NSF Renews Support for Logistics Research

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Science Foundation has announced that it will continue funding the Center for Engineering Logistics and Distribution for the next five years. CELDi is a cooperative research center, comprising eight universities and led by the industrial engineering department in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas.

The center provides research and solutions for logistics and distribution problems encountered by organizational partners. These partners, who range from government to commercial backgrounds, join the center for a minimum $50,000 contribution each year.

The renewal grant was awarded for $470,000 over five years to cover the base operations at the University of Arkansas.

“We are excited that the center’s funding has been renewed by the National Science Foundation, and we look forward to continuing to lead the largest NSF sponsored industry/university research center to an even higher level of support for our member organizations,” said Russell D. Meller, director of the center and the Hefley Professor of Logistics and Entrepreneurship.

The center was initiated in 2002 as a multi-university research center working in collaboration with over 30 industry-based businesses.  

Partners include the University of Louisville, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Lehigh University, University of Nebraska, Texas Tech University and Clemson University.

Increasing global competition, customer requirements and the evolution of the Internet are dramatically and continually changing the way companies operate. These challenges are forcing companies to rethink the way they do business, the products and services they offer, and the transportation modes they use to bring these products to market.

A large bookseller in the United States recently announced that the company would no longer use an online distribution giant after analyzing the pros and cons of outsourcing the work. Financial and customer relations issues were taken into account during the analysis. The study determined that, by taking back the distribution function, the company would save money and build stronger ties to the customer base. This is one example of how logistics and distribution problems and solutions can significantly impact the way companies conduct business.

 “CELDi is uniquely positioned to be the one-stop source for logistics and distribution problem-solving that looks at system design by considering operational impact,” Meller said.