University of Michigan - Graham Institute

With joint sponsorship from the Graham Foundation and the University of Michigan (U-M), the Graham Institute is a collaborative partnership of schools, colleges and units across the U-M. The Graham Institute fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration to create and disseminate knowledge and to offer solutions related to complex sustainability issues. Specifically, we:

• Create and support interdisciplinary educational programs that explore the complexities of environmental sustainability and emphasize the inter-relationships between ecological systems.
• Bring together diverse collections of researchers and stakeholders to develop science-based assessments that are intended to inform and assist policymakers in the decision making process.
• Develop outreach programs that educate external communities and constituents on how to economically and effectively achieve sustainability.
• Leverage and promote existing U-M research, education, outreach, and operational efforts related to sustainability.

Our vision is to foster sustainability on local-to-global scales by solving systemic problems at the human-environment interface that endanger ecosystems and the well-being of future generations.

Our mission as a Boundary Organization is to connect academics, policy-makers, and practitioners by facilitating sustained and vibrant interactions to solve wicked sustainability problems. We actively engage the campus community and external collaborators in novel, highly adaptive partnerships to better define complex problems, support participatory research, co-create knowledge and policy for practical application, develop innovative learning opportunities, and cultivate future sustainability leaders.

• Boundary organizations are institutions that bridge gaps among multiple domains and are able to facilitate multi-stakeholder collaborations while remaining accountable to all sides.