Through ERI, faculty can take their climate and resilience research from theory into practice, mentor talented students interested in sustainability, and connect with mission-oriented colleagues.
Enhancing research, education, and outreach
Connect with ERI
If you are a faculty member interested in expanding the broader impact of research, implementing a resilience-related service program, or incorporating resilience into teaching, ERI wants to hear from you!
Ways to engage with ERI
Faculty affiliation
Join a transdisciplinary community of IU researchers committed to solving complex environmental challenges. Affiliates are listed on our website and gain access to a listserv highlighting funding and collaboration opportunities.
Steering committee
Guide ERI programming and cultivate new pathways to help Hoosier communities contend with environmental change by participating on the ERI steering committee. The committee meets twice per semester.
Grants
Refine your climate- and resilience-related grant proposal and integrate ERI programming to advance your research goals. ERI staff are available to discuss how applied research projects may align with the institute’s areas of focus.
Student Engagement
Mentor students in sustainability research and community resilience implementation. ERI can help faculty identify ways to integrate students and classes into institute programs, such as Sustainability Scholars on the IU Bloomington campus.
Community Resilience Faculty Fellowships
The Community Resilience Faculty Fellowship supports IU faculty from any campus whose research aligns with ERI programming and addresses a community need. Successful proposals will define an applied project centered on a resilience challenge faced by Hoosiers. Broader projects with implications for Indiana may be considered. This program also seeks to incorporate high-impact practices (e.g. undergraduate and/or graduate student research, service-learning or experiential learning) to advance student engagement and learning while providing real-world solutions to the state and beyond.
- IU full-time faculty from any campus, or a team led by one.
- Proposals may come from any discipline including those in the arts and humanities.
- Proposals should integrate ERI staff and/or administrators to advance ERI programs or goals.
- Potential applicants are highly encouraged to explore their research idea in an initial conversation with ERI directors prior to developing a proposal.
- Priority will be given to proposals that involve collaboration with graduate and/or undergraduate student researchers.
- Previous awardees are ineligible. Applicants who have had proposals declined in the past may reapply.
- Awardees are expected to engage with ERI stakeholders: through recognition at the annual Sustainability Symposium, presenting at ISRC to or ERI donors, or another mutually agreed-upon campus or public forum that advances program goals.
- Awardees are also required to submit a summary report to ERI by the conclusion of the following fall semester.
Applications are open from January-March annually. Winners are announced in April and celebrated at the annual Sustainability Symposium on the Bloomington campus.
Recipients are expected to complete their research during the summer/fall immediately following the award.
In a single digital file, please include:
- A detailed plan of work that is no more than 1,000 words in length. The plan of work must be written in clear, concise prose, and should include:
- Evidence of prior successful research and implementation;no more than 250 words in length.
- Project budget;In compliance with faculty’s school’s policies, funds may be used forsummer salary; graduate student fellowships or undergraduate student scholarships; field, laboratory, computational, or library research; and/or community engagement and implementation expenses. Other sources of project funding should be noted.
The award amount varies based on the scope and timeline of the project as detailed in the proposals. Awards may be granted for between $5,000 (for a ~2-week commitment) and $10,000 (up to ~4-week commitment). ERI anticipates awarding 1-3 fellowships per year.
Funds will be provided to the faculty’s research account in early summer and will be administered in accordance with university administrative and financial policies.
The review committee will be comprised of representatives from ERI’s staff, steering committee, and/or advisory board. Members of the review committee are instructed to rate each proposal on the basis of the following criteria. The applicant is therefore urged to discuss the proposed work in relation to each of the criteria (in the plan of work).
- Relevance to ERI’s strategic plan and programming
- Community need and potential for real community solutions
- Potential for project to engage students
- Timing and feasibility
- Size of impact on Hoosiers and Communities
- Overall quality of project description
- Extent to which proposal addresses plan to develop outcomes and their assessment
- Extent to which proposal addresses a plan to develop project sustainability
- Project's alignment of departmental or university goals and initatives.
Working with ERI has been great because of their in-house expertise and focus on providing Hoosier communities with information to take action that can help protect people and the places where they live.
Landon Yoder, associate professor, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
