How is the Initiative on Cities Making a Difference in Urban Scholarship?

We catalyze early-stage research that deepens understanding of cities and urban populations. Today, with over half the world’s population living in urban areas, it is more crucial than ever for scholars and practitioners to address the complex challenges facing 21st-century cities – and to shape the policies and practices that will shape their future. If you are a member of the BU community and interested in submitting a proposal, we encourage you to review our annual requests for proposals, which typically open in December or January.  
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724 result(s) found.

  • IOC Releases Report on Lessons from the One Fund Boston

    September 15, 2014
    The Initiative on Cities is proud to announce the release of its first City Insight publication. This inaugural report, One Fund Boston: Lessons for Leaders, focuses on the factors that contributed to the success of the One Fund. Based on interviews with key community, corporate, and government stakeholders as well as insight shared by Kenneth […]
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    IOC Releases Spring 2016 Request for Proposals

    March 17, 2016
    Request for Proposals The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce its Spring 2016 RFP for our Early Stage Urban Research Awards. These seed grants support research addressing urban challenges and urban populations in the U.S. and abroad. The Awards are open to all Boston University Schools, and interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged. Successful proposals will […]
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    IOC Seed Funding to Study Classroom Air Quality Featured on BU SPH

    February 14, 2024
    Patricia Fabian, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Associate Director at the Institute for Global Sustainability, was recently featured in a BU SPH article highlighting her work on air quality in Boston Public School (BPS) classrooms. During her 2022-2023 sabbatical, Professor Fabian created a research partnership with the Boston Public Schools. […]
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    IOC Sponsored Research Published with UN-HCR

    February 22, 2017
    The Initiative on Cities is delighted to share The Work Permit Initiative for Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Implications for Policy and Practice, a research and policy report by Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies Masters Candidate Vicky Kelberer. In conjunction with the Boston Consortium on Arab Region Studies and the United Nations High Commissioner […]
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    IOC Sponsors Open Access Research

    July 18, 2016
    In partnership with the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, the Initiative on Cities is excited to fund open-access research by Boston University Earth & Environment Professors Sucharita Gopal and Nathan Phillips. Professors Gopal and Phillips used a data-driven approach to define sustainability, resiliency, and metabolism metrics that will provide cities across […]
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    IOC Summer Fellow To Work On Sustainable Energy Systems in Melbourne, Australia

    June 3, 2015
    The Initiative on Cities is thrilled to announce the 2015 City of Melbourne Sustainability Branch Fellow Timothy Ogino (ENG '16) who will complete his summer fellowship in Melbourne, Australia. Ogino is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Boston University School of Engineering. In Melbourne, he will work with the City's […]
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    IOC Summer Fellow Yulan Sun Reflects on Work in City of Providence Innovation Department

    September 20, 2016
    Shiny Apps for Service and Youth Crime: My Summer in the Providence Department of Innovation This summer I worked as the Boston University Initiative on Cities Fellow for the City of Providence’s Department of Innovation. I completed many interesting projects during my Fellowship, including a 311 service request data analysis and predictive youth crime data […]
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    IOC Summer Fellows Gaining Hands-On Experience in Local Government

    July 20, 2015
    Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of urban leaders, the Initiative on Cities (IOC) connects Boston University students with opportunities in local government. From the School of Public Health, the School of Engineering, and the College of Arts and Sciences, the 2015 IOC Summer Fellows are helping develop urban policy in cities around the world.
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    IOC Summer Fellowships with Boston, Providence, and Manchester – Apply Now!

    December 15, 2016
    The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is excited to begin accepting applications for the 2017 IOC Summer Fellowships in Boston, Providence, and Manchester, England. These paid IOC Fellowships award Boston University undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to spend the summer working in municipal offices around the country and around the world. Fellows will explore their […]
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    IOC Urban Research Awards Spark City-Focused Scholarship

    September 11, 2015
    The Initiative on Cities distributed over $116,000 in seed funding in Fiscal Year 2015 to support 17 urban research projects Boston University. The IOC Urban Research Awards, grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000, were made available through our first RFP in the Spring of 2015. Awards were open to BU faculty, as well as BU […]