Initiatives & Projects

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Maryland Democracy Initiative

The Maryland Democracy Initiative grows the capacity of all people for a lifetime of civic participation in service to a fairer and more just society. 

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The Karabelle Pizzigati Initiative in Advocacy for Children, Youth and Families

The Pizzigati Initiative builds a pipeline of informed, effective advocates through teaching, training and applied research.

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Health In All Policy

Reducing and eliminating health inequalities across population groups requires an interdisciplinary and multi-method approach to identify the social, political, economic, cultural and environmental determinants that produce health inequalities over the life course and translate these findings to policymakers who are in a position to enact change.

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US-Russian Security Relations

How can the United States and Russia build a more constructive, cooperative international security relationship?

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Resilience, Adaptation, & Community Building

Advancing the climate adaptation agenda requires mainstreaming resilience considerations into sectoral policies, from local to global. Because financing adaptation at scale is a relatively new challenge, there creates opportunity for a better integration of evidence-based design, and more systematic approaches to project assessment and prioritization.

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At SPP, our projects are impactful. We're researching the world's most pressing issues, from climate change to cybersecurity.

The School of Public Policy is home to world-renowned experts on a range of topics. At the School, their work is focused on making a difference — for children and families, for our nation and for our planet. Students have the opportunity to work directly with faculty members to engage in exciting, hands-on opportunities to build a better tomorrow.

U.S. Program

After the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, CGS led the analysis of commitments from the more than 4,000 cities, states, businesses, universities, communities of faith, and more who pledged to support the goals of the Paris Agreement in their own capacity. Since the U.S. officially rejoined the Paris Agreement in March 2021, CGS has continued working with U.S. subnational and international partners to deliver analysis that informs how an "all-of-society" ambitious and achievable U.S. climate strategy can drive actionable and feasible policy. CGS informs U.S. climate policy from the local to global through developing integrated modeling and climate scenarios for the federal government, advising on international discussions to ramp up ambition, and collaborating from the bottom-up to move the resources necessary to set and achieve ambitious climate goals.

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National Climate Strategies

Successfully addressing the climate crisis while achieving sustainable development goals will require carefully constructed strategies to enact rapid economic transitions to a cleaner economy—tailored to national circumstances and priorities. The Center for Global Sustainability has deep expertise in country-specific analytical and policy approaches across key sectors and in support of a 1.5°C-pathway.

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Do Good Challenge

Share your social impact and compete for a chance to win a share of more than $20,000

Students from across campus spend the year advocating, fundraising, volunteering and developing solutions for pressing social issues. The Challenge culminates in a Finals event where six teams pitch their project or venture and the impact they've made for the chance to win a share of more than $20,000.

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Do Good Faculty Fellows

The Do Good Faculty Fellows program supports faculty members as scholars, teachers, advisors, and educational leaders who want to explore social innovation broadly and deeply. Fellows will consider how students can engage in social innovation in its various forms (e.g. service-learning, civic engagement, philanthropy) and how they can engage students in their courses to address social problems. During the program, the Do Good Faculty Fellows will propose, and ultimately implement, an innovative Do Good course or curriculum within their respective specializations, departments, colleges, schools, or units.

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Global Philanthropy

A unique feature of our work is a global philanthropy and NGO leadership effort. This growing area immerses and engages graduate and undergraduate students in major international philanthropic and NGO leadership issues throughout the world. Through a variety of learning and development experiences, students are equipped to make a significant difference around the globe. The program offers multiple compelling field-based abroad experiences offered through the School of Public Policy.

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Improving the Practice of Public Sector Acquisition

Government, at all levels, spends trillions of tax dollars each year on goods and services.  The increasing complex interplay of acquiring, maintaining, and securing these goods and services remains a fundamental supporting activity. To do so government acquisition must be managed and secured in an effective and efficient manner throughout the entire acquisition cycle, from requirements development, through sustainment and disposal.

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Initiative on Closing the Investment Gap in Sustainable Infrastructure

The mission of The Closing the Investment Gap Initiative (CIG) is to develop a country-led, facilitated approach to close this investment gap. This approach involves the governments of developing countries working with investors and financial sector representatives to prepare key projects so that they are well aligned with the criteria of private capital.

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