The Institute on the Environment organizes its research enterprise around 10 sustainability domains: areas where environmental challenges are acute, where University of Minnesota expertise runs deep and where partner-engaged, collaborative inquiry can drive meaningful progress for Minnesota and the world.
These interconnected areas of focus guide our grantmaking, shape our partnerships and inform the questions our research community is working to answer.
As a public research university, a focus on outcomes animates everything we do. We want to be solving real problems, today, right here in our state – and, through those insights, delivering solutions that can scale worldwide.
Why These Areas
Selected with Intention
IonE’s 10 domains emerged from a deliberate look across the University's research community – asking where this distinctive and deep expertise mapped to challenges facing Minnesota. A cold climate state with deep agricultural roots and landscapes shaped by generations of land and water stewardship: the domains reflect that reality, and the University's capacity to engage with it.
Our Signature Approach
Research across IonE’s domains shares a common character: It is interdisciplinary by design, partner-engaged from the start and oriented toward outcomes that matter beyond the academy. Questions are shaped in collaboration with the communities, organizations and decision-makers closest to the challenges – and the work is designed to move from insight to action.
The 10 Domains
These 10 domains reflect opportunities in Minnesota and areas where the University brings distinctive capacity, depth and leadership. They are listed below in alphabetical order; click through to explore research projects, topical experts and more.
