Department of soil science in Isfahan university of Technology was selected as center of excellences by Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in 2000. Since then, the department has been conducting intense applied research in the different areas of soil science. It continued the activities for a 5-year period and successfully completed many projects, most of which under grants and contracts with the industries. Again, in 2005, it was selected as center of excellences to study about soil and water pollution in Isfahan and neighborhood provinces. It was named afterwards as “Center of Excellences for Soil and Water Pollution Studies”. Tens of the university's graduate students have completed their Masters or Ph.D. thesis towards subjects defined and supported by the center. This center of excellences is supposed to continue their activities until 2009.