April 13, 2023

Initiative, EarthLab event fosters climate change connections across UW disciplines

The Population Health Initiative and EarthLab co-hosted an Open Space-style event in the University of Washington wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House on April 11, 2023, to help facilitate the development of new interdisciplinary collaborations that will take on pressing climate-related challenges. The event, which drew 35 UW faculty, staff and students, was intended as a follow-on opportunity for UW researchers who participated in the December 2022 Sparking Climate Connections Lightning Talks hosted by the EarthLab Advisory Board of Deans.

Attendees at the April 11 event set the agenda, offering to convene discussions on possible topics or projects where collaboration was sought. Discussion topics included managed coastal retreat, harnessing the UW campus as a living laboratory for climate innovation, materials innovation in new building construction and developing cross-disciplinary student workshops. Those in attendance reported the event was helpful and a good use of their time, so the Initiative and EarthLab will plan to organize a similar event in autumn quarter 2023.

At the conclusion of the event, attendees were encouraged to submit climate change planning grant applications to the Initiative by May 1, 2023, to support the launch of new collaborations. Awards of up to $10,000 each are available with a project period of no more than two months to take place during summer quarter 2023. This funding opportunity is open to the entire university community; there is no requirement to have attended the April 11 event to be eligible to apply. Visit the Initiative’s climate change planning grant web page to learn more.