Center for the Environment

The University of Kentucky Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences (UK-CARES) is a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Core Center to enhance research capacity focused on major environmental health impacts to air and water quality that have been implicated in environmentally induced disease.

For nearly 50 years, the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) has been Kentucky’s home to energy innovation, materials science discoveries, and incubation of technologies that has helped Kentucky’s energy economy to thrive. 

CLIMBS is an eight-institution collaboration including the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Northern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University and Thomas More University, that will address fundamental knowledge gaps in climate-related understanding.

The Kentucky Climate Consortium acts as a catalyst for climate research and education in Kentucky by providing networking opportunities for Kentucky-based climate scholars and enabling them to leverage their expertise and passion to collaboratively pursue climate-related research, teaching, and public outreach.

The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) is a state-supported research center and public resource within the University of Kentucky. Our mission is to support the sustainable prosperity of the Commonwealth, the vitality of its flagship land grant university, and the welfare of its people. We do this by conducting research in the geological sciences, providing unbiased data and information to the public, and engaging with stakeholders. Research conducted by the KGS serves the Commonwealth and its people by building resilience.

The Kentucky Water Research Institute (KWRI) was founded in 1964 as one of the 54 Water Resources Research Institutes established by the U.S. Congress through the Water Resources Research Act.  The institute receives annual base grant funding through the USGS Section 104b funding, which is awarded through a state-competitive process to Kentucky institutions of higher learning and administers the nationally competitive USGS 104g research program.  Additionally, KWRI has several extramurally funded research, education, and outreach programs. 

The University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center (UKSRC), funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), integrates multidisciplinary research, training, and stakeholder engagement around a common theme: reducing health risks posed by environmental contaminants in communities. 

The purpose of the Office of Sustainability is to foster a balanced approach to sustainability that considers environmental, social and economic impacts in every facet of the university’s activities and operations; and to support and encourage innovation in curricula, research and creative works to address critical environmental and social challenges. 

The Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment (TFISE) is a cross-college institute at the University of Kentucky under the Office of the Vice President for Research. The goal of the institute is to facilitate interdisciplinary efforts to support transformative advances in a broad array of environmental and sustainability-related issues.