Research Infrastructure

Research Centers and Laboratories

A developing framework for organizing the Institute’s future research centers, laboratories, observatories, archives, testing environments, data systems, and interdisciplinary initiatives.

Developing Framework Framework Date: July 2026 Planned capabilities are not yet operational
Purpose-Built Research

Create environments where complex questions can be studied, tested, preserved, and translated into practice.

The Institute intends to organize its research capabilities around interdisciplinary centers and specialized laboratories that connect people, data, facilities, technology, archives, field sites, and institutional partners.

The centers and laboratories described on this page are proposed organizational concepts. They should not be represented as staffed, funded, accredited, licensed, equipped, or open to participants until formally established.

Proposed Research Centers

Interdisciplinary structures intended to coordinate long-term research programs across multiple laboratories, fields, partners, and public applications.

Proposed Center Concept Development

Center for Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Systems

A proposed center for studying human-AI collaboration, scientific reasoning, knowledge preservation, autonomous operations, responsible governance, and institutional applications of artificial intelligence.

  • Human-AI research and decision support
  • Knowledge graphs and archival intelligence
  • Scientific and engineering assistance
  • Autonomous systems and operational safety
  • Transparency, accountability, and governance
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Proposed Center Concept Development

Center for Energy, Infrastructure and Regional Systems

A proposed center examining advanced energy, resilient facilities, computing infrastructure, transportation, communications, utilities, and regional development.

  • Energy and grid research
  • Data-center and digital infrastructure
  • Transportation and mobility systems
  • Facility resilience and continuity
  • Regional infrastructure modeling
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Proposed Center Research Framework

Center for Human Environments and Adaptive Design

A proposed center focused on how lighting, sound, space, accessibility, environmental controls, materials, movement, and institutional design affect human experience.

  • Adaptive and circadian lighting
  • Sensory-sensitive environments
  • Accessible buildings and public spaces
  • Healthy schools and workplaces
  • Secure and rehabilitative environments
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Proposed Center In Development

Center for Geospatial and Environmental Intelligence

A proposed center connecting mapping, remote sensing, geospatial analysis, digital twins, environmental monitoring, emergency intelligence, and regional planning.

  • Olympis platform development
  • Spatial data integration
  • Remote sensing and mapping
  • Digital twins and asset intelligence
  • Environmental and emergency monitoring
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Proposed Center Concept Development

Center for Institutional Systems and Public Capacity

A proposed center studying governance, public administration, corrections, education, workforce systems, institutional technology, accountability, and reform.

  • Government and public administration
  • Corrections and rehabilitation systems
  • Education and workforce development
  • Institutional technology modernization
  • Policy implementation and accountability
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Proposed Center Concept Development

Center for Memory, Archives and Legacy

A proposed center for preserving personal, family, institutional, scholarly, and community knowledge through archival research, oral history, digital preservation, and responsible access.

  • Family and oral-history archives
  • Digital preservation and migration
  • Institutional memory systems
  • Archival intelligence and discovery
  • Rights, permissions, and stewardship
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Proposed Laboratories and Test Environments

Specialized capabilities that may support controlled research, prototyping, simulation, evaluation, preservation, and interdisciplinary work.

Computational Laboratory Planned

AI, Modeling and Simulation Laboratory

A secure computational environment for artificial intelligence, simulation, digital twins, data analysis, systems modeling, and reproducible research.

  • High-performance computing
  • Model evaluation and validation
  • Controlled data environments
  • Simulation and scenario testing
  • Reproducible workflows and version control
Environmental Laboratory Planned

Adaptive Lighting and Human Environment Laboratory

A controlled test environment for studying lighting, visual comfort, circadian patterns, sensory conditions, occupancy response, accessibility, and environmental controls.

  • Configurable lighting systems
  • Glare and visibility evaluation
  • Motion and occupancy controls
  • Acoustic and sensory testing
  • Accessible-environment evaluation
Geospatial Laboratory In Development

Geospatial Operations and Remote Sensing Laboratory

A laboratory for spatial-data integration, mapping, imagery analysis, sensor systems, digital twins, field observation, and environmental intelligence.

  • GIS and cartographic production
  • Remote-sensing analysis
  • Drone and sensor-data integration
  • Digital-twin development
  • Emergency and infrastructure mapping
Infrastructure Laboratory Planned

Energy and Infrastructure Systems Laboratory

A test environment for resilient power, communications, networking, computing, building controls, backup systems, and infrastructure integration.

