Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research

What Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research does

The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) is a non-profit research institute established in 1989, jointly sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and hosted by the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. CIGLR is the only NOAA Cooperative Institute focused exclusively on Great Lakes research and conducts environmental science across eight core research areas: harmful algal blooms (HABs), Great Lakes observing systems, hypoxia early warning, Great Lakes forecasting, ecology, invasive species, ecosystem services and restoration, and the Great Lakes AI Lab. The institute maintains operational forecasting systems for water levels, ice conditions, wave heights, and ecosystem parameters, supported by long-term datasets and deployed buoys and sensors.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. The primary revenue stream is a NOAA Cooperative Agreement awarded to the University of Michigan; the current agreement provides $53 million over five years (2022 award, doubled from the prior agreement). Additional revenue comes from external research grants where CIGLR scientists serve as principal investigators and from donations accepted through the University of Michigan. CIGLR operates with a staff of 11-50, including research scientists, postdoctoral fellows, support staff, and an ECO (Engagement, Career Training and Outreach) team. The institute's research is delivered through a Regional Consortium of 10 universities and 5 private sector organizations plus NGO partners, covering the Great Lakes basin in the U.S. Midwest and southern Canada. Outputs include peer-reviewed publications, real-time environmental data products, forecasts, and educational materials targeting NOAA, resource managers, public utilities, legislators, and the broader public.

Name

Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research

Legal name

Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research

Website

https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIGLR is a non-profit research institute jointly sponsored by NOAA and the University of Michigan, conducting Great Lakes environmental science on algal blooms, observing systems, forecasting, invasive species, and AI applications for federal, academic, and public stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient) (EUAHAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring (Surface Water, Stormwater, Drinking Water) (EUAHACAC), Environmental Data Integration, ETL & Interoperability (APIs, Standards, Data Pipelines) (EUAHAKAB), Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC), Environmental Reporting, Dashboards & Regulatory Submittals (Automated Reports, e-Reporting) (EUAHAKAL), ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL)

Keywords

• Great Lakes research
• Environmental monitoring
• Harmful algal blooms
• Ecological forecasting
• Water quality monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. NOAA Cooperative Agreement: Primary federal funding through NOAA Cooperative Agreement awarded to University of Michigan for administration of CIGLR. The current agreement was awarded in 2017 with 8 university partners. In 2022, NOAA awarded $53 million to expand the institute over five years.
2. External Research Grants: CIGLR researchers serve as principal investigators on external proposals and grants from various federal and state agencies for specific research projects
3. Donations: The institute accepts donations through the University of Michigan's donation portal to support research activities

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CIGLR conducts Great Lakes environmental research through a Research Institute and a Regional Consortium, producing science-based products for NOAA, resource managers, and the public. Core work spans harmful algal bloom monitoring, real-time observing systems, operational forecasting, hypoxia early warning, invasive species research, ecosystem services, and AI/ML applications for environmental prediction.

