CURRENT RESEARCH: Boise State University

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s FAA has created a new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Aircraft Noise and Aviation Emissions Mitigation. The Center of Excellence is considered a world-class partnership of academia, industry and government created to identify solutions for existing and anticipated aircraft noise and emissions-related problems. The center will conduct basic research and engineering development and will formulate prototype solutions.

The Applied Cognition Research Institute, Department of Psychology, consists of two major programs: The Applied Cognitive Research Program and the Family Studies Research Initiative.

• The Applied Cognitive Research Program coordinates and promotes applied psychological research activities and provides the community with consultation and training opportunities.  It also serves as a coordinating body for grant and development efforts in the applied behavioral sciences.
• The Family Studies Research Initiative (FSRI) provides an interdisciplinary culture of family studies research among faculty, students, and professionals outside of the University.  FSRI provides high quality educational opportunities for students, has ongoing research products that are of use to the scientific and local communities, and serves as a breeding ground for competitive fundable research programs examining family issues.

Several departments spanning a variety of disciplines ranging from mechanical engineering to biology and chemistry are involved in this initiative.  Boise State University is participating in a $6,000,000 three year Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) grant awarded by the NIH (NIH Grant # P20 RR16454).  As part of this grant, Boise State University focuses on protein structure/function relationships and, along with a $327,500 grant from the Murdock Foundation, has established a protein/molecular interactions core facility (housed in the chemistry and biology departments) that contains or soon will contain the following equipment:  microcalorimeter, flow cytometer, stopped-flow with fluorometer and UV-Vis, scanning UV-Vis spectrophotometer, fluorometer, LC-MS/MS, spectropolarimeter, analytical ultracentrifuge, field flow fractionation and MALLS.  In addition to the instrumentation, the BRIN grant has provided funding for several faculty and students in support of biomedical research.

The Idaho State Board of Education has approved the establishment of a Center of Excellence for Environmental Health and Safety (CEEHS) at Boise State University.  The mission of the new Center will be to enhance public health and safety through technical assistance, consultation and educational outreach.  CEEHS is housed in the College of Health Sciences and immediate administrative support will be provided by the Center for Health Policy.

The Center for Geophysical Investigation of the Shallow Subsurface (CGISS) focuses undergraduate and graduate geoscientific research on the structure, processes, and properties of the uppermost part of the Earth's crust.  Research carried out by CGISS requires measurements made with digital instrumentation deployed at the Earth's solid surface, within the oceans, or inside bore holes.  Theoretical results from physics and chemistry, mathematical modeling, and a wide variety of laboratory analyses are used to quantitatively interpret the measurements.  The results are relevant to fundamental scientific questions and to diverse problems associated with natural resources, natural hazards, and environmental quality.

The Center for Health Policy (CHP) conducts research related to the development, implementation, and evaluation of health services programs, policies, and practices.  Faculty and staff from the CHP provide research expertise for community health and business professionals, conduct applied research to enhance health services and the health and well-being of Idaho communities, evaluate policies and programs and identify and disseminate information about best practices, and compile and maintain a centralized data base repository to support health policy decision-making.  The CHP also serves as a vehicle for collaboration with researchers from Idaho State University, the University of Idaho, and other public and private research organizations on specific projects.

The Center for Management Development (CMD) develops and provides proven programs that foster these characteristics.  Today’s workers are being asked to communicate effectively, work in teams, improve productivity and performance, and reduce costs and inefficiencies.  Effective leadership in this context depends on a blend of appropriate skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as relevant experience.  Executives and managers must be able to adapt quickly to change and lead their organizations to maintain a competitive advantage.  The Center offers seminars, workshops, team-building and facilitation programs, customized services, and other learning opportunities for managers, supervisors, employees, and individual professionals.

The Center for Public Policy and Administration conducts outreach services to state, local and federal agencies and not-for-profit organizations involved in public service.  The Center offers applied research services, particularly in the areas of policy analysis, community development, tax policy, public services, and community infrastructure.  The Center coordinates management training and certification programs for public officials.  The Center also produces handbooks, guides, and policy-analysis reports for public officials.

The Environmental Science and Public Policy Research Institute (ESPRI) focuses on the integration of public policy and science to help develop effective and practical approaches to environmental, natural resource, and land management issues.  ESPRI is designed as an interdisciplinary, science-based collaborative center that provides support for decision makers,  forums for discussion, education and consensus building, commissioned white papers,  specified project-level science analysis and research, and a resource for state, regional and local governments.

In December of 1998 the GeoSpatial Research Facility (GRF) became an official ESRI® Authorized Learning Center. ESRI classes are held at the GRF annually. The GRF actively seeks partners from the private sector and government agencies to engage in research and development projects. These partnerships also offer students the opportunity to learn and practice geospatial technologies in "real world" situations and to observe firsthand the applications and effectiveness of this powerful tool.

The long-term goal is work with regional scientists, planners, environmental, land and resource managers, industry, local governments, and lawmakers, to develop the tools they need to efficiently and effectively address a wide variety of issues.

The Idaho Business and Economic Development Center (IBEDC) consists of three major programs:-  the Idaho Economic Development Center (IEDC), the Idaho Small Business Development Center (ISBDC), and the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance (TechHelp^TM).

• The IEDC focuses on building Idaho’s economic base through research leading to vertical integration of major industries and through support for development of new markets capital.
• The ISBDC is a non-profit organization offering a wealth of free and low-cost information resources designed to educate and support Idaho small business owners and managers, inventors, and potential entrepreneurs.
• The TechHelp^TM is a not-for-profit organization that operates as a partnership between the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and Boise State University. It is affiliated with the national network of Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers.

The mission of the Intermountain Orthopaedics Sports Medicine and Biomechanics Research Laboratory (IOSMBRL) is to advance the understanding of the structure and function of the human musculoskeletal system through biomedical research and education.

The Laboratory was established in July of 2002 and is part of the BSU Center for Orthopaedic and Biomechanics Research (COBR), a consortium of four research labs on the BSU campus dedicated to performing research to improve understanding of the musculoskeletal system.

The Microelectronics Research Facility conducts research in the areas of 3-D microstructures, semiconductor devise modeling, ultra-low power RF-CMOS IC design, advanced dielectric, ferroelectric, and ferromagnetic materials, photolithography, semiconductor process development, and optoelectronic devices.

The Office of Conflict Management Services conducts research on interpersonal conflict, school violence mitigation, conflict and the courts and other topics, as well as provides training to public and private entities on the prevention of conflict, conflict management as a part of grievance procedures, and mediation.

The Raptor Research Center (RRC) conducts and participates in Snake River Plain and Intermountain West studies involving the habitat, ecological and environmental relationships and population dynamics among raptors, plants and animals.

The Watershed Research Group focuses on collaborative research that addresses stream sediment loads and their impacts on fish habitat; slope stability and erosion plus the ecological, environmental and economic effects of these issues, including the hydrologic modeling of the processes.