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Office of Research and Innovation
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.

Active 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: Mahmoud Sharara

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: Gavin Conant, Bonnie Hurwitz

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: R. Bryan Ormond

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: Susana Milla-Lewis, Travis Gannon

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

Comparative Medicine Institute (CMI)

Director: Ashley Brown

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, Khara Grieger

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: Bill Rand, April Wilson

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: Jason Hou

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: Jared Bowden

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

Institute for Connected Sensor-Systems (IConS)

Org Chart

NC State is also home to various other multidisciplinary programs and partnerships that enrich the interdisciplinary and innovative research ecosystem.

Other Centers and Institutes
Our Consortia