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Latest news and updates

Latest news and updates

Satellite data can be used to improve and monitor irrigation canals

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A study from the University of Washington suggests that current monitoring tools can be utilized to manage canal systems to better track water resources, prepare for droughts and improve food security. For many agricultural areas where accurate monitoring of the ebb and flow of water through these systems has been difficult, this could be a fundamentally new way to manage irrigation. Researchers analyzed data from a NASA satellite originally built to track water levels of large bodies of water like…

Population Health Initiative announces accelerator grant funding call

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The University of Washington Population Health Initiative has announced the Accelerator Grants Program, a funding opportunity designed to help UW researchers pursue ambitious opportunities aimed at addressing major population health challenges. The program will offer awards of up to $400,000 to support interdisciplinary projects that draw on the University’s strengths in research, innovation and public benefit. Letters of intent are due February 1, 2027. The Accelerator Grants Program reflects a growing need for new approaches to challenges that increasingly shape…

Initiative awards eight Tier 1 pilot grants to interdisciplinary research teams

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The University of Washington Population Health Initiative today announced the award of eight Tier 1 pilot grants to interdisciplinary teams of UW researchers. Collectively, the projects will receive $245,000 in support, including $199,000 from the Population Health Initiative and additional funding from participating UW schools, colleges and units. The funded teams include faculty, staff and students from six UW schools and colleges working alongside community-based organizations, public agencies, health care providers and other partners. Their projects span a wide range…

Winter 2025 pilot awardees report final project outcomes

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In March 2025, the University of Washington Population Health Initiative awarded six Tier 2 pilot grants to interdisciplinary research teams working to address challenges ranging from mental health care and injury prevention to domestic violence, autism services and equitable artificial intelligence. The Tier 2 pilot grant program supports researchers in testing new ideas, generating preliminary evidence and developing the proof-of-concept needed to pursue larger-scale funding opportunities. Over the course of the projects, these teams partnered with community organizations, health care…

Wetlands act as valuable tool of climate-adaptation infrastructure

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High-resolution thermal data collected at the University of Washington Bothell demonstrates that wetland restoration can serve as a critical form of climate adaptation infrastructure. Using drone-based thermal sensing at the North Creek Wetland, UW researchers have precisely measured the cooling effects of wetlands at neighborhood and community scales. The findings highlight not only the heat-mitigation benefits of restored wetlands but also their potential to support place-based environmental justice efforts. Beyond providing habitat and improving water quality, wetlands deliver measurable thermal…

Redefining what is meant by ultra-processed foods

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A recent report from the University of Washington offered a more practical and operational definition of ultra-processed foods was developed by a panel of experts in nutrition, food science, policy and legal fields. The lack of a clear definition of what an ultra-processed food is has made it difficult to regulate on a legislative level and continues to create confusion for people evaluating their own diets. Co-chaired by Jim Krieger, clinical professor emeritus of health systems and population health at…

Autumn 2025 pilot awardees report progress in their projects

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The University of Washington Population Health Initiative awarded eight, $25,000 Tier 1 pilot grants to interdisciplinary teams of UW researchers in autumn 2025. Together, these teams represent 10 UW schools and colleges, along with several community-based partners, and are pursuing projects in areas such as child health, mental health and engagement with nature. The goal of the Initiative’s Tier 1 grants is to help researchers build an interdisciplinary foundation for future proof-of-concept projects. Since receiving their awards, each team has…

University of Washington Applied Research Fellowship team publishes findings on access disparities in King County parks

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The 2025 Population Health Initiative Applied Research Fellowship Project (ARFP) team recently published their spatial analysis findings on access disparities in King County parks in Case Studies in the Environment. The project team, which consisted of three University of Washington graduate students and two undergraduate students, was led by Jessica Godwin, a research scientist with the UW Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology. The 10-week project was in collaboration with stakeholders from King County Parks and the King County…

Summer 2026 Social Entrepreneurship Fellows develop strategic roadmaps for UW innovations

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The Population Health Initiative’s Summer 2026 Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program concluded in August with a showcase in which fellows presented their findings to students, faculty and staff from schools and colleges across the University of Washington. Over 10 weeks, the fellows worked on population health innovations developed by UW researchers, evaluating pathways to financial sustainability while maximizing societal impact. Developed by the Population Health Initiative in partnership with the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship and CoMotion, the Social Entrepreneurship Fellows Program…

Twelve new members named to the Population Health Initiative executive council

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President Robert J. Jones has named 12 new representatives to the 30-member University of Washington Population Health Initiative executive council. The council serves as the internal governing body for the Population Health Initiative. The 12 representatives who are beginning their terms during the 2026-27 Academic Year are: Audrey Dorélien, associate professor of Sociology, College of Arts & Sciences Victoria Fang, clinical professor of Medicine, School of Medicine Katherine Foster, associate professor of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences Barbara Goff,…