YCEI develops interdisciplinary Research Initiatives that integrate faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students to address pressing issues in Climate and Energy. Each Research Initiative is organized by a team of faculty and promotes solutions through the funding of collaborative research, as well as workshops and symposia that feature national and international experts.
Research Initiatives include:
Climate System and Human Health
The mission of the Climate System and Human Health Initiative is to expand Climate Science research with a focus on the key uncertainties in regional and global climate simulations, as well as promote the advancement of Human Health science as it relates to anthropogenic climate forcing. These topics are both independent and interdependent, and the intent of the Initiative is to build a nexus for research collaborations discussions that inform the public and policymakers of risks to human health posed by climate change.
Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources and the Environment
Unconventional hydrocarbons such as shale gas and shale oil are transforming world energy markets. The mission of the Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources Initiative is to promote better understanding of the interdisciplinary research questions related to the development and use of these fuels during the transition to renewable, low-carbon energy sources. Important scientific questions remain about the characterization, distribution and size of the worldwide unconventional fossil-fuel resource, as well as about the economic and environmental impact of its development. Key environmental questions include the protection of groundwater resources during hydraulic fracturing and influence of leaked methane on climate change.