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Institutes

Significant competitive strengths exist within the university in the research areas of biotechnology, advanced materials and processes, water, transportation, aquaculture and microelectronics. The university has cultivated these strengths to national level recognition within the following interdisciplinary institutes which focus on research problems of state, regional, and national interests.

• The Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) coordinates research among higher education institutions and industries in Idaho to assist both commercial and conservation aquaculture in the state and the region. The institute is the focal point of basic and applied aquaculture research from three colleges on the UI Moscow campus and at a laboratory in Hagerman. The institute also coordinates research between Idaho and neighboring-state institutions, Idaho extension centers, tribal councils, federal and state agencies, and the aquaculture industry.
   
• The Center for Advanced Microelectronics and Biomolecular Research (CAMBR) creates advanced microelectronics for both government and commercial applications. Many CAMBR-designed processors are currently flying in space, supporting missions including the Hubble Space Telescope, Mars Odyssey and other NASA and DoD spacecraft. CAMBR has also designed commercial processors for Hewlett Packard and other major corporations. Molecular biologists from the National Institutes of Health have recently joined the electrical engineers at CAMBR in work to combine the technology of molecular biology with microelectronics in the development of electronic sensors. CAMBR provides graduate education opportunities at the masters and doctoral levels for individuals interested in multidisciplinary research programs associated with engineering and the life sciences.
   
• The Environmental Research Institute (ERI) coordinates and supports agricultural and natural resource environmental research. Over 70 faculty from five colleges direct basic and applied research in molecular biology, and bioprocess technology in relation to plant, animal, microbial, and physical and chemical systems.
   
• The Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) supports and directs water research for the state of Idaho and the region. Over 80 faculty from five colleges are involved in the institutes interdisciplinary research in water quality, water supply and water management. The researchers maintain active collaborations with local, state and federal agencies, national laboratories, other universities and a variety of industrial partners.
   
• The Microelectronics Research and Communications Institute (MRCI) is dedicated to research and development in microelectronics, computer communications and system architecture including coding, signal processing, electromagnetics, avionics, simulation, graphics technology and specialized software. The MRCI researchers from three colleges partner with federal agencies and state, regional and national industries.
   
• The National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology (NIATT) is a unique institute established by the U.S. Congress to develop and demonstrate new technologies to improve safety and the efficiency of existing transportation infrastructure, to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and to mitigate environmental problems caused by transportation systems. NIATT researchers from five colleges collaborate with state, federal and industrial partners to develop vehicle, control and infrastructure technologies.