Addressing the myriad problems posed by climate change requires participation from a diverse slate of actors centering their research questions, approach, and solutions around the communities most burdened by climate change. Yet, investigator-initiated research historically has overlooked this type of stakeholder- and community-driven involvement. The Department of Energy’s Urban Integrated Field Laboratories (IFL) aim to fill this gap and provide knowledge that informs equitable solutions that can strengthen community-scale resilience, and in this presidential session the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative IFL will be highlighted as an example of this research paradigm.
The town and gown approach of the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative IFL leverages the leadership and the lived experience from universities in and around Baltimore, city agencies, and local communities. Agency perspectives provided by the panel will describe how the IFL program will inform climate action, develop a toolkit of solutions, and serve as a magnet for involvement from other government agencies. Local perspectives featured on this panel will discuss work already underway to develop climate mitigation and resiliency efforts in Baltimore, how the IFL program accelerates community goals, and how to build grassroots capacity and power in the face of historical axes of marginalization. The roundtable portion of this presidential session will encourage audience engagement and feedback on the current state and future of the IFL program and Baltimore’s Social-Environmental Collaborative.

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