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John Muir Institute of the Environment

Environmental Infrastructure Policy Papers Grant Program

Policy papers, or "white papers" help to bridge the gap between science and policy by significantly advancing understanding of current policy issues.

The John Muir Institute on the Environment has awarded seven grants this year to fund the development of policy papers in the area of environmental infrastructure. Californians depend on the environment for a variety of goods and services. As we consider ways to modernize the state's conventional infrastructure (e.g., roads, schools, etc.) there is a parallel need to evaluate, update, and invest in California’s environmental infrastructure.

Papers from the summer 2006 program will be made available here.

Awards for policy paper grants were made to faculty, researchers and students who are affiliated with the John Muir Institute of the Environment. Evaluation criteria included the importance of the proposed research topic, appropriateness of research design and analysis, the potential impact of the paper on policy, the potential impact on the public understanding of environmental infrastructure, and the applicant’s relevant experience and research record.

California's Propositions 1A and 1B: Adapting the Results to the Current Landscape of Transportation Finance

White Paper | Press Release

Reno Giordano, Julia Silvis, Christopher Butcher
Graduate Students, Transportation, Technology and Policy
Faculty Advisor: Deb Niemeier, Civil and Environmental Engineering


Environmental Impact of Housing Conditions among California Farmworkers

White Paper | Press Release

Marc Schenker, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
Center for Health and the Environment, JMIE
Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences

Don Villarejo, Ph.D.
Director, California Institute for Rural Studies
UC Davis Medical Center
UC Agricultural Health & Safety Center


Policy Implications of Growth Modeling and Environmental Assessment in the San Joaquin Valley of California

White Paper | Press Release

Karen Beardsley
Graduate Student, Geography


Bank Erosion as a Desirable Attribute of Rivers

White Paper | Press Release

Joan Florsheim, Ph.D.
Center for Watershed Sciences, JMIE
Associate Research Geologist, Geology Department


Flood Management and Control in California

Dana Rowan
Graduate Student, Ecology

Kaveh Madani
Graduate Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering


Nanomaterials and the Environment

White Paper

Kent Pinkerton, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Health and the Environment, JMIE
Deputy Director, Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
Professor, Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine

Mai A. Ngo
Center for Health and the Environment, JMIE

Suzette Smiley-Jewell
Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine

Peter S. Aldous
Center for Health and the Environment, JMIE


Quantifying the Effects of the Current and Potential Future CAFÉ Standards on Annual Air Emissions from Gasoline Vehicles OR Is it better for the air to buy an SUV or a hybrid?

Victoria Evans
Assistant Director, Air Quality Research Center