EarthLab at the University of Washington envisions a world where nature and people thrive. To that end, EarthLab has launched an Innovation Grants program to provide funding for projects that are risky, new ideas with a high potential for impact and the ability to motivate change.

Through this program, EarthLab hopes to increase capacity across the UW for innovations in the application of transdisciplinary scholarship, deepen engagement with diverse community partners (e.g., practitioners, policy makers, tribes, community groups outside of UW), and fund research projects that address problems from multiple perspectives, ultimately generating knowledge that is both usable and used.

This is the pilot year for Innovation Grants. During this first year, EarthLab will invest in first-mile challenges—the envisioning, development or piloting of new projects. First-mile funding supports convening and building teams in novel, sometimes high-risk, high-reward directions that may take a variety of forms. This funding gives teams the chance to test a concept, scope out a project, or take the first steps in developing a team poised to tackle a large, collaborative project. EarthLab encourages proposals from all disciplines at the UW, even those that are not traditionally connected to sponsored research.

If you are UW faculty or an employee with PI status, and wish to pursue work in the co-definition of transdisciplinary research, scholarship and creative activity related to our most pressing environmental challenges, you are encouraged to apply. Deadline is January 30, 2019.

Read more at EarthLab »