The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has selected the State University of New York at Buffalo to serve as the new host of the Great Lakes Research Consortium, backed by a $5 million state grant aimed at strengthening research, education, and environmental management across the Great Lakes region.
The funding will support the consortium’s efforts to improve understanding of the Great Lakes ecosystem, including the physical, biological, and chemical processes that shape the lakes, as well as the social and economic factors that influence their use and protection.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said the University at Buffalo’s approach will help focus resources on critical Great Lakes research while supporting informed management decisions.
“The University at Buffalo’s strategic approach to re-establishing the Great Lakes Research Consortium will focus resources to help improve our understanding of the Great Lakes ecosystems and guide critical management decisions,” Lefton said. “DEC looks forward to working with UB to maximize our investments.”
Established in 1986, the Great Lakes Research Consortium has served as a key scientific support organization for New York’s Great Lakes region through collaboration among colleges and universities in New York and Ontario, Canada.
Under the University at Buffalo’s leadership, the consortium will be relaunched as Great Lakes Research Consortium Strengthening Research, Education, and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, or GLRC STREAM. Officials said the updated organization will expand research opportunities, educational programming, workforce development initiatives, and partnerships throughout the Great Lakes basin.
The grant will also support research and educational efforts aligned with New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda, while helping train the next generation of Great Lakes scientists.
The revitalized consortium will be administered through the university’s Research and Education in Energy, Environment, and Water Institute, known as RENEW.
The consortium was originally established and hosted by the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in partnership with several SUNY campuses, including the University at Buffalo.
