The Great Lakes RCE (GLRCE ) is a consortium of 27 academic and research institutions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin and is administered by its Administrative Core at the University of Chicago. A complete list of GLRCE institutions and their locations is available on the institutions page.

The GLRCE is committed to funding development of new vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to counteract diseases caused by bio-threat agents via the combined research excellence of inter-disciplinary scientists in the Great Lakes region. The main foci of our research are top priority NIAID Category A agents—Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis ,Yersinia pestis, Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins, Variola major, and Ebola or Marburg Virus (hemorrhagic fever viruses). However, important work on NIAID Category B and C agents, i.e. Brucella melitensis, Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella spp., or Rickettsia spp. is also considered for funding.

To achieve its goals, the GLRCE promotes collaboration and state of the art technologies, as well as interactions with the pharmaceutical industry to allow rapid translation of basic research findings to commercial products. Current emphasis in the Great Lakes RCE includes new vaccines to prevent plague and botulism, and new drug therapies for anthrax, hemorrhagic fever viruses and pox viruses. Basic research into the effectiveness of new vaccines and adjuvants as well as diagnostic tools for the category A agents are also high priority research goals.

This organization is recognized as one of the Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (RCEs) by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).