Research Agencies

Updated April 2008

CSU hosts 8 research centers as part of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station, operates the Colorado Forest Service with its 17 district offices, partners with the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, and operates CSU Extension offices in 59 Colorado counties.


CSU operates the Colorado State Forest, providing stewardship of the state’s forest resources and operating 17 district offices across Colorado.

Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station

The Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station hosts eight research centers in 10 sites throughout Colorado that conduct vital interdisciplinary research that addresses the economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social acceptability of activities that have an impact on the agriculture, natural resources, and consumers in Colorado.

Colorado State Forest Service

CSU operates the Colorado State Forest with a mission to provide for the stewardship of the state’s forest resources and to reduce related risks to life, property and the environment for the benefit of present and future generations. The Forest Service operates 17 district offices across Colorado, delivering a range of services including Forest Management, Wildland Fire, Urban and Community Forestry, and Conservation Education. As well, the Forest Service Seedling Tree Nursery grows 2 million seedlings each year, mostly outdoors, helping to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Colorado Water Institute

The Colorado Water Institute, formerly the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, is an affiliate of Colorado State University that focuses higher education water expertise on water concerns and problems Colorado citizens face. This institute partners with University water experts and Colorado water managers to address emerging water problems, such as drought, faced by Colorado citizens.

CSU Extension

CSU Extension operates offices in 59 Colorado counties to meet the needs of citizens statewide and operates programs including the 4-H Youth Development Program. Extension resources provide citizens with information on environmental topics including water resources, wildlife, sustainable agricultural practices, and drought management.

CSU Firsts

CSU has created the largest independent engines research laboratory in North America, which helps to develop distributed power grid systems, clean-burning industrial engines, two-stroke engines to reduce pollution from taxis in the Philippines and cleaner burning cookstoves in India, Nepal and Nicaragua.

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