The Foundation of Our Work
Our Mission
To build a future where people and planet prosper together.
Our mission is explicitly future-oriented, expressing our commitment to systems-level change. By linking people and planet, we recognize that human wellbeing and the natural world are inseparable. The environment sustains us physically, economically, socially and culturally – and the work of building a sustainable future must account for all of it.
Our Vision
Sustainable and thriving communities – equipped to rapidly, collectively and effectively overcome environmental challenges.
We envision a world where the knowledge needed to build a sustainable future is abundant and accessible, where the people leading this work are supported and connected, and where the stories that inspire action are widely shared – driving progress at scale.
Our Values
Curiosity and collaboration; diversity and inclusion; ambition and innovation – all on the foundation of our strategic orientation.
Our values guide how we make decisions, build relationships and show up for our partners and community. We return to these values regularly, asking whether they still reflect who we are and who we are becoming – an expression of our belief that good work requires a willingness to grow.
At IonE, we believe the most pressing environmental challenges of our time are also opportunities – to build something together that none of us could build alone. Through our work, we want to demonstrate that a university can be a genuine force for change in the world.”
How We Show Up
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Curiosity: We are open-minded, inquisitive and always seeking to learn – from research, from one another and from the communities and partners we work with.
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Collaboration: We strive to be good partners – across disciplines, geographies, sectors and ideologies – because the challenges we face require all of us working together.
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Diversity: We seek to empower all people working toward a sustainable future, and recognize our responsibility to center the voices of those most affected by the challenges we work to address.
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Inclusion: We believe that different ways of knowing and different lived experiences make our work stronger. We strive to create a space where everyone – regardless of background, discipline or perspective – feels welcome, heard and valued.
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Ambition: We set big, meaningful goals and hold ourselves to them – believing that the scale of the challenges we face demands nothing less than our best and most determined effort.
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Innovation: We are creative and flexible in how we pursue our goals – open to new approaches, willing to experiment and committed to learning from what works and what doesn't.
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Strategic orientation: Across all of our values and in all of our work, we hold ourselves accountable to outcomes. We strive to set clear goals, evaluate our progress honestly, and stay open to changing course when the evidence calls for it.
Learn More
An Integrated Approach
IonE's mission, vision and values come alive across everything we do – from how we fund and steward research, to how we build community, to how we tell the stories of sustainability in action. Explore the resources below to learn more about the ideas and commitments at the core of our work.