2026 Early Stage Urban Research Awards: Request for Proposals
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) Early Stage Urban Research Awards is accepting project proposals for the 2026 cycle from Boston University faculty members and graduate students. This year, we invite research proposals that explore pressing challenges and solutions facing cities—past, present, and future. Projects may focus on urban places and populations at the […]
Seed Funding Opportunity: Pilot Partnerships in Massachusetts
GUDL is launching a special, time-limited pilot program to support the development of partnerships addressing gentrification and displacement in Massachusetts. We invite local organizations and individuals to submit requests for collaboration for a chance to receive seed funding in early 2026. This pilot aims to foster new, cross-sector partnerships that bridge local knowledge, research, and policy to […]
Developing Place-Based Learning Opportunities to Support Climate Change Education in Somerville Public Schools
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: This project aims to support meaningful learning in climate science and increase student agency regarding climate change impacts and resilience, with a focus on urban students in communities affected by extreme heat. Boston University researchers, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), and Somerville Public Schools (SPS) will partner to explore and […]
Occupational Heat & Cooling Strategies: A Pilot Study
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: This pilot study aims to measure workers’ exposure to and physiological response to heat, and to evaluate the effectiveness of personal cooling strategies in the workplace. In partnership with GreenRoots and collaboration with MassCOSH, the study will recruit up to 10 participants who live in Chelsea and East Boston and who […]
Heat, Health, and Hurricanes: Urban Resilience versus the Long Mortality Shadow of Cooling Disruptions
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: Hurricanes are the most costly natural disasters in the United States, with damage to electric power infrastructure leading to prolonged blackouts that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations. These blackouts often coincide with the hottest months of the year, heightening the risk of exposure to extreme heat without access to cooling, particularly in […]
Announcing Our 2025 Early Stage Urban Research Award Recipients
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of our 11th request for proposals for the Early Stage Urban Research Awards. These seed grants support early-stage academic research focused on urban challenges and urban populations across various disciplines and scopes. These projects also serve as mentorship opportunities for graduate […]
IOC Director Loretta Lees to Receive 2025 Urban Affairs Association “Contribution to the Field of Urban Affairs Award”
The Boston University Initiative on Cities is excited to announce that Director Loretta Lees will receive the 2025 Contribution to the Field of Urban Affairs Award from the Urban Affairs Association (UAA). Director Lees will formally accept this award at the upcoming International Conference on Urban Affairs in Vancouver, BC, Canada. In addition to her […]
Housing and Neighborhood Determinants of Sleep and Mental Health in Low-Income Toddlers and their Parents
Principal Investigators: Co-Principal Investigators: The goal of this project is to understand the contributions of poverty-related disparities in neighborhood and housing to sleep and mental health problems in early childhood. We will leverage data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial, the Parent and Toddler Health (PATH) project, which focuses on low-income families in the Boston […]
Introducing Our 2024 Early Stage Urban Research Award Recipients
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of our 10th request for proposals for the Early Stage Urban Research Awards. These seed grants support early-stage academic research endeavors focused on urban challenges and urban populations, both domestic and global. This year’s seed grant cycle is the second to […]
Coping with Extreme Heat: Intersecting Vulnerabilities Related to Urban Heat Islands, Homelessness, and Serious Mental Illness
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: Periods of extreme heat, which are increasing in frequency due to climate change, have been linked to adverse mental health outcomes, including symptoms related to schizophrenia, substance use, mood disorders, and suicide. At heightened risk for negative effects of extreme heat are individuals experiencing homelessness, who have higher rates of serious […]