Research Centers
The mission of the Addiction Science Center is to partner with affected communities in Central Appalachia to advance the science of substance misuse prevention and treatment
Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services
The Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services aims to promote a deeper understanding of Appalachia and to serve the region through research, education, preservation, and community engagement. Founded in 1984, the Center is a Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) Distinguished Center of Excellence. It includes the Regional Resources Institute, the Archives of Appalachia, the Reece Museum, and the Institute for Appalachian Music and Culture.
Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women’s Health
The ETSU Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women's Health (CARE Women’s Health) is committed to improving the lives of women and their families through education, clinical practice, and research. CARE Women’s Health is at the forefront of these efforts by producing high-quality science and providing world-class training for students in the diverse field of women’s health research. We prioritize applied research, rigorous evaluation and policy analyses that inform current issues and developments in population health. Our team is unique in the disciplinary, substantive and methodological diversity of our investigators. We leverage this expertise to work with health and policy leaders in shaping policies and programs affecting women’s health at the local, regional, and national levels.
Center for the Study of Finance
The Center for the Study of Finance is a leader in quality banking education and strives to provide quality education and to promote and support economic and technical development in our region.
Center for Community Outreach and Applied Research
The mission of the East Tennessee State University Center for Community Outreach is to utilize university expertise and resources in the provision of work force services, human services, and clinical outreach to the citizens of East Tennessee.
Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Development
The Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Development aims to provide exceptional development to practitioners, families, and professionals who work within the broad arena of early childhood, as well as support high-quality programs for children through sponsoring research and innovation across multiple sectors within our community.
Center for Rural Health and Research
The Center for Rural Health and Research works to improve health and well-being at the community, state, regional and national levels by engaging rural communities to advance health and improve quality of life through innovative solutions that contribute to the expanding evidence base of what works in rural America.
Center of Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity
The mission of the Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity is to coordinate efforts and facilitate interactions among members of the ETSU biomedical research community in order to advance education, research, and clinical applications in inflammation, immune, and infectious diseases.
Center of Excellence in STEM Education
The Center of Excellence in STEM Education strives to support and connect students, PK-12 educators, higher education faculty members, and community members in their STEM teaching and learning efforts.
Center for Nursing Advancement
Founded in October 2021 at ETSU with support from Ballad Health, the Appalachian Highlands Center for Nursing Advancement was established to address the growing nursing workforce needs. In 2022, the Tennessee legislature formally created the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement. In September 2024, both centers will merge to form a unified Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement. This merger aims to enhance nursing workforce development and education, address nursing shortages, and tackle healthcare challenges in Tennessee and the Appalachian Highlands. Additionally, it will strengthen collaboration among academic programs, clinical practice, and local schools.
Center of Excellence in Paleontology
The Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology provides an umbrella of excellence in paleontological research, teaching, training, and public education at East Tennessee State University.
Center for Cardiovascular Risk Research
The Center for Cardiovascular Risk Research will mitigate cardiovascular diseases burden by engaging in research focused on patient-centered care, patient-centered outcomes research, and comparative effectiveness research.
Center for Community College Leadership
The ETSU Center for Community College Leadership is a regional leader in P-20 policy analysis and education trends, focusing on the entire education continuum from preschool through higher education. The Center's mission is to address the challenges in post-secondary education, particularly in community colleges and leadership, by offering a multidisciplinary perspective. Established to increase the number of well-prepared leaders in Tennessee Board of Regents institutions and colleges nationwide, the Center plays a critical role in shaping education’s future. Through research, policy analysis, and leadership development, it works to improve educational outcomes and prepare innovative leaders for evolving P-20 education needs.
Center for Interprofessional Collaboration
The mission of the Center for Interprofessional Collaboration is to cultivate learning environments that use team based principles and values to improve the culture of education, health, and community.
Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody
East Tennessee State University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has developed a multidisciplinary team to serve children who are at-risk for or in state custody. The State of Tennessee has designated the program a Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody. The ETSU COE is part of a statewide network of five regional Centers of Excellence dedicated to improving behavioral and physical health services by providing consultation for children with complex medical, behavioral, psychological, and psychiatric problems.
ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
The ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center’s mission is to conduct robust rural health services research that informs strategies and recommendations for policy makers, rural health care providers, and rural communities to improve health and well-being by improving access to health care and behavioral health services and advancing health equity.
