| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.99 |
| Liaison | Amy Parrish |
| Submission Date | Feb. 19, 2025 |
Boise State University
AC-7: Center for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.00 / 6.00 |
7.1 Organized sustainability research center, institute, or unit
List and description of the institution’s sustainability research units:
The Andrus Center for Public Policy advances the legacy issues of former Idaho Governor and Secretary of the Interior, Cecil D. Andrus — wise use of our environmental resources and public lands, ensuring our children enter the classroom ready to learn, and cultivating leadership from all segments of our society. The Andrus Center provides a nationally respected forum for addressing vital public policy issues of our time. Wise use of our public lands and collaborative land-use decisions through stakeholder-inclusive conversations are at the heart of the Andrus Center. As former Secretary of the Interior, Cecil D. Andrus holds one of the greatest conservation records in American history. In his words, “I remain hopeful that I will be able to pass on to my grandchildren all the pleasures of life in an unspoiled West. Perhaps hope should be replaced by a stronger word. It is a matter of obligation.” The Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University hosts an annual environmental conference. This year's program, on April 16, focuses on the risks and opportunities for Western public lands amid the clean energy transition. https://www.boisestate.edu/sps-andruscenter/environmental-conference-2024/
The Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) is the catalyst to address our most ambitious energy challenges at the regional, national, and even global levels. At its core, CAES is a research, education, and innovation consortium that brings together students and faculty from the public research universities in Idaho, along with Idaho National Laboratory researchers to conduct cutting-edge energy research and educate the next generation of scientists in collaboration with industry leaders. CAES research harnesses the power of collaboration between the universities and Idaho National Laboratory to address complex energy challenges and accelerate energy solutions. https://caes.org/research/
The Energy Policy Institute is dedicated to advancing energy policy and decision-making through an applied and evidenced-based approach that is grounded in integrated, socio-technical analysis of energy systems. From clean and secure energy to resilient and affordable energy systems, our focus is on interdisciplinary research, advising, collaborative engagement, and training. Our cross-cutting approach leverages strengths in policy, science, engineering, management, and economics. EPI focuses on policy-relevant challenges and opportunities in energy, through research, advising, convening, neutral facilitation, testimony preparation, and training. We aim to enhance how energy is approached and utilized through our work on social, technical, and economic aspects that we conduct with policymakers, students, communities, and members of industry. We employ a multi-disciplinary and evidence-based approach to energy systems, informing public and private sectors in the region, nationally and internationally. https://www.boisestate.edu/epi/home/our-work/
We foster interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration to build connected, thriving, resilient communities. The HCRI research pillars capture the interconnection between and amongst disciplines, highlighting the dynamic and multifaceted nature of community resilience.
Our goal in promoting these pillars is to foster connections and collaborations between disciplines and across sectors:
Natural Environment - Our natural environment is ever-changing as geophysical processes and human activities shape how landscapes and ecosystems evolve. To build resilient communities, we must consider what resilient environments look like. This environment includes all organisms (plants, animals, and humans) who depend on one another for survival and whose relationships are mediated by competition for resources. Under this pillar, we consider research related to the health of our planet, natural resources, natural hazards, risk, risk reduction, and climate change.
https://www.boisestate.edu/research-hcri/natural-environment/
Economy and Society - Economic and social conditions that (1) allow communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from adverse natural events and economic shocks, and (2) foster thriving, healthy communities.
Built Environment Reliability and strength of critical infrastructure (communications, power grid, buildings built to hazard code), and systems facilitators or inhibitors to improve or build stronger infrastructure (e.g., capital, policy).
Health and Well-being Environmental and social conditions that foster healthy thriving communities.
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Redfish Environmental Data Institute
The environmental challenges that Idaho and the world face – maintaining water quantity and quality, supporting biodiversity, and managing lands for multiple uses – are only growing ever more complicated. Perhaps growing even faster is the volume of data available to help better understand and address these challenges. Effectively using this data to solve environmental challenges requires partnerships between researchers and practitioners to understand knowledge gaps and identify potential solutions. REDI is a hub for showcasing and integrating existing strengths and capabilities across campus. Collectively we have experience with a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods, high-performance computing, and data visualization. Find our main research focal areas and a list of our research projects below.
https://www.boisestate.edu/redi/what-we-do/
Does the institution have at least one organized research center, institute, or equivalent unit focused on a subject other than sustainability that produces sustainability research?:
List and description of the institution’s research units focused on subjects other than sustainability that produce sustainability research:
The Center for Health Policy (CHP) is a research unit within the College of Health Sciences that conducts health science research and collaborates in the development of innovative health policy in Idaho. CHP is composed of faculty and students from the College of Health Sciences and other academic units of the university. In addition, CHP also partners with governmental agencies, non-profits and the private sector in conducting health science research.
Through dialogue, research and education, the Institute inspires us to talk and listen to each other respectfully about the issues and values that have shaped America and Americans from all walks of life.
The strength of Idaho’s economy and communities depends on leaders and elected officials having the tools needed to make informed decisions. Effective policy development and implementation also depends on independent and objective research, rigorous analysis, and robust discussion. The Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) leverages the expertise and existing resources of Boise State University to facilitate exactly this, helping state and local leaders develop innovative solutions to pressing challenges. As an independent source of research and analysis for decision-makers throughout Idaho, the Institute utilizes economic impact studies, demographic research, and implementation of high quality opinion surveys to stimulate constructive discussions about innovative solutions to community concerns among the public, private and nonprofit sectors. IPI also serves as a resource to connect organizations with any number of experts in a variety of disciplines across the School of Public Service and the University.
Established in 1987, the Raptor Research Center (RRC) supports graduate education for the unique Master of Science in Raptor Biology at Boise State University, conducts research about birds of prey (raptors) and the habitats in which they occur, offers international student research experiences (IRES) and research experiences for undergraduates (REU), and provides technical assistance to researchers.
At IBO, we work to impact human lives and significantly contribute to bird conservation through a unique combination of cooperative research, education, discovery of the natural world, and community engagement.
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A full published list of Boise State's research centers can be found below:
Additional documentation for this credit:
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