The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina (TECNC)is a Public Service Membership Center specifically authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly and established in October 1994 with the original name North Carolina Ergonomics Resource Center through a partnership between North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), Division of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHNC) to assist employees and employers in the prevention of occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the optimization of human-machine work systems design from safety and performance perspectives.

Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Systems Center (The) (FREEDM)

Director: Iqbal Husain

The Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Systems Center (FREEDM) partners with universities, industry, and national laboratories in 28 states and nine countries to develop technology to revolutionize the nation's power grid and speed renewable electric-energy technologies into every home and business.

General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center (SLC)

Director: Debbie Acker

The mission of the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center is to inspire, educate, and develop values-based leaders committed to personal integrity, professional ethics, and selfless service.

Genetic Engineering and Society Center (GES)

Director: Jennifer Kuzma

The GES Center serves as a key regional, national and international hub of interdisciplinary analyses and inclusive dialogue surrounding emerging technologies and society. It takes the lead in using in-depth research and dialogue-based approaches to provide public with rigorous, trustworthy analyses of how products of GE technologies may impact society and the environment.

Golden Leaf Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC)

Director: Gary Gilleskie

The mission of Golden Leaf Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) is to fuel prosperity by positioning North Carolina as a global leader in bioprocess education and biomanufacturing workforce development.

Institute for Advanced Analytics (IAA)

Director: Michael Rappa

The mission of the Institute for Advanced Analytics (IAA)is to promote graduate education in the emerging field of analytics. Its objective is to educate the citizens of North Carolina and beyond in the concepts, methods, software tools and applications of analytics that have direct and practical relevance to industry.

Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI)

Director: Sarah Hall

The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) is a think-and-do tank that convenes leaders from business, government, nonprofit organizations, and higher education to tackle the biggest issues facing North Carolina.

Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE)

Director: Billy Williams

Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE)carries out research, training and technical support activities in the areas of surface and air transportation for a host of national, state, and local clients to address the nation's critical transportation issues.

Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science (KIETS)

Director: Ruben Carbonell

Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science (KIETS)develops partnerships in basic research, education, commercialization and public outreach with individuals and organizations dedicated to the advancement of science, engineering and technology as a force in improving the economic and social well-being of the nation and the world.

Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies (KCLDS)

Director: Akram Khater

To research, preserve and publicize the history of the Lebanese diaspora communities in the United States and beyond.

Nonwovens Institute (NWI)

Director: Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Raoul Farer

The Nonwovens Institute (NWI)is the world's first accredited academic program for the interdisciplinary study of engineered fabrics through an innovative partnership of industry, government, and academe operating on an 'open' platform. The Nonwovens Institute enables industry and university experts to develop the next generation of nonwovens applications while educating and training future industry leaders.

North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC)

Director: Steve Kalland

The mission of the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center is to advance a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies, practices, and policies.

North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (NCICS)

Director: Otis Brown

The mission of the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (NCICS) is to promote the discovery of new knowledge about global, regional, and local climate variability and its impacts and to provide information that is critical for determining trends and validating climate forecasts at all of these spatial scales.

North Carolina Sea Grant College Program (NCSG)

Director: Susan White

The North Carolina Sea Grant (NCSG) program is one of 34 university-based programs across the United States authorized through the National Sea Grant College Program Act of 1966. Through research, outreach and education programs, NCSG provides unbiased, science-based information to enhance the sustainable use and conservation of ocean and coastal resources to benefit communities, the economy and the environment. NCSG is a multi-campus program of the University of North Carolina system.

Nuclear Reactor Program (NRP)

Director: Ayman Hawari

Nuclear Reactor Program (NRP)applies reactor and nuclear techniques in supporting efforts to provide high quality undergraduate and graduate education, perform basic and applied research, disseminate knowledge, and provide training and specialized analytical services in support of institutions, agencies and industries in the State of North Carolina and the Nation.

Power America: Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NGPEMII)

Director: Victor Veliadis

Power America, also known as Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is accelerating the adoption of advanced semiconductor components made with silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) into a wide range of products and systems.

Secure Computing Institute (SCI)

Director: Laurie Williams, William Enck

The mission of the Secure Computing Institute (SCI) is to enhance the security and privacy of computing systems for the betterment of society through (1) performing basic and applied research; and (2) advancing and delivering cybersecurity education.

Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)

Director: Byron Hicks

The multi-campus Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) is committed to providing knowledge, education and other supportive resources that enable existing small and mid-sized businesses, emerging entrepreneurs and local/state leaders to innovate and succeed.

Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center (SDFRC)

Director: MaryAnne Drake

The Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center (SDFRC)conducts research, educates scientists, and develops and applies new technologies for processing of milk and its components into dairy products and ingredients with improved health,safety, quality and expanded functionalities that facilitate strategic decisions in the industry.

State Climate Office of North Carolina (SCONC)

Director: Kathie Dello

The State Climate Office of North Carolina (SCO) is the primary source for NC weather and climate information and is involved in all aspects of climate research, education, and extension services.

Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI)

Director: Susan White

Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) is one of 54 state water institutes that were authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1964 to administer and promote federal/state partnership in research and information transfer on water-related issues. WRRI is a multi-campus Institute.

William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (WIFIEI)

Director: Krista Glazewski

The mission of the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (WIFIEI)is to advance education through innovation in teaching, learning, and leadership.

Planned Centers and Institutes

Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture, The (CERSA)

  • Administrative Unit: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Request to Plan
  • Establishment Proposal Due Date: 2024-01-21

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National Science Foundation (NSF) Supported Centers

Industry University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC)

I/UCRCs for which NC State is the Lead Institution:

Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics (CDP)

  • Director: Gregory Parsons
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering

The CDP aims to provide international leadership and train next-generation scientists in the fundamental science and engineering that underpin dielectric and piezoelectric materials. The center supports industries based on capacitor and piezoelectric materials and devices through the development of new materials, processing strategies, electrical testing, and nanoscale characterization and modeling methodologies.

I/UCRCs for which NC State is a Research Site:

Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC)

  • Site Director: Ismail Guvenc
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
  • Lead Institution: University of Arizona

This Center focuses on broadband wireless technology access and its applications.  
BWAC collaborates with industry research partners to create flexible, efficient, and secure wireless networks that satisfy broadband communication needs in businesses, in the home, and in the lives of individuals. 

Center for Accelerated Real Time Analytics (CARTA)

  • Site Director: Rada Chirkova
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
  • Lead Institution: University of Maryland Baltimore County

The Center’s research is focused on cutting edge inter-disciplinary research in real time analytics using next generation accelerated hardware.

Center for Advanced Electronics through Machine Learning (CAEML)

  • Site Director: Paul Franzon
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
  • Lead Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

CAEML will pioneer the application of emerging machine-learning techniques to microelectronics and micro-systems modeling and will develop new domain-specific machine learning algorithms to extract models using limited training data.

Center for the Integration of Composites into Infrastructure (CICI)

  • Site Director: Rudolf Seracino
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
  • Lead Institution: West Virginia University

The primary objective of CICI is to promote applications of composites in civil and military infrastructures to the next level through collaborative efforts between West Virginia University, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, NC State University and the University of Miami, Florida. The Center’s research focus capitalizes on synergies between fibers and polymers to create new application areas and expand market potential.

Resources:

Engineering Research Centers (ERC)

ERCs for which NC State is the Lead Institution:

Advanced Self Powered Systems of Sensors and Technologies Center (ASSIST)

  • Director: Veena Misra
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering

The mission of ASSIST is to transform health informatics, electronics, and biomedical engineering; to develop nanotechnologies for energy harvesting, battery-free energy storage, and ultra-low-power computation/communication; to integrate low power physiological and environmental nanosensors using biocompatible materials; to empower personal environmental and health monitoring.

The Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Center (FREEDM) – graduated from NSF support in 2019

  • Director: Iqbal Husain
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering

Center partners with universities, industry, and national laboratories in 28 states and nine countries to develop technology to revolutionize the nation’s power grid and speed renewable electric-energy technologies into every home and business.

ERCs for which NC State is the Partner Institution:

Engineering Research Center for Precision Microbiome Engineering (PreMiEr)

PreMiEr’s vision is to develop an integrated framework that enables the bioinformed design of smart and healthy built environments while also broadly advancing microbiome engineering technologies, with researchers from five NC State colleges contributing their expertise.

  • Site Director: Jennifer Kuzma
  • Administrative Unit: Office of Research and Innovation
  • Lead Institution: Duke University 

Resources:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centers

AI Institute for Engaged Learning

  • Director: James Lester
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering

Science and Technology Centers

Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS)

  • Director: Jacob Jones
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
  • Lead Institution: NC State University

Center for Complex Particle Systems (COMPASS)

  • Deputy Director:  Martin Thuo
  • Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
  • Lead Institution: University of Michigan

Oceans and Human Health Center

North Carolina Center for Coastal Algae, People, and Environment (NC C-CAPE)

  • Directors: Astrid Schnetzer and Scott Belcher
  • Administrative Unit: College of Sciences

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National Institute of Health (NIH) Supported Centers

Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS

  • Directors:  Carolyn Mattingly and Detlef Knappe
  • Administrative Unit: College of Sciences

The mission of this cross-disciplinary Center is to advance research, technology development, training and community engagement about exposure to a class of ubiquitous environmental compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The long-term objectives are to assess PFAS 1) exposure in impacted areas, 2) toxicity and underlying mechanisms of thyroid and immune function, 3) bioaccumulation potential, and 4) remediation.

Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE)

  • Director:  Sue Fenton
  • Administrative Unit: Office of Research and Innovation

The mission of CHHE is to serve as the nexus of environmental health science research at NC State by providing focus and leadership for interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding how human health, at both the individual and population levels, is impacted by environmental factors and to utilize this understanding to reduce the adverse impacts of environmental factors on human health.