  • Microgrid and power-system simulation
  • Network and communications testing
  • Data-center infrastructure research
  • Building controls and automation
  • Continuity and failure-mode testing
Institutional Test Environment Concept Development

Secure Environment and Institutional Systems Laboratory

A controlled environment for studying security, accessibility, operations, human factors, facility design, training, and technology in complex institutions.

  • Facility and workflow simulation
  • Security and access-control research
  • Staff and user experience testing
  • Corrections and public-institution design
  • Operational technology evaluation
Preservation Laboratory Planned

Digital Preservation and Archival Imaging Laboratory

A laboratory for scanning, imaging, digitization, metadata, conservation documentation, format migration, oral history, and long-term archival preservation.

  • High-resolution document imaging
  • Photograph and object digitization
  • Audio and video preservation
  • Metadata and provenance workflows
  • Format migration and integrity checking

Shared Research Infrastructure

Capabilities that may support multiple centers, projects, research teams, publications, and institutional partners.

Research Data Core

Secure storage, controlled access, metadata, backups, reproducibility tools, data-management support, and long-term preservation.

Scientific Computing Core

Shared computation, modeling, simulation, software, technical support, version control, and reproducible analysis environments.

Instrumentation Core

Shared sensors, imaging systems, measurement tools, calibration services, field equipment, and technical maintenance.

Research Methods Core

Support for study design, statistics, qualitative methods, evaluation, survey design, documentation, and replication.

Ethics and Oversight Core

Coordination of research ethics, participant protection, biosafety, animal care, conflicts, security, and integrity review.

Publishing and Repository Core

Editorial support, metadata, identifiers, open-access guidance, repository services, preservation, and scholarly communication.

Operating Model

A common structure for turning proposed centers and laboratories into accountable, sustainable research units.

MODEL 01

Mission Charter

Each unit should have a defined purpose, research scope, leadership structure, review cycle, and relationship to the Institute’s priorities.

MODEL 02

Qualified Leadership

Directors, principal investigators, technical managers, safety officers, and advisers should have qualifications appropriate to the work.

MODEL 03

Shared Governance

Centers should coordinate ethics, finance, data, safety, facilities, security, publication, and partnership responsibilities across the Institute.

MODEL 04

Public Accountability

Activities should be documented through project records, publications, annual reporting, metrics, preservation, and appropriate public disclosure.

Standards, Safety and Oversight

No center or laboratory should begin specialized work until the required governance, staffing, training, facilities, and approvals are in place.

Research Ethics

Projects should undergo review proportionate to human, animal, environmental, social, privacy, and institutional risks.

Laboratory Safety

Chemical, biological, radiation, electrical, mechanical, field, and general laboratory hazards require formal controls and training.

Data and Cybersecurity

Sensitive data, research systems, infrastructure, devices, and networks should use risk-based access and security controls.

Facilities and Access

Laboratories should have appropriate zoning, permits, access control, emergency systems, maintenance, inspection, and continuity plans.

Research Integrity

Work should support accurate records, authorship standards, reproducibility, conflict disclosure, correction, and misconduct review.

Environmental Stewardship

Research operations should evaluate energy, water, waste, emissions, materials, transportation, and environmental consequences.

Development and Activation

Proposed research units should move through formal planning before being represented as active Institute capabilities.

STAGE 01

Concept

Define the research need, mission fit, proposed outputs, users, partners, risks, and long-term value.

STAGE 02

Feasibility

Evaluate leadership, staffing, facilities, equipment, funding, compliance, insurance, data, and safety needs.

STAGE 03

Approval

Establish the charter, governance, budget, oversight, responsible officials, policies, and activation conditions.

STAGE 04

Activation

Begin work only after required staffing, training, systems, facilities, approvals, and public information are complete.

Help build future research capacity.

Universities, researchers, laboratories, agencies, companies, foundations, archives, technical specialists, and community partners may contact the Institute about equipment, expertise, facilities, data, field sites, training, or collaborative research infrastructure.

Continue Exploring

See how future centers and laboratories connect to projects, priorities, oversight, and partnerships.

Research Projects View developing work → Research Priorities Review institutional direction → Research Ethics & Integrity Review standards → Partnerships Build research capacity →