Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders (CEREL)

The Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders (CEREL) is a multidisciplinary membership organization made up of heads of academic energy research and education centers, institutes, and programs. It will provide the means for leaders in energy research, education, and communication to collaboratively use knowledge about energy to improve education, decision-making, and, more generally, the well-being of society.

RATIONALE

Energy is the common link between the living and non-living realms of the universe, and thus it is an integrator across all fields in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, education, and research.  Virtually every discipline investigates some aspect of energy, including history, anthropology, public policy, international relations, human and ecosystem health, economics, technology, physics, geology, ecology, business management, environmental science, and engineering.  The concept of energy also is applicable at all levels of formal education and lifelong learning, and it includes many topics and tools that motivate successful learning.  Consumers are increasingly confronted with decisions about the cost and availability of different forms of household energy, while diverse groups in civil society organize around political, social, and environmental ramifications of the energy system.

Despite its overarching importance, there is no coherent field of energy studies; the scientific, engineering, economic, and sociological communities share no common energy journals, conferences, or identity.  There is a wealth of information about energy, but it is spread across many books, journals, websites, disciplines, ideologies, and user communities. 

CEREL will provide the means for leaders in energy research, education, and communication to collaboratively use knowledge about energy to improve education, decision-making, and, more generally, the well-being of society.

COMPOSITION

CEREL will include the full range of institutions, programs, people and perspectives that comprise the energy field.  In the academic arena this includes public and private institutions of every size and academic orientation, including education, research, and communication issues.

Membership is open to leaders of all college and university-based energy centers and programs as well as national laboratories and related research and education units that pay the membership fee, including college and university-based energy centers and programs, national laboratories, business and industry and related research and education units. Institutions may have multiple representatives. A separate membership fee is required for each institutional unit (center, institute, program, department etc.).  Professional societies and other associations may become collaborating members. Businesses, foundations and other institutions may become sponsoring members.

ROLE OF NCSE

NCSE serves as the Secretariat for the Council.  The group will select its own leadership and determine its own policies and activities.  NCSE plays the roles of facilitator and service provider but not decisionmaker for the group. NCSE plays a similar role with the  Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD), which NCSE helped form in 2001.  

Please contact David Blockstein at NCSE with any questions or for additional information:  David@ncseonline.org; 202.207.0004.