How We Work With Partners

Partnerships drive solutions here at UMass and across the region. SES relies on these relationships to support the university's land grant mission to train its citizens, providing science to decisions makers, and solutions to the region. This includes working with diverse and key partners.

Types of partners:

  • Global scientific community
  • State agencies and regional leaders
  • Municipalities and communities
  • Businesses and industry
  • Investors 
  • Alumni

 

Building Regional Capacity

Here are the partners SES works with through our research development, student training, and regional engagement.

State and Regional Agencies and Leaders

State agencies need research translated into guidance that holds up to scrutiny and moves at the pace of policy. SES has produced applied, policy-facing work for the Commonwealth directly.

Example: the Massachusetts Green Growth and Resilience project 

Communities and Municipalities

Small towns and cities carry real climate and resilience decisions without the in-house capacity to interpret the data behind them. SES connects municipal partners to faculty and student teams who can translate projections and planning tools into something a select board can act on.

Example: our placement with the City of Northampton 

Business and Innovation

Employers building climate-facing products or workforce pipelines get a front door to UMass talent and applied research, not a directory of departments to search alone.

Foundations and Funders

Funders testing an approach at scale want partners who can operate at that scale and report back credibly. SES's global partnerships show the reach this network already has.

Example: the UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School 

Alumni

Alumni who want to stay connected to UMass sustainability work can reengage through mentorship, guest lectures, and the network SES maintains.