The Monterey Institute is home to four important research centers, each specializing in a key area of international concern. Research center staff, Monterey Institute teaching faculty, and Monterey graduate students work intensively to unearth original approaches to pressing issues on the international scene.

• The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) sponsors research, seminars and lectures relating to East Asia.
• The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) focuses on the spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
• Globalization and Localization of Business Exports (GLOBE) does research and consulting in the expanding field of adapting technology for use in other markets and cultures.

Monterey Institute research centers are no ivory-tower think tanks. They address immediate issues and provided directly applicable data, information and recommendations for practitioners in their respective fields. Monterey graduate students gain valuable experience and explore career possibilities through immersion in real-world research problems, guided by research center faculty and staff.