Center of Excellence in Sport Science and Coach Education
The Center of Excellence in Sport Science and Coach Education works in conjunction with the Exercise and Sport Science department under the College of Education. The goal of this center is to address issues of sport performance and apply that research to better educate coaches, improve athlete performance and increase injury prevention.
Tennessee Small Business Development Center
East Tennessee State University's Tennessee Small Business Development Center provides educational opportunities for individuals thinking about starting a business and consulting services for existing firms.
Tennessee Public Health Training Center
The Tennessee Public Health Training Center is a workforce development partnership aimed at public health employees in the state of Tennessee. TNPHTC's mission is to provide a home for the collaborative partnership between Tennessee’s academic public health training providers and the Tennessee’s public health workforce, and to provide comprehensive, competency-based training for that workforce.
The Center for Global Engagement is committed to enhancing internationalization across the teaching, research, and service missions of ETSU through an array of global learning programs and opportunities available to students, staff, faculty, and partners, near and far.
Center for Rural Education and Development
The establishment of the Center for Rural Education and Development marks a significant milestone in addressing the distinct educational challenges faced by rural communities through the lens of cultural rural wealth. The vision is a hub that celebrates and harnesses the cultural wealth of rural communities, fostering innovative solutions in education and development that promote sustainable growth and expand opportunities for all. The mission is to engage in transformative research, implement culturally relevant programs, and cultivate strong partnerships that elevate the unique strengths and address the educational continuum that spans from preschool through postsecondary education (college, graduate school), and into the workforce in rural communities.
Research Institutes
Child and Family Health Institute
The mission of the Child and Family Health Institute supports students, faculty, and staff in efforts to improve child and family health and well-being through research, education, service, program development, and advocacy in our region.
ETSU/Ballad Strong Brain Institute
The Strong Brain Institute conducts research, collaborates with organizations, and provides training to promote resilience and mitigate the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Institute for Computation and Research in Data Science
The Institute for Computation and Research in Data Science was established in 2015 to provide faculty and students at ETSU with the resources to support and advance their knowledge and skills in the emerging field of Data Science.
Institute for Integrated Behavioral Health
The Institute for Integrated Behavioral Health aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a research, training, and clinical service delivery program that strengthens primary care and its workforce and serves as regional model for integrated care.
Tennessee Institute of Public Health
The mission of the TNIPH, as a free-standing independent entity, is to foster measurable improvements in the health and wellness of all Tennesseans through conducting and promoting statewide multi-sector initiatives, including data driven planning, health education and public awareness, and research and advocacy for effective health-related policy.
Divisions
Human Research Protection Program
The ETSU Human Research Protection Program's mission is to safeguard research participants, researchers, and the institution during the conduct of research involving human subjects through policy development, education, and monitoring.
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Administration
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Administration (ORSPA) assists members of the ETSU community in securing and managing external funding for their research, creative, instructional, and service activities.
The ETSU Research Corporation drives scholarly and artistic research for maximum impact by supporting innovators and organizations through entrepreneurial ecosystem development.
The Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) is charged with providing laboratory animal care services and assuring humane treatment of all animals used for teaching and research at ETSU.
Committees
The ETSU Institutional BioSafety and Chemical Safety Committee is responsible for developing institutional biosafety policies and for reviewing and approving research that uses biohazards, recombinant DNA and ensuring that protocols conform with the proper guidelines.
University Committee on Animal Care (UCAC)
The University Committee on Animal Care is charged with the oversight of animal care and use in all programs associated with East Tennessee State University.
The Export Control Advisory Committee will provide oversight and will make recommendations to the Empowered Official or his delegate to implement procedures and encourage compliance with export control regulations.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee established to review research involving human subjects. All research that involves humans as participants requires IRB review and approval prior to initiation of the study. The primary purpose of IRBs is to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research under their authority.
Institutional Review Board Medical Campus
Review all proposals involving research on human subjects submitted by faculty, staff and students from the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, the ETSU College of Pharmacy, and the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and from other Colleges or institutions operating under contractual agreement with ETSU where warranted by the content of the study and requested by either the principal investigator or Chair of the ETSU Campus IRB.
Intellectual Property Committee
The Intellectual Property Committee (IPC) is authorized by the East Tennessee State University Intellectual Property Policy. The IPC shall, in accord with the University's Intellectual Property Policy, conduct investigations as it deems necessary to evaluate invention and authorship disclosures by faculty, staff, and students at the university.
Serve as an advisory body to the Vice Provost for Research on matters pertaining to research, scholarship and creative activities within the University.