The Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs hosted a Policy Research Symposium and ribbon cutting to launch their new research centers – Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs (NSFA) and Center for Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Policy (CETEP). The two centers transitioned from the Global Security Program and the Energy and Environment Program, which were formerly part of the Baker Center.

NSFA faculty, fellows, and affiliates provide critical insights through research on national and international security and foreign policy solutions. The center focuses on Indo-Pacific security and economic relations, specifically on U.S.-Japan relations, because of the region’s strategic importance to U.S. national security and in honor of Howard Baker’s role as U.S. ambassador to Japan.

“The creation of NSFA will help us build broader partnerships with experts in a wider range of issue areas that are key challenges to U.S. national security and foreign policy, especially the ever-increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Dr. Krista Wiegand, director of the previous Global Security program and now NSFA center.

CETEP’s affiliated faculty and experts will work at the intersection of energy and transportation technology innovation, the natural environment, energy markets, and human behavior. These interdisciplinary academic and public sector collaborations are increasingly valuable to policymakers. CETEP also supports the State of Tennessee’s Energy Policy Council.

“CETEP will expand the Baker School’s role as a nationally recognized hub, convenor, and knowledge generator,” said Dr. Charles Sims, director of the previous Energy and Environment Program and now CETEP. “We’ll educate and train a new generation of bright and talented undergraduate and graduate students for careers in environmental, transportation, and energy policy, and I want to thank all of those involved for making this happen.” Fellows and affiliates working with NSFA and CETEP span 12 colleges and more than 20 departments at UT and extend to industry, every level of government, and the nonprofit sector. During the past 10 years, the Global Security program was awarded more than $2.5 million in grants and contracts from sources including the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Department of State, Y-12 Consolidated Nuclear Services, and the Korea Foundation. Since 2014, the E&E program brought in more than $8 million in external funding to the university from a variety of sources, including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Pew Foundation.