Partnerships

Ongoing partnerships with business, academic, government and nongovernmental sectors are at the core of the Institute on the Environment's mission. Through our programs and projects, we're bringing together environmental thought leaders from the Midwest, across the country and around the world. Highlighted below are just a few examples of our recent collaborations.

mississippi river RANGERS

The IonE's River Life program has teamed up with the National Park Service on a new program, dubbed "Gopher Rangers," to engage U of M students with the Mississippi River. The program aims to spark student interest in the river, as well as encourage environmental stewardship. Students involved with Gopher Rangers will have an opportunity to help out with some of the youth programs already established by the National Park Service.

wind energy CONSORTIUM

The Department of Energy recently awarded up to $8 million to a U of M-led consortium for wind energy research. The IonE's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment convened the consortium, providing significant early-stage research funding. Lead partners include the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, the Institute of Technology and the U of M, Morris. Industrial partners include Barr Engineering, Eaton Corporation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Luna Innovations, Siemens Energy, 3M and WindLogics, Inc.

bioenergy research TEAM

The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center has joined forces with the IonE to produce the first geographically-detailed assessments of land availability for bioenergy production. The experts are measuring feedstock yields from croplands, pastures and forests using satellite- and census-based data, as well as new statistical fusion techniques. They’re also looking at the pressures on food supply and natural ecosystems.