This blogspot was written by Bamidele Osamika, Engagement and Evaluation Manager at Green Umbrella. For more information on opportunities to get involved, contact Bamidele Osamika at bamidele@greenumbrella.org.

The Climate Research Incubator

Green Umbrella’s Climate Research Incubator (CRI) trains regional researchers in climate science communication and community engagement. The CRI serves as a collaborative platform where scholars, community partners, and government representatives work together to better understand and respond to climate challenges across Greater Cincinnati.

CRI focuses on: 

• Building researchers’ public engagement skills
• Fostering meaningful partnerships among participants
• Supporting actionable seed projects that are co-developed with communities

The ideas developed and research provided also support the progress of the forthcoming Sustainable Playbook for Greater Cincinnati, created by Green Umbrella and partners.

After the conclusion of the CRI for the year, the researchers and community partners host a public Climate Research Incubator Symposium where participants share their progress and seed projects. 

Impact of the Incubator

CRI launched in 2023 with 17 scholars across five regional institutions. Since its inception, CRI has trained over 40 scholars. Through its public symposium, ongoing programs, and regular engagements throughout the year, CRI has made a deep impact. It has connected over 300 residents, 50 community partners, and 20 government staff members. These relationships lead to lasting, community-driven projects. 

From the very beginning, CRI set out to be more than a traditional research program. Through a carefully designed workshop series, scholars engage directly with frontline residents, community organizations, and government partners. They gain practical tools for translating research into action and building lasting partnerships that advance collective climate impact across the region.

Looking Back on the 2024-2025 Cohort

In the fall of 2024, the 2024-2025 cohort kicked off with a series of training sessions. In one of their workshops, staff from the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability and the Ohio Environmental Council were invited to train scholars on communicating with government officials and staff.

The CRI Symposium in January 2025 had over 50 attendees, including scholars, community partners, and government officials, to discuss and seed resilience projects. Between February and April, the scholars further engaged in a series of project working sessions. These sessions fostered meaningful collaboration, enabling the development of existing projects, the exchange of innovative ideas, and the cultivation of new professional networks. One of the projects seeded in the 2024-2025 CRI cohort was the development of a new sustainability challenge to drive collaboration around practical ideas for climate action.

In September of 2025, the CRI cohort hosted the inaugural Sustainability Hackathon Challenge at the University of Cincinnati. The weekend-long challenge brought UC students together to brainstorm solutions for real-world sustainability issues. Judges from Green Umbrella,UC School of Environment and Sustainability, UC Office of Sustainability,City of Fairfield, City of Milford, Sustainability Central, Net Impact, and Bearcat Student Sustainability Council selected winning plans that addressed solutions to waste management, data tracking and reporting, and storytelling initiatives.

2025–2026 Cohort

The CRI 2025–2026 cohort welcomed 16 scholars from eight different institutions, bringing diverse disciplines, perspectives, and lived experiences to the table. United by a shared commitment to climate action, the cohort began a fall journey focused on strengthening public engagement, science communication, and collaborative leadership core skills needed to drive meaningful, regionally grounded climate solutions.

Workshop I: Public Engagement as the Foundation

The first workshop laid the groundwork for the cohort’s journey. Led by Kristy Hopfensperger, Green Umbrella’s Science Fellow and Professor at Northern Kentucky University, in partnership with Bamidele Osamika of Green Umbrella, the session introduced scholars to the vision and goals of the CRI and its alignment with Green Umbrella’s mission of accelerating climate action in Greater Cincinnati.

Scholars shared why they joined the CRI program, setting a tone of openness and purpose. The session presented a better way to work with communities: by partnering with them, listening to resident expertise, and building solutions together. Discussion topics included forms of community engagement, the role of community science, and the value of participation in building trust, relationships, and long-term impact.

Workshop II: Communicating Science with Clarity and Purpose

The second workshop focused on the art and responsibility of science communication. Led by CRI alumna Dr. Laura Zanotti, Professor and Director of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Cincinnati, the session drew from her experiences working with CRI partners and community-based projects.

Dr. Zanotti shared lessons learned from sustained engagement with community partners, emphasizing the importance of listening, humility, and clarity. Scholars explored practical strategies for avoiding jargon, crafting accessible messages, and communicating science in ways that resonate beyond academic audiences. The workshop concluded with small-group discussions, where scholars began shaping project ideas and identifying shared interests.

