Mission Statement
CE-CERT's mission is to contribute to improved environmental quality and energy efficiency by conducting a broad program of interdisciplinary basic and applied research and by providing educational opportunities for the next generation of engineers, scientists and policy-makers. Our role is to serve as an "honest broker," trusted worldwide by industry, government and the academic community, to improve the understanding of the environment and develop future environmental technologies.
Vision: Objectives for the Future
- Pursue a large-scale, broad-based, integrated research agenda in advanced vehicle technologies and systems; emissions measurement, analysis, and control; atmospheric measurements and modeling; environmental analysis and policy; and renewable energy.
- At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, contribute to overall excellence in education-including instruction, research and outreach activities-at UCR.
- Make significant contributions through research and technology development to the quality of life, the economy, and sustainability in California, the nation, and the world.
- Remain flexible and responsive to the research, education and outreach needs of the local community, state and national governmental entities, industrial partners, and academia.
The Honest Broker: A New Role for Research Universities
As scientific and technological details become more important in decision-making, there is a greater need than ever for sound research that informs public policy. With increasing frequency, CE-CERT is stepping in to provide the unbiased, independent research necessary as a technical foundation for public policy decisions. This is a new role for universities, pioneered at UCR-that of an "honest broker." In a pragmatic way, it works as a partnership between regulators, industry, the environmental community and university to achieve a common goal. For this honest broker relationship to work, all of the stakeholders need to be confident that the scientific data produced will effectively address the question at hand and reduce the uncertainty of their actions. Since it was established in 1992, CE-CERT has earned this trust by providing unbiased research to guide environmental regulation and evaluate new environmentally friendly technologies.
Solving Problems: CE-CERT's Systems Approach to Exploring the Environment
The complex challenges facing the environment, both now and in the future, require knowledge of the total environmental system. A systems approach concentrates effort and vision with integrated research. By exploring scientific and technological issues in their broadest context, researchers from multiple disciplines-not just engineering but also in the natural and social sciences-work together to set forth hypotheses and research strategies, conduct experiments, and analyze results. This approach has enabled us to create a research environment that fosters the development of new environmental and energy technologies, validates their potential benefits for the environment, the economy, and society, clarifies trade-offs, and facilitates their commercialization.
