The Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke was founded as the nation's first school of the environment. The Nicholas School is among the world's premier graduate research and professional schools for the interdisciplinary study of the environment, biological, physical and social sciences. Its faculty members include experts in diverse fields, and the school offers a wide array of programs for undergraduate, graduate and continuing educational study. The school works in conjunction with The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, which Duke established in 2005 as a nonpartisan institute to engage with decision-makers in government, the private sector and the nonprofit community to develop innovative proposals that address critical environmental challenges.