Research is a venture into the unknown. It includes reading the past to understand the present and prepare for the future. DRI has built the foundation for its future.

A new $25.4 million Computational Research and Visualization Building (CRVB) in Reno showcases one of the world’s most technically advanced 3-D visual research devices.

This six-sided virtual reality environment will enable scientists to model actual environments and landscapes.

An estimated $40 million building is planned for the Las Vegas campus to expand hydrological sciences and help Nevada and the West better assess water resources. It will feature a unique new research tool, the Eco-Flume™ Laboratory to study the interactions of river flow, sediment, nutrients and contaminants.

Research Initiatives 2009-2012

Other research initiatives for 2009 to 2012 include:

• Developing decision-support tools to help government and the public make better informed decisions
• Expanding analysis of the structure and function of water to enhance more efficient and equitable water use
• Developing strong regional climate modeling capability and expanding climate change research
• Employing advanced computer visualization to learn more from data and modeling results across a broad research spectrum