A Sustainable Regional Systems Research Network for Colorado

If you believe that researchers can be more effective partners for Colorado communities through the coming decades of profound change, you have found your people.

IBE is facilitating an integrated applied research network to increase the health, equity, and vitality of communities across our region.

The environmental and socio-economic changes we face over the coming decades are dynamic and complex. We believe that working and learning together is essential for navigating the path forward; as researchers, part of our work is to examine our role and evolve our methods to meet the times.

While integrated, applied, and engaged research is challenging, we are deeply committed to collaborating with community members, practitioners, and policymakers to create positive change. By facilitating a research network, we are growing our collective understanding and capability to work across sectors, disciplines, and diverse perspectives.

From mid-2022 into early 2023, we hosted a series of network development workshops; hosted a series of community conversations in five different communities across the state; compiled an inventory of sustainability data related to regional sustainability in Colorado; and launched a network survey. This work, funded through a National Science Foundation (NSF) planning grant, provided the foundation for the continued collaboration we’re leading now.

 

Current Activities

  • Colorado Sustainability Data Hub: The team is developing an online platform that consolidates all sustainability and wellbeing data from across Colorado, thereby facilitating evidence-based decision-making and elevating everyone’s work. Three Minority Serving Institutions – Metro State University, University of Northern Colorado, and Colorado State University Pueblo – are leading the effort with support from CSU and University of Denver. NSF is funding the work through its Computer Information Science and Engineering (CISE – MSI) program.
  • Regional Wellbeing Report: We are working with the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado to develop a Regional Wellbeing Report that explores how the pressure of population growth is affecting the wellbeing of our region and how our communities are rising to meet those challenges together. The report is being developed with data analyzed from many different entities across the CSU system and the region, and from community engagement efforts.
  • Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator: We are participating in the first regional accelerator of its kind, in which our network will engage with business leaders and local communities to advance climate and economic resilience. Hosted at CSU, the accelerator is facilitated by the national Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES).
  • Publishing Our Learnings: An upcoming special issue of Ecology & Society will feature our abstract that outlines our process, research, findings, and recommendations for utilizing network approaches to understand and realize increased sustainability at a regional scale.

We continue to seek funding for additional network development and community engagement across the state. Stay up to date on our activities: Sign up for our newsletter.