Workshop III: Connecting with Government Through Story and Strategy

Effective climate action requires navigating public systems. In this workshop, scholars heard directly from government partners Molly Robertshaw (City of Cincinnati, Office of Environment & Sustainability) and Kylie Johnson (Ohio Environmental Council & OEC Action Fund), who offered insights into working productively with government institutions.

Johnson emphasized that personal and community stories are foundational to connecting with government decision-makers, while Robertshaw shared case studies demonstrating successful government–research collaborations. Together, they highlighted the importance of working with elected leadership, understanding institutional processes, and leveraging available resources to turn ideas into action.

Workshop IV: Building Power Through Collaborative Research

Collaboration took center stage in Workshop IV, led by Ryan Mooney-Bullock, Green Umbrella Executive Director. The session focused on effective project management, the principles of collective impact, and best practices for managing interdisciplinary teams.

Scholars explored how strong networks and regional connections can amplify individual efforts, helping research projects evolve into scalable, community-driven solutions. The discussion encouraged participants to think beyond silos and identify opportunities for partnership across sectors.

Workshop V: Aligning Research with Community Needs

The final workshop of the fall brought community voices directly into the room. Representatives from OKI, City of Cincinnati, ORSANCO, Groundwork Ohio River Valley, Gorman Heritage Farm, Cincinnati MSD, Rumpke, and others joined the cohort to share priorities, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. 

This session reinforced a core CRI value: climate research is strongest when it is grounded in community realities. Scholars gained firsthand insight into how their work can support ongoing efforts and respond to real-world needs.

Looking Ahead: Learning Into Action

The fall 2025 program culminated in the Winter 2026 Annual Symposium on January 21, bringing together past and present scholars, community partners, and local government leaders of Green Umbrella’s CRI cohorts to co-develop climate resilience projects. In spring of 2026, scholars will transition into applied project work sessions, refining and advancing climate resilience ideas in close collaboration with community partners. 

Green Umbrella’s Climate Research Incubator, in partnership with the Center for Collaboration on Climate and Community for Health (C4H), recently announced the recipients of the Grassroots Collaboration Award. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, this award supports research that focuses on community priorities, leads to real-world impact, and addresses the health impacts of climate change in neighborhoods that are most at risk. Two CRI projects are: 

• Understanding the Mental Health Needs of Those Experiencing Harm Due to Climate Change in an Economically Burdened, High-Risk Community.
  • Led by Nzingha Dalila, EdD, LPCC-S, LCDC-III, Clinical Counselor and Instructor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati (UC), and Earnest J. Davis, Jr., Ph.D, President of the Mantle Center, Community Psychology Health Collaborative. 
  • This project works directly with Bond Hill residents to better understand how climate-related events (such as extreme heat, flooding, pollution, infrastructure disruptions, and more) impact residents’ emotional and mental well-being. The findings will help shape future behavioral-health programs and climate strategies that center the experiences of the people most affected.

• Ground Yourself in Green Space: Avondale
  • Led by UC Assistant Professor Anca Matyiku, Ph.D.; Aisha Tzillah of the Avondale Development Corporation; NKU Assistant Professor Yingying Xie, Ph.D.; and Crystal Russell, Coordinator of Macklin Legacy Garden.
  • This effort engages Avondale residents in environmental workshops and green-space activities that highlight the connections between nature, community health, and resilience. By increasing awareness and involvement, the team aims to inspire residents to advocate for more greenspaces and healthier neighborhood environments and create a model for other communities facing environmental injustice.

As the CRI 2025–2026 cohort moves forward, one thing is clear: this community of scholars is not just learning about climate solutions, they are actively building the relationships, skills, and shared vision needed to make them real.

