UGA Institute for Disaster Management

What UGA Institute for Disaster Management does

The UGA Institute for Disaster Management is an academic and applied-research unit housed within the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia. It delivers one of only six Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited MPH programs nationwide with a disaster management concentration, alongside an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in Community Resilience and Disaster Continuity (CRDC), a PhD pathway, and an undergraduate minor in disaster management. Its faculty combine academic credentials with active real-world disaster response experience, including epidemiology and emergency management leadership roles.

Beyond instruction, the institute operates a portfolio of service programs targeting healthcare facilities, government agencies, and communities — including the CNA Virtual Skills Evaluation platform (a digital assessment tool for certified nursing assistants), Emergency Notification Systems modeling, South Carolina long-term care infectious disease training, rural healthcare facility resilience programs, and the "15 'til Surge" mass-casualty training developed jointly with the National Disaster Life Support Foundation in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Technical components include GIS-based modeling for emergency notification and digital evaluation platforms; CMS Appendix Z compliance expertise anchors its healthcare regulatory work.

The institute's business model is grant- and tuition-driven rather than commercial: revenue flows from federal grants (USDA Forest Service, NSF), state appropriations channeled through UGA, CMS-related funding streams, tuition and fees from graduate and certificate programs, and contract service revenue from institutional clients such as long-term care operators and healthcare facilities across the Southeast. Geographic reach is claimed across all 50 U.S. states and 33 countries, with concentrated activity in Georgia and South Carolina.

Name

UGA Institute for Disaster Management

Legal name

University of Georgia Institute for Disaster Management

Website

https://idm.publichealth.uga.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The UGA Institute for Disaster Management is an academic unit within the University of Georgia's College of Public Health that offers disaster-management education (MPH, certificates, PhD, minor) and runs grant-funded service programs for healthcare facilities, government agencies, and communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Academic Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate degree programs including the MPH in Disaster Management, graduate certificates, and undergraduate minor programs.
2. Grant Funding: Federal and state grant funding from agencies including USDA Forest Service, CMS Civil Money Penalty Funds, and National Science Foundation for research projects, training programs, and community outreach initiatives.
3. Training and Consulting Services: Fee-for-service training programs for healthcare facilities, long-term care organizations, and government agencies including the CNA Virtual Skills Evaluation program delivered free of charge to facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Institute delivers disaster management education and applied training through academic degree programs (undergraduate minor, graduate certificates, MPH concentration, and PhD pathway) and grant-funded service programs including a virtual Certified Nursing Assistant skills evaluation platform, emergency notification systems outreach, long-term care infectious disease training, rural healthcare resilience, and hospital surge preparedness. Programs serve students seeking careers in emergency management and healthcare facilities, government agencies, and community organizations needing emergency preparedness support.

Product overview

UGA Institute for Disaster Management offers a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and practical service initiatives. The academic arm includes an undergraduate minor, two graduate certificates (including the interdisciplinary Crisis, Risk, and Disaster Communication certificate), an MPH concentration in disaster management, and a PhD pathway. The service arm operates multiple grant-funded programs including the CNA Virtual Skills Evaluation platform, Emergency Notification Systems Grant Program, South Carolina LTC Infectious Disease Educational Program, Rural Healthcare Facility Resilience Program, and the 15 'til Surge Training Program. Together, these programs provide experiential learning for students while delivering practical disaster preparedness services to communities, healthcare facilities, and government agencies across Georgia and the broader Southeast region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CNA Virtual Skills Evaluation: A program within IDM that provides virtual CNA skills evaluations to address workforce shortages in Georgia's healthcare facilities.
• South Carolina Long Term Care Infectious Disease Educational Program (SCLTCIDEP)

