The UC Davis Institute of the Environment (IE) operates at the intersection of science, policy and community impact — bringing together scholars and students with community and governmental partners to address the world’s most urgent environmental and climate challenges. Our strength lies in the unique combination of interdisciplinary breadth, applied focus and deep commitment to equity and excellence. We do this through six key areas:
- Interdisciplinary Webs
- Applied Research and Real-world Impact
- Supportive Infrastructure for Collaboration
- Integration of Research, Education, and Public Service
- Commitment to People and Place and
- Advocacy and Leadership Across our Sub-units
Through these impact areas, IE endeavors to grow, sustain, and connect researchers to enhance our real-world impact in environmental and climate research.
Commitment to California’s Environment and Beyond
We aim to leverage research, education and public engagement to guide informed decision-making and foster innovative solutions to the planet's most pressing environmental, health and climate challenges. Our commitment supports the development of healthy, sustainable and resilient nature and communities for a better future.
Advancing Innovative, Interdisciplinary Environmental Research
The Institute advances innovative, interdisciplinary environmental, health and climate research that fosters equitable, healthy and sustainable solutions for our planet and communities. We bring together scholars, students, and partners to translate science into action—informing policy, guiding decision-making, and empowering future leaders to build a resilient and just future for all.
Informing Decision-Making, Fostering Innovative Solutions
We leverage research, education, and public engagement to guide informed decision-making and foster innovative solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental, health, and climate challenges—building sustainable and resilient communities for generations to come.
Core Values
Key to any organization’s success is identifiable, shared values. Our core values guide how we make decisions, build and maintain our partnerships, direct our resources, and grow strategically to achieve our mission and vision. Emergent from the work already underway at IE, they demonstrate our commitment to advance science and knowledge and to drive innovation and impact.
- Impactful Applied Research - Our science informs action.
IE advances applied, solution-oriented, and legislatively-relevant research that extends beyond the university, shaping evidence-based policy, informing decision-making, and driving positive change for people, communities, and ecosystems. - Facilitating Interdisciplinary Collaboration - We believe that diverse perspectives drive discovery.
By connecting researchers, students, and partners across disciplines, IE fosters innovation and transformative science that transcends traditional academic boundaries to address complex environmental, health and climate challenges. - Inclusive Excellence and Integrity - Excellence is strengthened through equity and rigor.
We are committed to an inclusive intellectual community that values diverse voices, upholds scientific integrity, and ensures that all members contribute to and benefit from our collective pursuit of knowledge. - Stewardship and Sustainability - We are responsible caretakers of our environment and relationships.
IE prioritizes responsible management of resources, land, and collaborations — promoting human, environmental, and community health and advancing sustainable practices dedicated to conservation, health and resilience that reflect our respect for the interconnectedness of natural and human systems. - Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders - We train the next generation of leaders and scholars.
Through hands-on education, experiential learning, and unique research opportunities, IE develops the next generation of leaders, policymakers, and researchers to tackle pressing environmental, health and climate problems.
Our Approach
The Institute approaches topical areas through interdisciplinary collaborations that integrate the work of our centers and programs to amplify its applications to create real-world solutions to enhance positive impact.
We conduct solutions-focused research in these areas by fostering transdisciplinary research teams and translating the knowledge gained into real-world solutions through partnerships with government agencies, businesses, and non-profit and community organizations.
