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DURHAM, N.H.鈥擳he 麻豆app鈥檚 Sustainability Institute has received a grant from the Barr Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in New England, to bolster climate and resilience efforts among local governments across New England, reinforcing the university鈥檚 leadership in sustainability initiatives.

The $100,000 funding will enhance UNH鈥檚 ongoing support of the New England Municipal Sustainability (NEMS) Network, a regional collaborative of nearly 40 cities and towns representing approximately 2.5 million residents. The NEMS Network serves as a hub for municipalities to share strategies, align resources and develop joint solutions to pressing climate and sustainability challenges.

UNH鈥檚 Sustainability Institute has served as the administrative backbone of the NEMS Network since 2016鈥攖he only higher education institution nationally to coordinate an Urban Sustainability Directors Network regional hub. This unique structure allows NEMS to harness the expertise and resources of both local governments and the academic community.

鈥淭he partnership between NEMS and UNH positions us to catalyze meaningful climate action throughout the region,鈥� said Fiona Wilson, UNH鈥檚 chief sustainability officer and executive director of the Sustainability Institute. 鈥淭hrough our collaborations, we鈥檙e creating a powerful model for cross-sector partnerships that benefit smaller communities, advance research and equip students with real-world experience in sustainability leadership.鈥�

With support from the Boston-based Barr Foundation, the NEMS Network and UNH will expand innovative projects focusing on the intersection of climate change and public health, clean energy and community resilience. These efforts will involve robust student participation through applied research, contributing to both municipal outcomes and workforce development.

鈥淢unicipalities are on the frontlines of the growing impacts of the changing climate and can be vital agents of change in working together to solve problems. Supporting local-level leadership to assess and adopt energy efficiency and other projects is helping local government reduce risk, create cost-savings and promote healthy communities and greater resilience in a fast-changing world,鈥� says Michele Paul, co-chair of the NEMS Network and director of resilience and environmental stewardship of the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

"This collaboration among regional municipalities and our connection to UNH are invaluable in advancing our efforts toward greater community resiliency and improving the sustainability of New Hampshire,鈥� said Peter Britz, director of planning and sustainability for the city of Portsmouth.

This new phase of the NEMS-UNH partnership will be guided by a collaboration between UNH鈥檚 Sustainability Institute, Graduate School and the Carsey School of Public Policy. Dovev Levine, assistant dean for graduate student affairs and assistant vice provost for outreach and engagement and Sustainability Institute fellow, will serve as the initiative鈥檚 lead administrator.

鈥淭his is a mutually beneficial model,鈥� said Levine. 鈥淢unicipalities gain much-needed support on high-impact projects, and students gain practical experience, build their professional networks and develop career-ready skills to lead in the sustainability sector. Smaller communities, in particular, often struggle with capacity and staffing constraints, which limit their ability to fully implement sustainability initiatives. This grant helps address that gap.鈥�

For more information visit NEMS at .

About UNH:
The听麻豆app听inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from 50 states and 87 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. A Carnegie Classification R1 institution, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF, and NIH, and received over $250 million in competitive external funding in FY24 to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.