Center for Environmental Research, Education & Outreach

What Center for Environmental Research, Education & Outreach does

The Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach (CEREO) is an interdisciplinary research and education network within Washington State University, headquartered in Pullman, Washington, with system-wide reach across WSU's Pullman, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Spokane campuses. The center coordinates a network of more than 350 faculty, staff, students, and community leaders drawn from more than 60 WSU academic units to address environmental challenges — including wildfire, drought, ecosystem restoration, water quality, and resource governance — primarily in the Pacific Northwest's Columbia River Basin. CEREO provides pre- and post-award support for grant-funded projects, facilitates interdisciplinary team building, and runs graduate certificate programs (C-NSPIRE, Rivers/Watersheds and Communities), professional development workshops (R/Python, Climate Change Education, Data Management), and the Climate Change Related Research (C2R2) initiative with seed funding.

CEREO operates as a non-commercial university support unit and does not charge for its services. Its revenue mechanics are grant-driven: it coordinates and supports affiliated PIs in securing federal funding from NSF (NRT, DISES, FEW Resilience), NASA (FireEarth decision support tool), USFS (wildfire-drinking water), and state/private sources, supplemented by university allocations and small donor contributions through the WSU Foundation. Strategic partnerships span WSU internal units (College of Engineering, Environmental Sciences, ORAP), peer universities (University of Idaho, UC Merced), and federal and regional networks (NASA, USFS, NSF, Intermountain West Transformation Network, Transect of the Americas). Distribution is primarily through WSU's academic infrastructure and direct community engagement across the Pacific Northwest, with no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, or commercial product line.

Name

Center for Environmental Research, Education & Outreach

Legal name

Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach

Website

https://cereo.wsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CEREO is a Washington State University research and education network of more than 350 faculty, students, and community leaders that coordinates interdisciplinary environmental research, graduate certificates, and proposal development support across the Pacific Northwest, primarily funded through federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (61171), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Environmental research
• Graduate education
• Community engagement
• Interdisciplinary research
• Watershed science

Headquarters

HQ city

Pullman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant-Funded Research: CEREO supports researchers in securing and managing grant-funded projects from federal agencies (NSF, USDA, USFS, NASA), state sources, and private foundations. The center facilitates proposal development, interdisciplinary team building, and project support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEREO is an interdisciplinary academic research network at Washington State University that supports environmental research, graduate-level education (certificate programs), and community outreach. It provides pre- and post-award support for grant-funded projects, hosts proposal development workshops, offers graduate certificates (C-NSPIRE, Rivers/Watersheds/Communities), and convenes researchers with Pacific Northwest community partners to address climate, water, and ecosystem challenges.

