The Institute on the Environment partners with organizations and individuals across sectors to advance environmental research, education and engagement. Partnership can take many forms. Explore the pathways below and get in touch.
Two Ways to Engage
Partnership with IonE ranges from formal, structured collaboration to longer-term relationships built around ongoing exchange. Both partnership pathways are valuable – and both are welcome.
Formal Partnerships
Formal partnerships involve documented agreements, defined roles and shared accountability for outcomes. Collaborating on Impact Goals funded projects, sponsored research arrangements (such as grants or contracts), and education program partnerships all fall into this category.
Ongoing Collaboration
Many of IonE's most meaningful relationships don't fit a formal mold. Organizations and individuals who engage regularly with IonE's work – as advisors, event collaborators or long-term network members – are partners in every meaningful sense.
Research Partnership Pathways
IonE's research partnerships are built around shared goals and outcomes. Here are the primary ways to engage.
Shared Goals
Our best partnerships start with a conversation. IonE works with prospective partners to develop shared goals and identify the ideas, approaches and funding opportunities that can carry them forward. If you’re exploring what a research partnership with IonE might look like, this is where to begin.
Impact Goals Projects
Our Impact Goals grantmaking program funds interdisciplinary teams working to overcome barriers to sustainability “in Minnesota, for the world.” Partners formally represent their organizations as team members – defining the challenge, shaping the approach and translating results into real-world impact.
Sponsored Projects
IonE's research faculty are also available to engage as principal investigators on grant or contract research (also known as sponsored projects), bringing deep expertise to organizations that have questions research could answer. Get in touch to start a conversation about what’s possible.
Interested in a research partnership? Tell us about your organization and the challenge you're working on.
Education Partnership Pathways
IonE connects organizations and individuals with meaningful opportunities to engage in sustainability education. This type of partnership includes everything from hosting emerging researchers to mentoring the next generation of environmental leaders.
Internship Hosting
Partner organizations host IonE students in meaningful internship experiences – providing real-world context for sustainability challenges while gaining motivated, well-prepared contributors.
Professional Engagement
Professionals and practitioners engage with IonE students through classroom visits, guest presentations, panel discussions and judging at student symposiums – bringing broad perspectives to sustainability education.
Event Partnerships
IonE students organize events and convenings on pressing sustainability topics – and external partners engage with these gatherings as speakers, sponsors, and co-organizers. From the Environmental Justice Summit to other student-led programming, these partnerships put community expertise at the center.
Interested in an education partnership? Tell us about your organization and how you'd like to engage with IonE's education programs.
More About Partnerships
Explore IonE's current partner network to see our approach to collaboration in action – or learn about other ways to support IonE's work.