EarthLab News
EarthLab Grants Program Expands with New Incubator and Rapid Response Grants
From early childhood classrooms to prescribed fire surveys, UW-led teams will advance environmental work across the country.
May 19, 2026
Twelve University of Washington research teams will receive funding through EarthLab’s Grants Program, the organization announced today. The Incubator Grants and Rapid Response Grants — both launched in February 2026 — mark the first expansion of the program since 2019.
These two new programs grew out of insights from researchers and community partners over five cohorts of Innovation Grants: that their work often begins before traditional funding cycles can respond.
Learning to collaborate across differences through Intergenerational Dialogue event series
It turns out that, sometimes, the most effective way to have a real conversation isn’t in a meeting room, but on the side of the road by a broken down bus.
David Troutt, the Natural Resources Director of the Nisqually Indian Tribe and Chair of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council, learned this from his mentor Billy Frank Jr. – a member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe and one of the most influential environmental advocates in Washington state history, known for his decades of work defending tribal fishing treaty rights.
Three former EarthLab summer interns honored in 2026 Husky 100
Congratulations to three former EarthLab summer interns recognized in the 2026 Husky 100!
Each year, the Husky 100 recognizes 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional students from the UW Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses in all areas of study who are making the most of their time at the University of Washington. The recipients actively connect what happens inside and outside of the classroom and apply what they learn to make a difference on campus, in their communities and for the future.
Why nature contact is good for us
Most people agree that time in nature is good for our mental and physical health. Whether it’s a remote wilderness backpacking trip or 15 minutes spent sitting on a park bench, people tend to feel better if they have some interactions with nature. Many scientific studies confirm this as well. Over the past two decades, and especially in the last few years, researchers have increasingly documented the positive effects of natural spaces on mental health and well-being. This includes outcomes like feeling less lonely, lower levels of burnout and depression and better abilities to cope during stressful situations.
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Assessment of nature in the US now available for public comment
The Nature Record, a sweeping assessment of the state of nature in the U.S., was published in draft form for public comment and review in March. The report explores the impact of human development, including biodiversity loss, as well as the resilience of nature.
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Finding My Place in Climate Work Beyond the Lab
By Angelina Durbin
Climate Health Risk Tool Communications Intern, Summer 2025
For the majority of my life, I believed that climate work had a single entry point. If I wanted to make a meaningful contribution, I needed to be an engineer or a researcher who spent hours in the lab each day. This belief was instilled in me early on due to my educational background.
University of Washington's EarthLab Announces Two New Grant Programs to Advance Climate and Environmental Justice Research
EarthLab, an institute at the University of Washington College of the Environment, just announced the launch of two new grant programs designed to accelerate community-engaged climate change and environmental justice research. The Incubator Grants and Rapid Response Grants are now accepting applications through March 6, 2026. Both programs offer twelve-month awards of up to $10,000 to eligible University of Washington faculty, staff, and research scientists across all three campuses (Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma).
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An Olympic orientation: UW Climate Impacts Group and Washington Sea Grant pilot a learning institute for emerging environmental professionals
Sixteen emerging environmental professionals – of different backgrounds, but together undertaking a new chapter in their careers near where the Elwha empties itself into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, on the Olympic Peninsula. They were part of a new week-long professional development opportunity designed through a partnership between the UW Climate Impacts Group and Washington Sea Grant. EarthLab team members supported the project and the story.
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Applying for the Research Fellowship Program
The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) Research Fellowship Program supports research related to climate adaptation for Northwest natural and cultural resource management and provides training in the principles and practices of developing decision-relevant science. The NW CASC invites applications for its 2026-2027 Research Fellowship Program from graduate students at University of Washington (UW), Boise State University (BSU), Oregon State University (OSU), Portland State University (PSU) University of Montana (UM), Washington State University (WSU) and Western Washington University (WWU) and from postdoctoral scholars at BSU, OSU, PSU, UM, WSU and WWU (this fellowship cannot provide funding for postdocs at UW).
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Food Waste to Fuel: The Biodigester Project in South Park
Can food waste become a catalyst for climate justice, clean energy and community resilience? A 2024–25 EarthLab Innovation Grant supported a collaboration between the Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association (DVSA)—a community organization that supports equitable economic growth without harmful impacts to the environment, the Just Circular Communities Collaborative (JC3), and a University of Washington (UW) research team to explore that question. As a next phase that grows from a small, pilot anaerobic biodigester at Food Lifeline in collaboration with DVSA, they conducted a feasibility study on installing a large-scale anaerobic biodigester within the South Park neighborhood, a technology that turns food waste into biogas and liquid plant food.
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