The United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research (USUCGER) was founded in 1985 to provide advocacy for the continued development and expansion of high quality geotechnical engineering research and education by US academic institutions. This discipline has evolved to include geotechnical, geomechanical, geoenvironmental, geological, and geophysical engineering.

USUCGER's overarching objective is to enhance both the community and the economy, and, through that, the quality of life, by the development and effective implementation of geotechnical infrastructure design techniques that ensure safety, health, security, and support the integrity of the environment, both in the United States and abroad. USUCGER strives to achieve this through interaction with regulatory and funding agencies, and by promoting cooperation and discussion among geotechnical engineering faculty affiliated with U.S. member institutions.