Location

NICCS is located in DeKalb, IL. Right now, NICCS is virtual but vital, and plans are in the works for a building on NIU’s west campus, near the NIU Convocation Center.

See our location map or learn more about our facility.

Building on a Northern Illinois Legacy of Excellence in Research

NICCS builds on the rich legacy of agricultural innovation in DeKalb County and the academic excellence of NIU. Situated in the peri-urban boundary among suburban, exurban and rural environments, NICCS is in a unique position to tap into local farming and suburban communities on the edge of a megalopolis – and to understand and help respond to the rapid changes happening in each.

We’re ready to put the power of our peri-urban location to work to help us reimagine sustainability. For example:

• Mapping the boundaries of possibility. We’re well situated to answer pressing social and environmental questions by mapping the relationships between large cities and surrounding areas.
• Restoring the Prairie State. We’re looking for new ways to balance ecological restoration with residential, agricultural and industrial land use – recognizing and reckoning with the ways that people really live and use the land today.
• Reimagining exurban industry and infrastructure. We’re ready to use our location strategically to develop environmentally aware approaches to infrastructure, industry, energy, and waste disposal, which will help us revitalize local economies while also protecting precious natural resources.
• Agile agriculture in the face of change. We’re eager to build on the agricultural legacy of DeKalb County, putting interdisciplinary research to work to promote innovation in sustainable food systems.
• Not your grandparents’ suburbs. The suburbs are changing rapidly, both demographically and environmentally. We’re ready to find out how we can make our suburbs more sustainable environmentally, socially and economically.