Green Umbrella’s Climate Research Incubator (CRI), in partnership with the Community Engagement Core of the Center for Collaboration on Climate and Community for Health (C4H), announces the recipients of The Grassroots Collaboration Award. Made possible by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the award program is designed to support research that begins with community-level input on the health effects of climate change in vulnerable communities. Eligible applicants included previous or current CRI Researcher Cohorts and/or existing CRI Projects. The two projects selected were:

Understanding the Mental Health Needs of Those Experiencing Harm Due to Climate Change in an Economically Burdened, High-Risk Community
This project is being led by Nzingha Dalila, EdD, LPCC-S, LCDC-III, Clinical Counselor and Instructor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati (UC), and Earnest J. Davis, Jr., Ph.D, President of the Mantle Center, Community Psychology Health Collaborative. The project will explore the emotional, psychological, and practical impacts of climate change on the neighborhood of Bond Hill. Working closely with Bond Hill residents, the project will focus on the lived experiences, emotional responses, and unmet needs of community members through the lens of climate change impacts related to events like heatwaves, flooding, pollution, and infrastructure disruption. Findings will be made available to inform climate behavioral health interventions, policies, and adaptation strategies that center the voices of those most affected and improve their ability to respond to individual and community stresses.

Ground Yourself in Green Space: Avondale
This project is being led by UC Assistant Professor,  Anca Matyiku, Ph.D.;  Aisha Tzillah, of the Avondale Development Corporation; NKU Assistant Professor,  Yingying Xie, Ph.D.; and Crystal Russell, Coordinator of Macklin Legacy Garden. In collaboration with numerous other community and academic partners, this project takes on the call to ground the Avondale community in green spaces through environmental data collection and workshops that connect residents to the ecology, biodiversity, and potential for well-being that green spaces support. Efforts will support understanding and knowledge among residents regarding their neighborhood’s environment and factors that affect their health. This increased awareness will empower residents to engage in community initiatives to nurture and expand greenspaces, and to shape policy toward healthier environments. Furthermore, the project will serve as a model for other grassroots collaborations across communities affected by environmental injustice. 

The grant aims to foster collaborations between academic and community partners in the Greater Cincinnati area to emphasize equitable collaboration, generate actionable data, and support vulnerable communities in the study of health impacts of climate change.

Through these awards, Green Umbrella’s CRI, and C4H aim to foster equitable collaboration, generate actionable data, and center and uplift the voices of community members, all with the goal of creating better health outcomes in some of Greater Cincinnati’s most vulnerable communities.

Contributors: Nobi Kennedy, Dr. Kristy Hopfensperger, Anna Parnigoni

The severity of issues caused by the climate crisis requires collaborative and often complex solutions. Research also typically happens across institutions in silos, causing gaps in knowledge and creating challenges related to cross-disciplinary initiatives. This is particularly true across the climate space, where research is happening at a rapid speed to address our rapidly changing environment. To address this issue locally, Green Umbrella partnered with Northern Kentucky University to launch the Climate Research Incubator in 2024, the first cross-disciplinary climate research initiative in our region. 

The Climate Research Incubator is a forum where academics and climate scientists can expand their work through equitable collaboration with community partners. The Incubator builds on the intersection of research and community to reimagine the role of research systems in collective action by connecting local and grassroots expertise to research and scholarly knowledge. The inaugural 2024 Incubator cohort included 12 researchers across 5 institutions, including the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Community partners included Groundwork Ohio River Valley, The Center for Closing the Health Gap, Avondale Community Council, the City of Covington, and more. 

Green Umbrella and NKU plan to offer Incubator programming annually to a select group of researchers and community partners. Continue reading to learn more about this program, our 2024 Cohort model, and how to get involved. 

The Incubator Program Plan

The Climate Research Incubator’s mission is straightforward yet ambitious: to bring together community partners, scholars, and local governments to co-create research projects, incubate those projects, and enhance climate resilience within our region. 

The primary objectives of the program include:

1. Provide training necessary in science communication and public engagement 
2. Foster opportunities for relationship-building among participants 
3. Support actionable seed projects developed through the Incubator 

Cohorts meet multiple times between fall and summer. Trainings for participants are broken down into four main categories: a Fall Scholar Training Workshop Series, A Winter Symposium, Spring Ideas Cafe Sessions, and Summer Collaboration Workshops. 

Led by NKU Professor Kristy Hopfensperger, the Incubator trainings and workshops ask researchers to consider how their research and science can advance specific priorities related to climate justice. Together, participants explore how their research can better address climate concerns and how their research process can center underserved communities and avoid extractive and transactional relationship dynamics with those communities. This collaborative approach aims to ensure solutions are rooted in practical needs and deliver tangible benefits to communities. 

