MS universities: RESTORE centers

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has announced that the Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE) - a consortium made up of Mississippi’s four major research universities - has been selected as the RESTORE Research Center of Excellence. Following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Congress passed the RESTORE Act to direct a portion of Clean Water Act civil penalties collected from responsible parties to the states impacted by the oil spill. It includes a 2.5 percent funding designation to establish Research Centers of Excellence. The result of the research is to enhance coastal resource management and develop practical applications to drive technology innovation and business development. (Source: WDAM TV 10/15/15) Central Mississippi Note: The MBRACE consortium includes the University of Southern Mississippi, Jackson State University, University of Mississippi, and Mississippi State University. USM is to serve as the lead institution within the University’s Center for Gulf Studies.