Products and services

• Minor in Disaster Management Undergraduate minor program providing foundational knowledge in disaster management, including coursework and FEMA certifications for students from various majors.
• Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management Graduate-level certificate offering specialized training in disaster management concepts and practices for working professionals and graduate students.
• Graduate Certificate in Crisis, Risk, and Disaster Communication (CRDC) Interdisciplinary graduate certificate offered jointly with Grady College of Journalism and Terry College of Business, focusing on strategic crisis communication skills.
• Master of Public Health in Disaster Management MPH concentration in disaster management, one of only six nationwide programs with this specific focus, preparing students for leadership in emergency response and public health preparedness.
• PhD in Health Services Research and Policy, Disaster Management Doctoral program allowing interdisciplinary study combining health services research with disaster management specialization.
• CNA Virtual Skills Evaluation Program Regulatory-compliant virtual skills evaluation platform for Certified Nursing Assistants that streamlines certification testing and addresses workforce shortages in Georgia healthcare facilities.
• Emergency Notification Systems Grant Program USDA Forest Service-funded initiative that enhances emergency preparedness in underserved and wildfire-prone communities by supporting mass emergency notification system implementation.
• South Carolina Long Term Care Infectious Disease Educational Program (SCLTCIDEP) CMS-focused educational program providing long-term care facilities in South Carolina with training on infectious disease precautions, prevention, protection, and disinfection procedures.
• Rural Healthcare Facility Resilience Program Program helping rural healthcare facilities develop emergency preparedness plans and improve resilience to disasters.
• 15 'til Surge Training Program One-day training program developed with the Southern Regional Disaster Response System and National Disaster Life Support Foundation to enhance hospital surge preparedness for mass casualty incidents ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Georgia Tech Family Assistance Center and Institute Recovery Center Annexes Development of two annexes to Georgia Tech's Emergency Operations Plan: a Family Assistance Center for supporting families during emergencies and an Institute Recovery Center for campus continuity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% of Georgia nursing homes reached through virtual training program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Collaboration on the Emergency Notification Systems Grant Program to enhance emergency preparedness capacity of underserved communities across the United States. IDM assists in implementing programs focused on bridging communication gaps in vulnerable and wildfire-prone areas, ensuring residents have access to critical life-saving emergency information.
• Southern Regional Disaster Response System (SRDRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRDRS directed the adaptation of the 15 'til 50 framework into the comprehensive 15 'til Surge Training Program. The joint team developed this one-day training designed to enhance facility surge preparedness for hospitals in the Southeast region ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• National Disaster Life Support Foundation (NDLSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with IDM and SRDRS on developing the 15 'til Surge Training Program. The foundation provides expertise in disaster life support methodologies and regional healthcare preparedness coordination.
• Georgia Tech Office of Emergency ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop two annexes to Georgia Tech's Emergency Operations Plan: the Family Assistance Center (FAC) and Institute Recovery Center (IRC). The FAC will provide centralized support to families affected by mass casualty incidents while the IRC focuses on continuity and recovery support for campus operations.
• Crisis Communication Think Tank at Grady CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the new Graduate Certificate in Crisis, Risk, and Disaster Communication (CRDC). The Think Tank operates through three specialty areas: Crisis Communication Coalition, Crisis Insights and Analytics Lab, and Crisis Preparedness and Resilience Hub.
• Risk Management and Insurance Program at Terry College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the CRDC certificate program. The RMI program is the largest undergraduate RMI program in the U.S. and ranked in the Top 3 by U.S. News and World Report since 2006.
• Georgia Health Care AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState's largest association of long-term and post-acute health care providers. IDM has worked with GHCA to align trainings, achieve regulatory compliance, and drive better outcomes for nursing homes across Georgia.
• Georgia Department of Community HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState regulatory body that approved and partnered with IDM to launch the virtual CNA skills evaluation program, enabling statewide implementation to address CNA workforce shortages.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding source for Dr. Michelle Ritchie's research through the Navigating the New Arctic initiative. Project titled 'Arctic, Climate, and Earthquakes: Seismic Resilience and Adaptation of Arctic Infrastructure and Social Systems amid Changing Climate'.
• UGA Medical Reserve CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer organization under IDM's Assistant Director that supports emergency management, public health, and healthcare needs of Athens-Clarke County and UGA communities during times of need. MRC focuses on training, emergency preparedness, and first aid event standby.
• UGA Center for Undergraduate Research ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing undergraduate students opportunities to engage in disaster management research through the CUR program or through research assistantships at IDM.
• Magnolia ManorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term care provider that piloted the virtual CNA skills assessment program. Their feedback and collaboration helped refine the program before statewide rollout to Georgia nursing homes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/idm_uga
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEqxJSA-cKtimFLaRC4ZkUA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/ugaidm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ugaidm
• Instagraminstagram.com/idm_uga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 UGA Institute for Disaster Management