About RCEI

The Megalopolitcan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH)

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute seeks to contribute to a resilient, equitable, and sustainable climate future. RCEI connects faculty, staff, and students through transformative climate change research, innovation, education, and outreach.

Primary Focus Areas

Earth System Science

Researching the complexities and dynamics of Earth's physical, geochemical, and biological systems.

Human Dimensions of Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience

Understanding the causes of climate change, the societal, economic, and behavioral impacts of climate change and the ways in which people and institutions respond to these changes.

Renewable Energy, Technology and Energy Conservation

Advancing technologies in renewable energy and energy conservation.

Climate Change Communication and Environmental Humanities

Raising awareness and inspiring action through the arts and humanities.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute recognizes that the pursuit of sustainable solutions for our planet's most pressing challenges requires a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are dedicated to creating an environment that promotes inclusive scholarship, research, and education among faculty, staff, and students. A spirit of diverse collaboration, where individuals from all backgrounds feel welcome to share and grow their ideas with their fellow faculty and staff members is a fundamental pillar for RCEI’s ability to succeed.

A van navigates a flooded roadway in Ship Bottom, NJ. Photo: Matt Drews

The Earth’s climate reflects a complex interplay between the atmosphere, ecosystems, oceans, human activity, and the solid earth. Incorporating a diversity of scholarly perspectives is key to achieving technological, ecological, social, and policy solutions that will lower greenhouse gas emissions, and guide society’s response to the current and pending impacts of climate change.

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute realizes its mission through:

Creating Dynamic Scholarly Communities

Organizing and activating groups of Rutgers-New Brunswick scholars to move their innovative ideas into action.

Increasing Grant Funding

Providing planning grants, resources, space, and staff support needed for Rutgers-New Brunswick faculty, staff, and students to secure grant funding to support their innovative climate change scholarship.

Signature Initiatives

Supporting distinctive and innovative research collaboratives that align with our focus areas.

Actively Engaging in Scholarly Exchange

Fostering collaboration, and amplifying the impact of climate change scholarship, through public events; and communicating that scholarship to the public, educators, policymakers, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.

History of RCEI

The Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute builds upon the world-class faculty and staff in the disciplines interwoven in climate change and renewable energy and technology scholarship throughout Rutgers-New Brunswick. Subsets of these faculty and staff have organized under existing initiatives and institutes for almost 2 decades before the 2023 launch of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute.

RCEI was most recently preceded by three institutes: the Rutgers Climate Institute (RCI); the Rutgers Energy Institute (REI); and the Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS). The Rutgers Climate Institute was created in 2013 with its origins dating back to two climate-change related initiatives formed in 2006, one based in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the other based in the School of Arts and Sciences. The Rutgers Energy Institute was also formed in 2006. The Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences was established in 2014.

The goals of these 3 precursor Institutes are not only embodied with RCEI, but integrated together with the generous support of the Rutgers- New Brunswick Chancellor and 5 Schools within Rutgers-New Brunswick (Edward J. Bloustein School of Policy and Planning; Mason Gross School of the Arts; School of Arts and Sciences; School of Engineering; and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences) RCEI is empowered to further Rutgers-New Brunswick’s exemplary leadership in addressing one of the most critical issues of our time.