CEFNS Research Centers and Institutes
More than 30 university-funded research institutes and centers demonstrate the importance of business and agency partnerships. Our centers give faculty and students the opportunity to shape public policy, provide research that impacts our environment and our communities, and contribute to the economic development within our state.
Amino Acid Geochronology Laboratory
The AAGL is dedicated to estimating the ages of Quaternary (< 2 million years old) deposits by analyzing the extent of racemization of amino acids preserved within carbonate fossils. The lab uses both conventional ion-exchange and reverse-phase ion exchange liquid chromatographs for separating and detecting amino acids. The lab is supported in part as a shared facility by the National Science Foundation
The Avian Cognition Laboratory (ACL) is a research facility dedicated to the investigation of behavior, learning and memory, ecology, and genetics of seed-caching birds in the family Corvidae.
AzTrans: The Arizona Center for Applied Transportation Research
Spearheading transportation research projects that implement alternative ways for municipalities to more efficiently measure traffic flow, utilizing the latest automated technology.
For more information, please contact:
Edward Smaglik, Co-Director
Center for Microbial Genetics & Genomics
MGGen carries out research on dangerous pathogens, such as anthrax, plague and tularemia, which are important to biodefense and initiate new research efforts in environmental genetics and genomics as they relate to infectious diseases and ecosystem health.
Center for Applied Research and Environmental Endocrinology (CAREE)
For more information, please contact:
Robert Audet
Lab Manager
Office 928-523-4979
Colorado Plateau Biodiversity Center
The CPBC cares for more than 400,000 specimens in seven divisions of life sciences collections. These collections support research and education in ecology, evolution, and conservation with special emphases in paleontology, quaternary climate change, botany, entomology, marine invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, fungi, and DNA bioinformatics.
Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CPCESU)
The Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CPCESU) is a cooperative network, transcending political and institutional boundaries, which creates innovative opportunities for research, education, and technical assistance in support of the management and stewardship by partner agencies of the Colorado Plateau's natural, cultural, and social resources.
Colorado Plateau Research Station (CPRS)
The Colorado Plateau Research Station is a joint USGS and NAU biological research organization. Its mission is to provide high-quality, objective science to support sound management of natural resources, with a focus on Department of Interior lands. Major areas of research include ecoregional studies; climate change; endangered species; vegetation distribution, ecology, and dynamics; data management and dissemination; inventory and monitoring studies; cave ecosystems; and wildlife ecology.
The Imaging and Histology Core Facility provides imaging services to faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, along with our industry partners. This is accomplished through excellence in education, research, mentoring, and technology.
Environmental Genetics & Genomics Facility (EnGGen)
The Environmental Genetics and Genomics Facility at NAU is a multi-user research laboratory designed for diverse biological applications. This high-throughput laboratory is a regional resource center that supports molecular genetic analyses and training across a wide user base including regional academic, government and private institutions.
Imaging and Histology Core Facility
The facility consists of a transmission electron microscope (JEOL 1200EX II), a scanning electron microscope (LEO 425VP), a McBain Instruments Confocal Microscope, and numerous ancillary equipment for specimen fixation and preparation, including cryopreparations.
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP)
ITEP was created to act as a catalyst among tribal governments, research and technical resources at Northern Arizona University (NAU), various federal, state and local governments, and the private sector, in support of environmental protection of Native American natural resources.
The Leid Biofilm Laboratory is a world leader in the study of chronic infectious diseases caused by biofilms. Our work centers on the interface of the host and the biofilm pathogens and the ultimate goals of our research is to develop novel therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics to combat the infections caused by these microbial communities.
Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research (MPCER)
The Center promotes interdisciplinary, environmental research centered on the Colorado Plateau. We foster collaborations among scientists, land-managers, and educators from public and private sectors to: 1) Understand the basic ecological principles and major environmental factors, including human influences, that impact ecosystems throughout the globe, and 2) Apply scientific knowledge for the development of effective strategies that will maintain intact ecosystems and restore degraded and altered environments.
National Institute for Climate Change Research (NICCR)
The Western Regional Center of the National Institute for Climatic Change Research (NICCR) is one of four regional Centers sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The WRC/NICCR facilitates climatic change research in the western United States through the periodic solicitation of proposals for research projects to be funded by DOE.
Native American Cancer Research Partnership
The partnership’s premise is that a sustainable solution to cancer disparities among Native Americans must be rooted in the communities.
Sedimentary Records of Environmental Change Laboratory
The laboratory analyzes physical, biological and isotopic properties of sediment to interpret past environmental and climate changes. The laboratory specializes in analyzing sedimentary biogenic-silica content, particle-size distribution, and magnetic susceptibility. Laboratory personnel have expertise in taxonomic identifications of freshwater ostracodes.
Wireless Networks Research Laboratory
The Wireless Laboratory is involved in research on human-cyber-physical systems with a focus on wireless sensor networks for environmental and ecosystems monitoring.