Latest research

Deborah Sivas, environmental law expert and professor of environmental social sciences, discusses the emerging “climate abundance” movement and what it could mean for environmental law.

The Stanford Sustainability Accelerator has launched a Fire Innovation Initiative to accelerate the development and adoption of technologies, policies, and other solutions that reduce wildfire risk and strengthen the resilience of communities and ecosystems.

The astronaut is leading a crew to the International Space Station to advance research and technology for future moon and Mars missions and to improve life on Earth. Watkins studied geological and environmental sciences, now part of the Doerr School of Sustainability’s Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences.

Award-winning scholars including Steven Chu, a professor in energy science and engineering and recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics, share the insights behind their breakthroughs.

Researchers are building an online tool to help woodlot owners and farmers navigate options for preserving their land and livelihoods.

California provides a case study for other states and governmental bodies looking for ways to stem the tide of microplastic pollution. Stanford experts in medicine and policy explain what can be learned from the state's decade-long regulatory experiment.

At event co-hosted by Stanford’s Natural Capital Alliance during New York Climate Week, Bhutan’s Prime Minister announced its gross ecosystem product as part of its sustainable economic development strategy.

Tracey Woodruff discusses her path from engineering to the Environmental Protection Agency to Stanford, her vision of preventing cancers before they start, and the everyday steps people can take to reduce harmful exposures.

During a summer fellowship, Sophia Siegel, BS Earth Systems ’25, MS Earth Systems ’26, helped weigh proposed changes to one of the world’s largest marine protected areas.

Stanford researchers are analyzing a rare fossil donated to the university, using carbon dating and 3D imaging to deepen understanding of Pleistocene species and Bay Area ecosystems.

With an Innovation Transfer Grant from the TomKat Center, John Mern and Anthony Corso received early support to develop their startup that is accelerating the underground modeling process for minerals, geothermal energy, and carbon storage.

Wildfires can turn natural metals in soil into toxic, airborne particles. Stanford researchers are working to predict where these metals travel and warn people in harm’s way.

Stanford experts Sharon Chinthrajah and Marshall Burke explain what happens when we breathe smoky air and share steps to reduce exposure. 

Using a novel heating method that cuts carbon emissions, engineers dramatically improved hydrogen production efficiency. As a surprising result, the process also produced high-quality graphite that could potentially be used for batteries and other technologies.

Natalie Larson, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, shares how an innovative 3D printing approach is transforming applications across structural batteries, antennas, soft robotics, and more. With support from the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, she's working on a scalable 3D printing process for cultivated meat.

The Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, based in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, has awarded nearly $5 million to teams across 22 departments working to advance climate resilience, clean energy, ocean health, water access, and more.

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and Stanford University Libraries are collaborating to reorganize, rehouse, and revitalize the Geoscience Specimen Collection, which contains an estimated half a million specimens, including rocks, minerals, fossils, cores, soil, water, and other physical materials. 

E-IPER alum Ryo Takanashi received support from programs at Stanford Ecopreneurship and the TomKat Center for his startup working to transform clunky, disparate data into a powerful database of real-time water access information.

"As an engineer, my job is to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical – taking equations of math and science and applying them to real-world solutions."

Fellowships will help doctoral students turn their research into real-world solutions, addressing challenges in aviation emissions, bioenergy, wildfire protection, tribal energy policy and more.

The 2026 winners of the Natural Capital Young Leaders Prize have advocated for a view of nature and economies as deeply intertwined, encouraging people to see themselves as part of nature rather than separate from it.