Recent extreme weather events have shown how accurate housing data is critical for resource allocation during emergencies. This project, a collaboration between the Vermont Center for Geographic Information and UVM’s Spatial Analysis Lab, will utilize machine learning and high-resolution satellite imagery to map and provide insights for planning and resource allocation, and offer real-time updates to publicly available parcel and E911 datasets.

As Vermont’s population continues to age, there is a growing need for a workforce trained to support geriatric patients. Learning and Engagement in Aging Program (LEAP) is a statewide, age-friendly curriculum for health and social services workers serving older Vermonters. In partnership with the UVM Center on Aging, this program offers internship opportunities for students seeking experience and specialized training with rural aging professionals.

In partnership with innovation hubs throughout the state, including HULA, Vermont Center for Emerging Technology (VCET), Black River Innovation Campus (BRIC), and Gener8tor Rutland, UVM Innovations will link students as consultants with emerging Vermont businesses to support early-stage development and grow entrepreneurial talent.

Verde Technologies is a Vermont-based company that makes ultra-light, thin-film solar panels suitable for barns that cannot support the weight of conventional solar panels. In collaboration with the Land Care Cooperative and UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Verde Technologies will pilot their system on three barns throughout the state.

Vermont forests have been experiencing the effects of climate change in recent years, and scientists have identified a need for more regenerative practices throughout the state. This project develops a science-based roadmap for enhancing forest nursery capacity and establishing a network of reforestation hubs in Vermont. In collaboration with partners throughout the state, UVM Extension will provide students with a valuable service-learning experience, in turn strengthening rural nurseries and practitioners.

Vermont’s infrastructure has suffered drastically from severe flooding in recent years. This damage often occurs at sites located on alluvial fans, triangular deposits of sediment formed where fast-moving water slows down and spreads out, which are not represented on planning or regulatory maps. This partnership between the Vermont Geological Survey, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation's Rivers Program, and UVM’s Water Resources Institute will identify and map alluvial fans to enhance capacity to protect communities from flood impacts. 

This collaboration seeks to strengthen rural non-profits through research on collaboration, shared services, and leadership development. This partnership between Common Good Vermont (CGVT), United Way of Northwest Vermont (UWNWVT), Leaves of Change VT, and UVM’s Master of Public Administration Program (MPA), will link students with nonprofits through capstone projects, internships, and applied research, strengthening nonprofits while providing students with valuable experience.

Wastewater infrastructure poses numerous challenges to housing development in Vermont. Brightwater Tools has developed a treatment system for managing wastewater that can transform blackwater into a clean fertilizer product. Their partnership with the Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources addresses those barriers to housing development by supporting the integration of their system, allowing small communities to grow without the land requirements of septic systems.

Microplastics found in our state’s water supply have been exacerbated by extreme environmental disasters. In its second year of grant funding, Applied Research Associates (ARA), in collaboration with UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, will develop a microbot-centric environmental remediation platform to remove microplastics from Vermont’s lakes and rivers, which was initially prototyped in their first year of capacity funding.

There is currently a disconnect between sectors of Vermont’s bioeconomy, leaving untapped potential for sustainable growth. This partnership with the Biolabs Innovation Center at UVM will connect sectors of the Vermont economy working in biosciences to identify common needs and promote growth by unifying data, strengthening workforce pathways, and connecting policy and practice.

Asthma remains the most common chronic disease of childhood, and in turn, a persistent barrier to academic success. This phase two project between the Vermont State School Nurse Association and UVM’s Larner College of Medicine initiates and evaluates school-based asthma therapy (SBAT) programs across ten rural schools in Vermont.

Soil compaction has serious effects on agricultural yields as well as water quality on farms, and there is currently no accessible way for farmers to determine alleviation methods. Partners at UVM and the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers’ Alliance will use grant funds to evaluate and disseminate information about novel methods for measuring soil compaction to address Vermont farms facing water quality issues.

The goat dairy industry is growing globally, but Vermont faces barriers that prevent development at the state level. In this partnership, Vermont Creamery and UVM Extension are working together to build capacity for goat dairy development in Vermont by identifying research and technical assistance needs.

A critical challenge in Vermont is the diverse array of needs found in rural communities across the state, making coordination and problem-solving difficult for entities attempting to make change in a particular area. UVM Extension, in collaboration with Local Minutes, will develop an easily accessible, interactive “Vermont Analysis of Need” that summarizes key community needs and the approaches of the groups working to address them.

A critical issue in rural healthcare is the scarcity of medical-grade fluids, particularly in disaster-prone regions. In partnership with UVM, the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center will address the lack of IV fluids for surgery and emergency medical care in rural areas by developing and testing a prototype system that reclaims and sterilizes local water into high-quality saline and irrigation fluids.

The Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC) and UVM partners will address gaps in data to create a broader, statewide understanding of BIPOC populations not always included in data collection, and in turn, policy solutions.