The CENTERE serves as the organizational hub for the interdisciplinary turfgrass program spanning different Departments in the College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS). The CENTERE provides sustained funding for innovative research, supports graduate student assistantships, and maintains the acclaimed website ‘TurfFiles’, the main electronic conduit for educational outreach to the turfgrass industry and the public.

Most new research initiatives and much of the research itself is linked with graduate student education. Through yearly submission of project renewal proposals, and assuming the research is moving forward, faculty can rely on CENTERE funding to carry graduate student stipends over 2 to 4 year periods. The graduate student support is a key element for linkage with University academic priorities. From the resource base provided by the CENTERE, faculty are free to initiate cooperative projects with private industry partners to acquire additional funding, which is commonly limited to single year commitments.