The University of Washington is launching a new effort called EarthLab. It will help fund the salaries of scientists so they can write fewer papers and have more time for collaboration with businesses and non-profits outside of the classroom and lab.
At the helm is former Obama Administration Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell.
"People think of the university as this place where amazing stuff goes on, but it is kind of like a building with all windows, and no one knows how to get in, and no one knows how to interface," she said. "EarthLab will be that bridge and that interface between the amazing stuff that happens within the University of Washington and the very real world challenges that we're all facing."
Jewell and EarthLab Executive Director Ben Packard want to incentivize scientists working on issues like ocean acidification, but the tenure track tends to benefit academics who get very narrow in their field and publish a lot of peer-reviewed research.
"The way you get promoted in academics is to continue to publish in your field of expertise. Whether or not it's applied is not necessarily rewarded," Packard said.
EarthLab is funded by resources from newly-raised public and private funds, an EarthLab endowment that is in development, as well as start-up funds from the College of the Environment and leveraged resources from other parts of campus.
"One of the interesting phenomenon happening right now at the same time is companies are increasingly setting science-based targets. It's a relatively new phenomenon in corporate sustainability practices. They are looking to scientists to help validate what it is they are going to do. They are making really important decisions about how they're going to use their capital," Packard said.
For Jewell, lessons learned while running REI as well as serving as a cabinet member have inspired her to ensure all members of a community issue are included, and that scientists are part of that.
"Students don't want whatever work they do to sit on a shelf someplace," Jewell said. "Students want their work to be put into action. They want to know that, whether they are in science or in communication or in law or whatever it might be, they can help solve the biggest challenges in the world."