North Carolina Center for Coastal Algae, People, and Environment (NC C-CAPE)

  • Directors: Astrid Schnetzer and Scott Belcher
  • Administrative Unit: College of Sciences

The North Carolina Center for Coastal Algae, People, and Environment (NC C-CAPE) addresses critical public health and environmental challenges associated with harmful cyanobacterial algal blooms in North Carolina’s coastal waters. Our focus is on understanding the environmental drivers that lead to the proliferation of harmful algal blooms and the resulting human health risks. 

NC C-CAPE aims to guide efforts to implement effective monitoring approaches, inform guideline values for safe consumption of water and seafood, deliver predictive tools to assess emergent and future toxin exposure risk, and leverage community engagement initiatives to fill data gaps and improve oceans and human health.

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Department of the Interior (DOI) Supported Centers

Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (SE CASC)

Interim Director:  Rebecca Irwin
Administrative Unit: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

NC State acts as the host institution for the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, providing organizational support to implement the Center mission to work with natural and cultural resource managers to gather the scientific information and build the tools needed to help fish, wildlife, and ecosystems adapt to the impacts of changing climate and land use.

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Multi-campus Centers and Institutes

North Carolina State University Lead Institution

Duke University Lead Institution

Research Triangle Institute Lead Institution

UNC-Chapel Hill Lead Institution

East Carolina University Lead Institution

Western Carolina University Lead Institution

UNC-Charlotte Lead Institution

* TUNL, RENCI and RTEC represent trans-institutional partnerships outside of the UNC centers and institutes policy.

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National Network of Manufacturing Institutes

The National Network of Manufacturing Institutes is operated by the interagency Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO), which is headquartered in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in the Department of Commerce. The office is staffed by representatives from federal agencies with manufacturing-related missions as well as fellows from manufacturing companies and universities. The office operates in partnership with the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture. The office began as a pilot, recommended by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), but the overarching mission has not changed: “To convene and enable industry-led, private-public partnerships focused on manufacturing innovation and engaging U.S. universities. To design and implement an integrated whole-of-government advanced manufacturing initiative to facilitate collaboration and information sharing across federal agencies. By coordinating federal resources and programs, the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office enhances technology transfer in U.S. manufacturing industries and helps companies overcome technical obstacles to scale up of new technologies and products.”

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)

AFFOA’s mission is to enable a manufacturing-based revolution by transforming traditional fibers, yarns, and fabrics into highly sophisticated, integrated and networked devices and systems.

  • NC State Membership Level: Tier 1 Academic
  • NC State Lead Faculty Contact: Xiangwu Zhang

Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)

ARMI’s mission is to make practical the large-scale manufacturing of engineered tissues and tissue-related technologies, to benefit existing industries and grow new ones.

  • NC State Membership Level: Tier 2 Academic
  • NC State Lead Faculty Contact: Rohan Shirwaiker

Bioindustrial Manufacturing Innovation Institute (BioMADE)

BioMADE’s mission is to enable domestic bioindustrial manufacturing at all scales, develop technologies to enhance U.S. bioindustrial competitiveness, de-risk investment in relevant infrastructure, and expand the biomanufacturing workforce to realize the economic promise of industrial biotechnology.

  • NC State Membership Level: Academic
  • NC State Lead Faculty Contact: Gary Gilleskie

Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute called Electrified Processes for Industry Without Carbon (EPIXC)

The EPIXC mission is to conduct innovative and impactful research, development, demonstration and deployment (RD&D) and work-force training on electrified heating technologies and their incorporation into industrial processes; operational research on deep process-grid integration; and validation and characterization on large-scale test beds. The approach will be cross-cutting, leveraging the team’s exceptionally broad expertise in (i) electrified heating technologies, (ii) process engineering in the key sectors, (iii) automation and
controls, (iv) modeling and optimization of processes and clean electricity supply including digital twinning/emulation and (v) techno-economic, life cycle and supply-chain analysis.

  • NC State is one of the Key Partner Universities
  • NC State Lead Faculty Contact: Lokendra Pal

National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL)

The NIIMBL mission is to accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce, fundamentally advancing U.S. competitiveness in this industry.

  • NC State Membership Level: Tier 1 Academic
  • NC State Lead Faculty Contact: Ruben Carbonell

PowerAmerica , Next Generation Power Electronics Innovation Institute (NGPEMII)

PowerAmerica is accelerating the adoption of advanced semiconductor components made with silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) into a wide range of products and systems.  Backed by $70 million from the U.S. Department of Energy over five years, we are working to make these wide bandgap semiconductor technologies cost-competitive with silicon-based power electronics and reduce the perceived risk in their adoption in numerous industries.

  • NC State Membership Level: Lead university
  • NC State Lead Faculty Contact: Victor Veliadis

Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID)

RAPID is a Manufacturing USA Institute working to transform the process industries by advancing modular chemical process intensification technology.

Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII)

The Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute focuses on innovations such as smart sensors that can dramatically reduce energy expenses in advanced manufacturing.

  • NC State Membership Level: Academic
  • NC State Lead Faculty Contact: Phil Westmoreland

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