Cohort 1 Projects
The EarthLab Innovations Grant Program was launched in 2019 to fund actionable environmental research. During this first year, the EarthLab Innovation Grants program received 32 extremely promising and high-quality proposals. Each proposal was evaluated by a nine-member review committee that included faculty from several disciplines. The following programs were each awarded up to $50,000 to test a concept, scope out a project, or take the first steps in developing a larger team to tackle a collaborative project.
Assessing Climate Driven Zoonotic Disease Risk in Washington State
This project advanced understanding of how climate and weather conditions influence the spread of zoonotic diseases in Washington. The team analyzed disease and meteorological data to develop predictive models and risk maps for West Nile virus, producing a suite of tools to help public health professionals identify and respond to periods of elevated disease risk. Findings were shared with state public health, occupational health, and veterinary stakeholders, and the project continued to have impact through a graduate student thesis and the development of a manuscript based on the research.
Clean Safety & Health in Food Trucks Program (SHiFT)
This project partnered with food truck operators, public agencies, and community organizations across Washington to promote safer cleaning and disinfecting practices that protect worker health and the environment. The project surveyed food truck operators, developed bilingual educational resources, and created a toolkit—including a website, video, and outreach materials—to support safer chemical use in mobile food businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team also produced widely distributed English- and Spanish-language cleaning and disinfecting guidance for underserved communities. The project strengthened statewide partnerships, expanded outreach to food truck owners beyond the Puget Sound region, and was later recognized with an EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award.
Digitizing Holistic Environmental Stories
This project brought together UW researchers, Tribal leaders, educators, and community partners to explore new ways of teaching and communicating environmental issues through holistic, story-based learning. Adapting to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project supported the development of the Environmental Holistic Learning and Storytelling course, created the Holistic Learning Collaborative website with K–12 educational resources, and advanced methods for integrating Indigenous knowledge and environmental education. The project’s impact continued beyond the grant through the publication of a peer-reviewed article, Teaching Holistic Environmental Thought: A Classroom Approach, which shares lessons and tools for fostering systems thinking and community-engaged environmental learning.
From Risk to Resilience: Connecting Communities to Coastal Hazards through Interactive and Immersive Design
This project helped Washington communities better understand and plan for future sea level rise through innovative climate communication tools. Working with Seattle Public Utilities, the Seattle Public Library, and community partners, the team developed an interactive sea-level rise visualization and immersive public engagement materials that translated complex climate data into accessible, locally relevant experiences. Despite pandemic-related challenges and leadership transitions, the project expanded public awareness of coastal hazards, fostered new partnerships, and gained national recognition as a finalist for the Falling Walls Foundation’s Science Engagement Breakthrough of the Year.
Voices Unbound: Amplifying Perspectives of Disenfranchised Communities to Provoke Environmental Change
This project elevated the perspectives of Puget Sound Latino youth on climate justice to an international audience. Through a youth-led photovoice project, participants created photo essays and digital stories that were featured in a climate justice exhibit at COP26 in Glasgow and incorporated into a broader Global Nurse Climate Justice Agenda. The project helped establish a searchable public archive of Voices Unbound data, informed an international nursing climate justice framework, secured visibility through the COP26 Green Zone and Google Arts & Culture, and contributed to scholarly and public outreach efforts, including a publication in the American Journal of Public Health and presentations to local and global audiences.