Product overview

CIGLR is a research institute that operates as a consortium of research programs and knowledge products rather than a commercial product company. The core research areas include the Great Lakes AI Lab, Great Lakes Observing Systems, Hypoxia Early Warning System, Great Lakes Forecasting, Harmful Algal Blooms Research, Great Lakes Ecology, Invasive Species Research, and Ecosystem Services and Restoration. Supporting knowledge products include Publications, Factsheets & Brochures, and Videos that translate research findings for various audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Great Lakes AI Lab An AI research program applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance Great Lakes science, environmental monitoring, and predictive modeling.
• Great Lakes Observing Systems Research developing and maintaining observing systems that collect real-time data on wave heights, water temperatures, ice conditions, and algal blooms for public safety and environmental monitoring.
• Hypoxia Early Warning System Research program developing early warning capabilities for hypoxic conditions in Great Lakes waters, supporting ecosystem health monitoring and protection.
• Great Lakes Forecasting Research focused on developing operational forecast systems for Great Lakes conditions including water levels, wave forecasts, and environmental predictions.
• Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Research Research program studying harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie and other Great Lakes, including toxin detection, bloom prediction, and ecosystem impact assessment.
• Great Lakes Ecology Research Research program studying ecosystem function, food webs, and ecological processes in the Great Lakes, including the impacts of invasive species.
• Invasive Species Research Research program focused on understanding and predicting the spread of invasive species such as Asian carp and quagga mussels in the Great Lakes.
• Ecosystem Services and Restoration Research Research program studying ecosystem services provided by the Great Lakes and developing restoration strategies for degraded areas.
• Publications Scientific publications and research papers produced by CIGLR researchers on Great Lakes topics, made available through the institute's resources page.
• Factsheets and Brochures Educational materials and informational brochures about Great Lakes research, findings, and environmental topics, made available to stakeholders and the public.
• Videos Video content documenting CIGLR research, fieldwork, and educational presentations about Great Lakes science, hosted on the institute's YouTube channel.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided real-time data used for public safety, beach monitoring, shipping, and fishing across the Great Lakes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal sponsor. CIGLR is jointly sponsored by NOAA and the University of Michigan. The current Cooperative Agreement was awarded in 2017. CIGLR researchers are fully integrated into NOAA's scientific enterprise at GLERL.
• University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution. CIGLR is hosted by SEAS at the University of Michigan. The institute was established in 1989 with a Memorandum of Understanding between U-M and the Undersecretary of Oceans and Atmosphere.
• NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary research partner. CIGLR's researchers are housed at NOAA GLERL and work in direct collaboration with GLERL scientists. Together they study pressing issues including climate, harmful algal blooms, and ecosystem services protection.
• Central Michigan UniversityregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium. Collaborates with CIGLR and NOAA GLERL to conduct research and engage with stakeholders.
• Cornell UniversityregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• Grand Valley State UniversityregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• Lake Superior State UniversityregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• Michigan State UniversityregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• University of Minnesota-DuluthregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• Ohio State UniversityregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• University of WindsorregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• Fondriest EnvironmentalregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate sector partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• Great Lakes Environmental CenterregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate sector partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• LimnoTechregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate sector partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• The Nature Conservancy, Great LakesregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.
• National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional CenterregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO partner in CIGLR Regional Consortium.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO): NOAA Cooperative Institute at the University of Washington; sister institute conducting collaborative atmospheric and oceanographic research with NOAA, structurally similar to CIGLR in mission and funding model.
• Cooperative Institute for Satellite Studies (CIMSS): NOAA Cooperative Institute hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; peer in the Cooperative Institute system focused on meteorological satellite studies and environmental modeling, sharing CIGLR's federal-cooperative structure and academic hosting arrangement.
• Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic Satellite Studies (CIOSS): NOAA Cooperative Institute hosted at Oregon State University; sister institute focused on satellite oceanography, sharing the Cooperative Institute sponsorship structure with CIGLR.
• CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences): NOAA Cooperative Institute hosted at the University of Colorado Boulder; most comparable peer as a sister NOAA Cooperative Institute with similar federal sponsorship model, research-and-workforce-development mission, and multi-university consortium structure.

Emerging players

• LimnoTech: Private-sector water science and engineering firm that is a CIGLR consortium partner; comparable as a Great Lakes-focused water quality consulting/research organization operating alongside CIGLR's mission.
• Great Lakes Environmental Center: Private-sector environmental research organization that is a CIGLR consortium partner; comparable as an applied Great Lakes environmental research entity overlapping with CIGLR's water quality and ecotoxicology work.

Regional players

• Great Lakes Commission: Binational Great Lakes policy and research coordinating body; comparable as a Great Lakes-focused regional entity that convenes research, policy, and stakeholder engagement around Great Lakes sustainability.
• International Joint Commission: Binational US-Canada organization managing Great Lakes water quality and water quantity issues; comparable as a regional institution involved in Great Lakes monitoring, scientific assessment, and policy translation.

Broad incumbents

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI): Larger, established non-profit oceanographic research institution; comparable in mission (marine and freshwater environmental research) and non-profit research institute model, though far larger in scale and broader in geographic scope than CIGLR.

Others

• The Nature Conservancy Great Lakes: CIGLR consortium partner and NGO; comparable as a Great Lakes conservation and science stakeholder, though operating as a conservation organization rather than a research institute.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooperative-institute-for-great-lakes-research
• Xx.com/CIGLR_UM

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research