Our Impact: Success Stories from the 2024 Climate Research Incubator

The inaugural research cohort made significant strides through their work with the Incubator. The program engaged 12 scholars, 6 local governments, and 26 community partners throughout its duration. Major seed ideas emerged and project teams have continued moving this work forward since wrapping Incubator programming. Projects are at various stages of development and include: 

• Food Systems: Food system modeling to mitigate supply chain disruptions due to climate change and educate on local and cultural foodways. 
• Greenspace: Greenspace and flooding adaptations; food gardens in urban revitalization
• Waste Reduction: Data collection and analysis on litter; building community incentives to manage waste and recycling 
• Health & Community: Race-based trauma and the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes; solutions on greenspace access and neighborhood activation

Where Science Meets Community

A key factor of the Climate Research Incubator is connecting communities to research specialists and governments. The Incubator Symposium, which is held annually after scholar trainings in science communication and public engagement, brings cohort participants – scholars, community partners, and local governments – together to learn about community needs and interests. This type of cooperation is critical – when communities engage with researchers and local governments, they have the opportunity to study or solve problems with a specialist or policy-maker collaborating on the process. Researchers and government representatives can become champions of community ideas, and provide insight from a scientific or policy perspective. The Symposium creates this forum for collaboration and fosters these types of connections. 

Additional community benefits include accessing data and technical expertise, building relationships with scientific and technical experts, and informing/participating in scientific research. Researchers can incorporate local and traditional knowledge, improve research questions and understanding of research findings, design more equitable engagement and project management approaches, and support the participation of underrepresented groups in science and other disciplines. 

Moving Forward

Although the 2023-24 Incubator workshop activities have concluded, the momentum continues! Current 2023-2024 project teams maintain regular meetings, progressing toward their intended goals and advancing their seed projects. 

Recruitment for the 2024-25 scholar cohort has also begun (apply now – the deadline is Sept. 4!), with an annual meeting planned for early 2025. Readers are invited to share this opportunity with their networks, get involved in upcoming events, and be part of the solution. For more information and to stay updated, visit our webpage. 

If you are a scholar, community partner, or government representative and would like to be involved in the 2024-2025 Climate Research Incubator, contact Kristy Hopfensperger at hopfenspek1@nku.edu. 

About Our 2024-2025 Climate Fellow 

Dr. Kristy Hopfensperger helped design and lead the inaugural Incubator cohort and will continue to serve as Green Umbrella’s climate fellow for the 2024-2025 program. Dr. Hopfensperger is an environmental scientist, researcher, and professor. She is the Director of the Environmental Science Program at Northern Kentucky University; her research topics include the efficiency of green infrastructure, invasive species and their ecosystems, and ecosystem restoration and mitigation. Her work is truly collaborative – she is often involved in projects with community partners including the Green Umbrella and Groundwork Ohio River Valley’s Climate Safe Neighborhoods program and others with RISE, ReNewport, Databloom, and more.

Green Umbrella is the lead investigator of a cohort of research institutions recently awarded a US Environmental Protection Agency grant to study how electrification and weatherization of homes affect energy consumption and indoor air quality for residents of affordable housing. 

The project will include the installation of energy-saving technologies, such as insulation, heat pumps and electric stoves, in approximately 50 affordable housing units in Over-the-Rhine. These technologies are expected to improve energy reliability, affordability, comfort and air quality for Over-the-Rhine Community Housing residents and help researchers and policymakers outline efficient ways to facilitate future energy transitions for high-energy burden communities. 

“The general goal of the project is to quantify the benefits of electrification and weatherization efforts in multifamily homes, both with respect to energy security and air quality,” David Konisky of Indiana University, a partnering research institution, said. “There is a big gap in energy efficiency work in rental units, especially affordable units. This project can help us understand the practical benefits of making energy efficiency improvements and identify potential challenges that need to be addressed.”

In addition to implementing technology improvements, the project is designed to be co-led by community members and involve residents in data collection and education opportunities. Residents will be compensated to engage in pre- and post-study analysis over the three-year grant period and will provide direct feedback to researchers and City staff. 

