UNT's four Institutes of Research Excellence bring together a critical mass of knowledge and faculty. Their collaborative projects are designed to create a stronger platform for interdisciplinary research and partnerships with industry to create solutions and further contribute to the North Texas region's economic growth. The institutes build on areas in which UNT faculty are already well-known experts and are making important contributions through solutions-based research. The goal is to bring faculty expertise to industry and the public and to make advances in everything from energy to health.

"It's about engaging the whole brain and all the tools of exploration and discovery," says Tom McCoy, vice president for research and innovation. "That's what we're doing at UNT -- breaking down the barriers of linear thinking and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations to push innovation and breakthroughs."

UNT's institutes include:

• Advanced Environmental Research Institute, led by Samuel F. Atkinson, Regents Professor of biology
• Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes Institute, led by Rajiv Mishra, Distinguished Research Professor of materials science and engineering
• BioDiscovery Institute, led by Richard Dixon, Distinguished Research Professor of biology
• Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research, led by Brian Sauser, associate professor of logistics