Discovery Grants

With this program, the Institute on the Environment aims to launch a handful of highly innovative, world-class research activities with a one-time investment of “venture capital” funding. We look for projects that will make a transformative difference in interdisciplinary research and discovery. The deadline for fiscal 2010 (July 2009-June 2010) concept papers has passed. Read the Discovery Grants press release for more info on our current projects.


Accounting for Nature

We're working with Stanford University, the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and several government agencies and other entities to develop new approaches to integrating economics and ecology—with a focus on how to assess the value of “ecosystem goods and services.” As a core part of this project, the team will further develop the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs model, helping decision makers consider the tradeoffs of managing ecosystems in different ways. This model could help change the direction of economic activities toward ensuring long-term sustainability while meeting the near-term needs of people.

Global Great Lakes

We're supporting scientists at the University of Minnesota, Duluth’s Large Lakes Observatory as they collect and interpret data on the world’s great lakes across North America, East Africa and Eurasia. The LLO is working with the Natural Resources Research Institute and the Center for Water Research in Australia to identify meaningful metrics of ecosystem health; improve the capacity to monitor and model these metrics in real-time or near real-time, with an initial focus on the western arm of Lake Superior; and develop the capacity to anticipate pressing environmental issues. This project could radically change how the great lakes of the world are viewed and managed by scientists and the public.

Reinventing the Boreal Forest

We're collaborating with state, national, and international academic, government, industry and environmental organizations to better understand boreal forests in Minnesota and spanning North America, and how they interact with humans in the face of climate, economic and social change. The group is developing scenarios for the future that are instructive about the implications of society’s choices; using these results to boost resilience by developing forward-looking, adaptive management techniques; and building partnerships with key stakeholders to design landscape-scale adaptive management strategies.

Science on a Sphere

In collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota, we're creating new programming for worldwide audiences through Science-on-a-Sphere (SOS) technology. Developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, SOS is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to show planetary data on a large sphere, akin to a giant animated globe, that hangs from the ceiling. The educational tool illustrates global environmental issues in a dynamic way to people of all ages. The IonE has installed a smaller SOS display at its St. Paul headquarters, and is working with the Science Museum and the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics to develop and distribute new programs internationally.

Whole Village Project

The Whole Village Project aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the health, prosperity, education and natural resource consumption of rural Tanzanians in East Africa. The WVP team will assess these practices in 240 villages; empower villagers to make improvements; check back every two years to document changes; and share the results with local people so they can sustain any improvements. The information will also be made available to conservation NGOs and economic development and government agencies, serving as a common language that allows communities to share best practices. The IonE Discovery Grant will support the researchers as they map land-use patterns, creating a baseline against which to measure progress.

Global Health and the Environment in Africa

The University of Minnesota has a unique opportunity to impact food security and health in Africa. A recent award from the United States Agency for International Development will support teams of faculty from six U of M colleges working in West and East Africa to build capacity for animal health. The project has the potential to unite the health and environmental sciences at the U of M into a coherent global health program. The IonE Discovery Grant will be used to leverage the USAID investment, broadening the scope of collaborative efforts, supporting student travel programs and providing matching funds for future grant opportunities, among many other impacts.