Product overview

CEREO (Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach) is an academic network at Washington State University offering educational programs, workshops, and research initiatives focused on environmental challenges. The portfolio includes graduate certificate programs (C-NSPIRE, Rivers/Watersheds/Communities), professional development workshops (R/Python Working Groups, Climate Change Education, Data Management), and the Climate Change Related Research (C2R2) initiative providing proposal development support. These programs work together to build interdisciplinary capacity for addressing complex environmental issues through research, education, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• C-NSPIRE Certificate Program An interdisciplinary graduate certificate program at Washington State University focused on carbon and nitrogen cycling science, policy studies, and communication skills for addressing environmental issues at the science-policy interface. It is designed for WSU graduate students seeking training that bridges environmental science and policy.
• R and Python Working Groups Working groups providing hands-on training in R and Python programming for environmental research and data analysis, offered to WSU faculty, staff, and students.
• Climate Change Education Workshop Workshops and educational programs focused on climate change topics and pedagogy for WSU students and faculty.
• Data Management Workshops Workshops teaching data management practices for environmental research, provided to WSU researchers and students.
• Rivers, Watersheds, Communities Graduate Research Traineeship Program An NSF-funded graduate traineeship program connecting WSU students with communities to integrate scientific information, public policy, and local knowledge toward solutions for river and watershed challenges in the Columbia River Basin.
• Rivers, Watersheds and Communities Certificate Program A graduate certificate program at WSU focused on watershed science and community engagement.
• Climate Change Related Research (C2R2) Initiative A WSU-system initiative supporting climate change related research through proposal development workshops, networking events, and funding opportunities for WSU researchers across 60+ departments.
• Engaged Climate Research Proposal Development Workshop A 1.5-day workshop supporting WSU teams pursuing competitive funding on interdisciplinary, environmental topics related to climate change, with $5,000 grants awarded to selected teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Two teams selected to receive $5,000 awards for proposal development
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• WSU College of EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSU units including Engineering collaborate on research projects such as the Rivers, Watersheds, Communities Graduate Research Traineeship Program and wildfire-related water utility research.
• WSU Environmental SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental Sciences department is a key partner in multiple research initiatives including reservoir management rules, drinking water security, and headwater system resilience projects.
• WSU Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships (ORAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORAP co-sponsors Climate and Environmental Research Proposal Development Workshops with CEREO, supporting interdisciplinary proposal development for climate change research.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF provides major funding for CEREO projects including the NRT Rivers, Watersheds, Communities program, DISES research on reservoir systems, and FEW Resilience in the Columbia River Basin.
• US Forest Service (USFS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFS funds the Building Drinking Water Security in a Wildfire-Prone Future project exploring relationships between wildfire and drinking water in the Pacific Northwest.
• NASAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA funds the FireEarth decision support tool project for wildfire-impacted water utilities, adapting research modeling frameworks into practical tools.
• University of IdahomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the FireEarth modeling framework for assessing wildfire vulnerability across the Pacific Northwest.
• University of California MercedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the FireEarth modeling framework project alongside WSU and University of Idaho.
• National Park ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerC-NSPIRE graduate student completed capstone experience as a geoscientist park intern through AmeriCorps-NPS partnership, working with North Coast and Cascades network.
• Intermountain West Transformation NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded collaborative network addressing wildfire, water security, and sustainable agriculture challenges across the Intermountain West region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment: Larger, well-endowed Stanford institute funding interdisciplinary environmental research, education, and policy translation. Operates in the same space as CEREO but with greater scale, broader geographic scope, and a wider portfolio of programs.
• Duke Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability: Duke policy-oriented institute that bridges energy, environmental, and climate research with education and government engagement. Broader mandate and stronger policy focus than CEREO, but directly comparable as a university convener on climate and sustainability.

Direct peers

• University of Washington Climate Impacts Group: A university-based interdisciplinary group producing climate science, vulnerability assessments, and policy-relevant research for the Pacific Northwest. Highly comparable to CEREO in mission, regional focus, and integration of research with stakeholder engagement.
• UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences: UC Davis unit that integrates watershed science, graduate training, and stakeholder outreach on water resources. Closely mirrors CEREO's watershed-community-engaged scholarship model, especially the Rivers/Watersheds/Communities program.
• Colorado State University Colorado Water Center: University-based center advancing water research, workforce training, and stakeholder engagement across the Intermountain West. Comparable structure, federal funding base, and integration of science with community and policy partners.
• Oregon State University Institute for Natural Resources: Oregon State University institute supporting interdisciplinary natural-resource research, education, and outreach in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable regional peer with similar land-grant university structure and stakeholder engagement mission.
• University of Michigan Graham Sustainability Institute: University-wide institute coordinating sustainability and environmental research, education, and policy engagement across multiple schools. Mirrors CEREO's convening model and interdisciplinary climate/environmental focus at a larger R1 university.
• University of Arizona Institute of the Environment: University-wide institute coordinating interdisciplinary environmental research, education, and outreach with particular strength in water and climate adaptation. Closely comparable structure and mission to CEREO, though operating in a different western US region.

Regional players

• University of Idaho College of Natural Resources: Regional land-grant college focused on natural resources, forestry, and water science with strong extension and community engagement. Already a CEREO collaborator on FireEarth, serving overlapping Pacific Northwest communities and stakeholders.
• National Park Service Climate Adaptation Science Centers: Federal network that co-produces climate adaptation science with universities, tribes, and agencies. Already a CEREO partner through NPS capstone experiences, and comparable in mission to translate climate science into actionable resource management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WSUCEREO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-state-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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