Research Centers
Research centers in the Nicholas School of the Environment are by design and intent flexible, multidisciplinary units. A major aim is to bring together specialized groups of scholars and professionals from many disciplines to focus their attention on current natural resources and environmental problems. The centers are headed by a director and staffed by an interdisciplinary faculty from Duke, neighboring universities, and a variety of public and private research organizations. Depending on the level of funding, the centers may also employ research assistants and other support staff. The centers do not offer courses or degrees; rather, they offer students, scientists, and other professionals an opportunity to participate in research through collaboration with affiliated faculty.
Juli Plant Grainger Center for River Science
The River Center was formed in 2011 as an intellectual community of faculty, postdocs, students, and technical staff who share a common passion for the study of rivers and their watersheds. Current research in the multidisciplinary labs spans water and its relationships to ecosystems and people. Research interests are wide-ranging and include ecohydrological processes that affect terrestrial water balances; the movement of elements, chemicals and nanoparticles within and between forests, floodplains, wetlands and streams; understanding the context for river science in society, water policy, river management and water governance; the structure and function of streams, wetlands, and other ecosystems shaped by the flow of water.
Researchers in these labs also seek to inject the best possible science into ongoing discussions about stewardship of river ecosystems and their watersheds through policy and management. Research in the River Center includes both close collaborations among the core River Center labs and work with other faculty in the Nicholas School, in other departments at Duke, and with collaborators around the nation and the world.
The physical home of the River Center is located in the Duke Water Science Laboratory and Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility containing shared lab space and a shared analytical facility. Find more information at dukerivercenter.org.
Duke University Wetland and Coasts Center
The Duke University Wetland and Coasts Center advances science that supports the sustainable function of wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide—locally, nationally, and globally. The center pursues this mission through research, education, and partnerships that tackle pressing issues such as wetland restoration and rewilding, climate change impacts on nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration, invasive species management, and the role of wetlands in improving water quality and enhancing landscape water retention.
The Duke University Wetland and Coasts Center brings together scientists, educators, and professionals to address wetland challenges at every scale. Core participants include the center director, affiliated faculty, visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students. Housed within a professional school at a private university, the center operates independently and is well-positioned to provide objective, science-based leadership on wetland issues, free from the political constraints often faced by public institutions. Find more information at wetland.nicholas.duke.edu.
Superfund Research Center
It is increasingly recognized that early life stages of humans and other organisms are particularly sensitive to exposure to environmental stressors and pollutants. The Duke University Superfund Research Center (DUSRC) unites researchers from the Nicholas School of the Environment, the Pratt School of Engineering, and the Duke University Medical Center in examining the effects of selected contaminants that are widespread in the environment, including Superfund sites. Of particular concern are effects on both wildlife and communities that inhabit or are located in close proximity to Superfund sites. The theme of the DUSRC specifically focuses on later life consequences of early life exposures, and new strategies for remediating heavily polluted areas such as Superfund sites. The center is supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
The goal of the center is to elucidate mechanisms of toxicity, and health consequences in both humans and ecosystems, resulting from exposure to mixtures of chemicals that are considered neurodevelopmental toxicants. Of particular interest are selected pesticides, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and flame retardants that affect development of the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and endocrine systems. In addition to conducting basic research in these areas, the center’s key activities include undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral training in the environmental health sciences and engineering, the translation of basic research findings into useful information for health professionals, government agencies, and the public, and active engagement with communities concerned with exposures to hazardous chemicals. Find more information at sites.nicholas.duke.edu/superfund.