Research and Scholarship

The Notre Dame Energy Center

The Notre Dame Energy Center addresses the challenge of developing abundant, inexpensive energy sources that, when in use, do not harm the environment. Over 40 Notre Dame faculty and many undergraduates and graduate students participate in its state-of-the-art research and education programs in energy efficiency; safe nuclear waste storage; clean coal utilization; CO2 separation, storage, sequestration and use; solar and other renewable energy; and the social, political, and ethical aspects of energy policy and use.

In 2007 alone, more than $6.7 million was awarded by external sponsors for energy-related projects.

The NDEC will be accepting applications for its Seed Fund Program, which supports innovative, early-stage, research projects addressing energy-related issues that will lead to externally sponsored research projects. It is envisioned that up to six awards in the amount of $40,000 each will be granted across the entire spectrum of energy and energy-related environmental research areas over the next year. Proposals are due April 30, 2008.
“Learn more about the Seed Fund Program >”:http://www.nd.edu/~ndenergy/funding-opportunities/SeedFundProgram.shtml
“Contact the Energy Center >”:http://www.nd.edu/~ndenergy/contact/index.shtml

The Center for Building Communities

An initiative of the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, the Center for Building Communities seeks communities where it can work with local people—first to identify specific problems in specific places, then to discuss and design solutions that will be healthier (in every sense of the word), more beautiful, more efficient, and more affordable than before.

“Contact the Center for Building Communities >”:http://buildingcommunities.nd.edu/about/contact-us/

Center for Environmental Justice and Children’s Health

The Center for Environmental Justice and Children’s Health is a multidisciplinary center dedicated to teaching, research, and service associated with one type of science—and technology-related ethical problem—those concerned with environmental justice. Environmental justice violations occur when minorities, poor people, workers, or children bear disproportionately harmful levels or impacts of pollution.

“Learn more about the Center for Environmental Justice and Children’s Health >”:http://philosophy.nd.edu/journals/#cejch

Center for Environmental Science and Technology

The "Center for Environmental Science and Technology ":http://www.nd.edu/~cest/about/index.htm is a cooperative effort between Notre Dame’s Colleges of Science and Engineering, fostering interdisciplinary environmental research and education by providing cutting-edge analytical technologies needed to address complex environmental problems.

“Contact the Center for Environmental Science and Technology >”:http://www.nd.edu/~cest/about/index.htm

GLOBES

Problems plaguing the environment are multifaceted in origin: from global issues such as climate change and infectious diseases, to “backyard” problems like invasive plants and animals. Because these problems have interrelated causes and feedbacks that are both biological and social in nature, resolving them demands consideration of ecological, cultural, economic, legal, and ethical factors. The "GLOBES program ":http://globes.nd.edu at the University of Notre Dame takes an interdisciplinary approach to human and environmental health studies.

“Contact GLOBES >”:http://globes.nd.edu/contact-us/

University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center

The University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC) furthers research and education in environmental studies at the University of Notre Dame by focusing activities on unique locations of high environmental quality in the North Central region and northern Rockies of North America. These locations serve as “natural” laboratories for the study of environmental systems that have experienced little or no degradation from humans and as a baseline for comparison with human disturbed systems.

“Contact UNDERC >”:http://www.nd.edu/~underc/