We know our destination: a world in which people and the planet prosper together. We also know we won’t make it as far without a focused, ambitious roadmap. Introduced in IonE’s 2019–22 strategic plan and shaped collaboratively by our community, IonE Impact Goals lay the foundation for what we do here at the Institute on the Environment.

IonE’s 2019-2022 Impact Goals are designed to drive progress on sustainability challenges –  especially in areas where solutions either have been slow to develop or have been prevented. The inaugural, multi-year Impact Goal priorities include: building a carbon–neutral Minnesota; envisioning future sustainable land use for Minnesota; and ensuring clean drinking water for all Minnesotans. In 2021, the University made additional investments to help build a fully sustainable future, one of the MPACT25 MNtersection priority areas. 

Both of these initiatives seek to support projects and activities that have global significance, while also seeking to test and to deploy solutions in Minnesota, the home of our University’s public service mission. In 2023, IonE is directing its Impact Goal grant funds, philanthropic gifts from the Seeding The Future Foundation, and MNtersections “innovation” funding toward reaching sustainability outcomes.

2023 Impact Goals RFP Now Open!

The Impact Goals Request for Proposals (RFP) is open now through March 14, 2023. A statement of intent is due February 13. Final award selections will be made and announced by June 1, with the projects starting July 1, 2023.

Are you a member of a University of Minnesota or community team interested in working with us toward our Impact Goals and related topics? This Request for Proposals (RFP) is part of a multi-year initiative, during which IonE will competitively award grants and professionally support teams of faculty, staff, and non-University partners working on:

IonE’s current Impact Goals – becoming carbon neutral, defining a sustainable land use, and achieving clean drinking water for all; Practices and innovations at the intersection of healthy and sustainably-produced food, with attention to consumer choice and public policy; Another specific sustainability objective or outcome, including campus sustainability, that is clearly articulated as a sustainability goal and identifies the barriers that must be overcome to achieve it.

These research funds support interdisciplinary teams conducting engaged scholarship that contributes new research and associated outcomes.

A target of $1,000,000 from IonE, Seeding the Future Foundation, and MPACT25 MNtersections allocations will be awarded. We anticipate awarding a minimum of four medium-size projects ($25-50K) and four large projects ($100-200K), while allocating remaining funds to either medium or large projects that most closely align with funding prioritiesIonE’s Impact Goals.

Informational Webinar

Questions? Visit this FAQ, which will be updated with answers to common questions until the proposal deadline, or watch the 2023 Question & Answer Webinar on IonE’s YouTube channel (recorded on January 30, 2023). During the webinar, we briefly share the goals of the RFP and provide an overview of the proposal logistics before answering questions.

Read the RFPFAQ DocumentStatement of Intent FormProposal Submission Form

Other Impact Goals Opportunities

Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships: To accelerate meaningful progress on the Impact Goals, IonE is proud to partner with Extension’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP), which advance the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of Greater Minnesota through authentic community-University partnerships. This ongoing RSDP-IonE partnership can be leveraged by UMN faculty and staff to help grow or build authentic connection to Minnesota-based community partners. Currently, RSDP also has an open invitation for ideas from its partner communities that includes an Impact Goal orientation.