“The challenge of providing affordable housing has always been about more than providing affordable rents,” reflected Mary Burke Rivers, Executive Director of Over the Rhine Community Housing. “Access to truly affordable housing includes low energy costs and healthy and safe homes, and this project will provide us the opportunity to make meaningful energy upgrades, as well as understand the value of those improvements to our community members. We are grateful for this opportunity and for community members who will engage in and benefit from the process.”

This project was developed in partnership with Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability, Indiana University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. University partners will track and analyze data related to energy affordability and air quality benefits to influence future policy recommendations. 

“The high cost of energy overburdens one in four Cincinnati households making it even more difficult to make ends meet,” according to Oliver Kroner, Director of the City’s Office of Environment and Sustainability. “As we tackle this reality, the City is grateful to be able to scale this part of our efforts with this generous infusion of funding and partners. Special thanks to Duke Energy Ohio, the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. Foundation, and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation for seed funding this effort. This work will deliver real benefits to the people of Cincinnati and will shape strategy and policy development in coming years.”

The grant program funding the research project is a part of the EPA’s focus on ensuring just transitions in the energy economy and investing in communities that have been historically marginalized or suffered environmental injustices. 

“This project is a huge opportunity for Cincinnati and residents of Over-the-Rhine to lead energy efficiency transitions to support energy-burdened communities,” said Ryan Mooney-Bullock, Executive Director of Green Umbrella, “We’re excited to work with this talented team of researchers and policymakers to make a real difference for people living in these 75 units, and even more excited for what this means for the future of critical energy transformations in our city and region.” 

Local governments across the region are benefiting from working with Green Umbrella to help them boost their capacity, secure funding, build community engagement, and implement key projects to make their communities more resilient, equitable, and thriving. 

With the abundance of ways to take action on sustainability, making decisions that create meaningful changes can be overwhelming and confusing. Green Umbrella is here to help local governments navigate what can feel like a maze of opportunities and take decisive action.

Here are just a few examples of this important work:

Kickstarting Sustainability Planning in City of Fairfield

In 2022, City of Fairfield began development of their first comprehensive, local, climate action plan. Green Umbrella helped the City translate their goals and resource needs into their contractor procurement process. Their forthcoming plan will address five topics: air quality and climate change; community health and safety; energy conservation and efficiency; going green; and water quality.

Engaging Residents in City of Norwood

Working closely with Norwood community leaders, the Climate Safe Neighborhoods Partnership (led by Green Umbrella and Groundwork Ohio River Valley) created a Climate Advisory Group to equitably engage underserved communities. The Group, composed of Norwood residents, works closely with city government staff and elected officials to ensure that community voice is translated to decision making opportunities. This type of equitable engagement can directly support the informing, design, and implementation of adaptation and mitigation projects, policies, and plans led by local governments.

As a partner in this work, Green Umbrella secured planning and design resources to help create the street tree plan and supported the strategy development for the local government’s solar investment. The new solar panels are expected to generate 29% of the electricity used at the Colerain Community Center, resulting in an estimated savings of $104,000 over the life of the panels. 

Acceleration in Colerain Township

Green Umbrella supported Colerain Township in the design and launch of a cross-sector community group called Team Up to Green Up – Colerain. Since launching, the group has worked collaboratively to create a community-wide waste pick-up program, engage with the Township’s street tree plan, and rally support for solar in Colerain. 

As a partner in this work, Green Umbrella secured planning and design resources to help create the street tree plan and supported the strategy development for the local government’s solar investment. The new solar panels are expected to generate 29% of the electricity used at the Colerain Community Center, resulting in an estimated savings of $104,000 over the life of the panels. 

Planning for the Future in Cincinnati

Green Umbrella has supported the City of Cincinnati on developing and implementing the Green Cincinnati Plan for nearly a decade, including sitting on the Plan’s steering committee, helping 20 schools start their green schoolyard journey, drawing down energy use in Cincinnati’s commercial buildings, updating the city’s urban agriculture zoning codes, and more.

These stories and many others are the tip of the iceberg of what’s possible when working with Green Umbrella. Just like we’ve done for Fairfield, Norwood, Colerain, and Cincinnati, we have experts that can help your community take whatever action is right for you – whether it’s the first or next step in your resilience journey.

Join us on Friday November 3, 2023 
Local Governments Member Benefits Webinar
You’ll have an opportunity to ask your most pressing questions and to hear what other local governments are doing to create more resilient, equitable, and thriving communities.