Environmental Solutions at Scale
Work That Takes Time and Partnership
IonE’s sustainability research centers and major initiatives represent some of the deepest, most sustained work in our portfolio – long-term collaborations built around environmental challenges that require years of inquiry, broad networks and stable institutional infrastructure to address.
These aren't short-term projects with defined deliverables. They are platforms: shared spaces where researchers, agencies, Tribal nations, communities and practitioners come together around shared goals and build the tools, relationships and evidence base to act.
How IonE Contributes
IonE plays different roles across these efforts – hosting and anchoring some, contributing as a core partner in others.
What's consistent is what IonE brings to the table: a connected community of researchers and practitioners, experience building collaborative teams across institutions and sectors and an approach to research that is shaped by the people closest to the work, not handed down to them.
Across these centers and initiatives, that combination allows IonE to support inquiry at a scale and duration that would be difficult for any single institution to sustain alone.
Sustainability Research Centers
IonE is a partner in two of the University's flagship research centers, long-term investments in actionable science
Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
The Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center pursues science that helps decision-makers effectively manage natural resources in a changing climate. The center’s work supports state, federal, local and Tribal partners who are facing challenges related to climate change, including more frequent and more intense flooding and drought, the loss of winter and altered wildlife habitat.
Mni Sota Center for Weather and Health
The Mni Sota Center for Weather and Health is an interdisciplinary center that addresses the impacts of evolving weather patterns. The center’s work focuses on the experiences of American Indian people, as well as people living in rural areas, with an emphasis on populations in the Mni Sota region.
Major Initiatives
IonE is also a core partner in and home to other major research initiatives, from a national resilience office to a long-standing research partnership for undergraduates.
Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator National Office
The Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2) National Office supports 19 collaborative, community-engaged teams. These teams bring together researchers and community members to develop and implement solutions to regional challenges caused by climate change. They turn recent climate and Earth system science into practical applications that can be used in the real world and scaled to other communities.
FoodS³
FoodS3 is a continually improving platform that pulls together various data sources and models to help organizations better understand their agricultural supply chains. The platform makes supply chains more visible and empowers organizations to make informed decisions that improve sustainability.
Sustainable Land and Water Resources REU
The Sustainable Land and Water Resources REU is a summer research program for undergraduate students. The REU explores how land and water systems are shaped by environmental and social factors while bringing together Indigenous and Western knowledges to support decision-making by Tribal governments.
At the Midwest CASC, we bring together scientists, practitioners and communities to co-produce knowledge that helps people and ecosystems adapt to a changing climate. Our work turns research into real-world resilience by informing decisions that make a lasting difference for fisheries, wildlife, waters and lands across the region.
Latest from Our Sustainability Centers & Initiatives
