It is NEMAC’s goal to benefit the University in expanding ways to promote faculty and undergraduate research and scholarship.  NEMAC has been pursuing this goal through collaborations with government and private professionals.  These collaborations have provided opportunities for Student and Faculty Research to reach beyond the campus, and provided grant funding for equipment and resources now available to the research community at UNCA.  In addition NEMAC staff enjoy contributing by offering lectures, and related courses.

Goals and Objectives:
I. To become the preeminent working model of university, government and private sector collaborative research; this will be accomplished

• A. Initiating and maintaining an open dialogue with faculty and student researchers, administrators, and staff from UNC Asheville and other universities, government agencies, commercial businesses and non profit organizations;
  
  B. Making collaborative research ventures the focal point of NEMAC’s  efforts; and
  
  C. Working with local, state, and federal officials to become an integral  component of the environmental modeling and economic development planning process.
  

II. To promote faculty and undergraduate research and scholarship; this will be accomplished by

A. Identifying faculty research interests and securing appropriate funding;
B. Involving student research in each submitted research proposal; and
C. Incorporating into proposals, when feasible, curriculum development  activities.

III. To stimulate economic development activities in the Western Carolina Region; this will be accomplished by:

A. Supporting the establishment of a climate information-based industry through grant acquisition for collaborative research efforts;
B. Leveraging the desire of private- and public-sector leaders in the  region—which has lost over 4700 manufacturing jobs during the past 14  months—for sustainable employment opportunities; and
 C. Hosting interdisciplinary workshops and symposia to increase awareness of, and develop solutions for, the environmental and associated economic needs of the region.

IV. To remain financially self-sufficient and contribute to the financial and scholastic welfare of UNC Asheville and the UNC system; this will be accomplished by:

A. Identifying and securing federal, state, and foundation grants; 
B. Commercializing/licensing applicable products developed by NEMAC-managed consortia; and C. Providing oversight activities for federal and state research and student intern programs.

V. To Contribute to the well-being of the environment and society in general; this will be accomplished by:

A. Modeling environmental processes that impact human and environmental health (e.g., air quality, storm water discharge, extreme storms); and
B. Increasing the predictability of events and positively affecting local, regional and state economies and the quality of life for all individuals.