Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of projects are involved?
Is there funding for ACORN projects?
What is the time commitment for volunteer scientists and community partners?
How long do ACORN projects last?
What are the first steps to launching an ACORN project?
How do ACORN volunteer scientists and community leaders set expectations for each ACORN project?
What type of support does the ACORN Leadership Team provide for ACORN projects?
What deliverables are expected at the conclusion of an ACORN project?
What is ACORN?
ACORN stands for Actionable Community-Oriented Research eNgagement, and develops projects that provide opportunities for collaboration between community leaders and PCC graduate students and postdocs. Each project addresses an individual climate- and/or energy-related challenge defined by the community, and enables students to enrich their research experience and apply quantitative, analytical, and communication skills beyond the boundaries of their primary academic focus.
What kind of projects are involved?
Projects may involve using data analysis, visualization, synthesis, and communication skills. Our current projects are detailed here.
Who can participate in ACORN?
ACORN project participants include:
- Community/host organization – Any organization interested in collaborating with the University of Washington. Please see our Get Involved page to learn more!
- ACORN Volunteer(s) – Graduate students and postdocs across the University of Washington who are interested in enriching their research experience through an ACORN project are encouraged to get involved. Please see our Get Involved page to learn more!
- ACORN Project Liaison – A graduate student who is a member of the P-GraSC ACORN Subcommittee will serve as a project liaison to help guide projects from idea to completion. This may include helping scope projects, coordinate meetings, and facilitate communication between the community organization and ACORN volunteers.
Is there funding for ACORN projects?
Yes! Currently, all projects are volunteer-based. The PCC is now accepting proposals from graduate students engaged in the PCC for “Climate Solutions Projects” that help them gain experience outside academia while applying their climate-science knowledge to solutions-based projects, capstone programs, and outreach efforts with community organizations and partners. Through this funding, each ACORN project can receive up to $5,000 for travel expenses, materials, or community support. Please reach out to the leadership team with any questions about potential funding!
What is the time commitment for volunteer scientists and community partners?
Each ACORN project is different, with timelines and expectations determined by the project team at the beginning of the project. A typical ACORN volunteer time commitment is about 10 hours per month; a typical time commitment for community leaders is about 2 hours per month.
How long do ACORN projects last?
ACORN projects last approximately a year or less. This allows for project completion within the timeline of a UW Masters, PhD, or postdoctoral student.
What are the first steps to launching an ACORN project?
Community leaders interested in launching an ACORN project can fill out our community interest survey or email us at pccacorn@uw.edu with questions. We begin ACORN projects with a meeting between ACORN project liaisons and community leaders to identify community priorities and determine if ACORN is a good fit. Next, we email a brief potential project description to PCC graduate students and postdocs, and set up an introductory meeting between community leaders and potential volunteer graduate students to confirm interest, start refining the project scope, and share ACORN project logistics. After this, we ask each ACORN project team to fill out a Project Plan to establish project goals and expectations before beginning their ACORN project.
How do ACORN volunteer scientists and community leaders set expectations for each ACORN project?
ACORN volunteer scientists and community leaders set expectations using a project-plan template adapted from the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange. This form helps to collaboratively outline key elements of the project to ensure accountability, detail roles/responsibilities, identify outcomes and impacts, brainstorm ideas for sharing, and devise a meeting schedule.
What type of support does the ACORN Leadership Team provide for ACORN projects?
The ACORN Leadership Team facilitates the process of setting goals and expectations for each project, and continues to support team members for the duration of the project through regular check-in meetings. This allows us to identify potential roadblocks and support project teams in addressing these challenges. ACORN Leadership also helps project teams develop a strategy to share their results with the PCC and broader community.
What deliverables are expected at the conclusion of an ACORN project?
We ask ACORN volunteers to complete several tasks to share their work with the broader community and to preserve the knowledge they gained for future ACORN participants. These tasks include: (1) filling out a brief survey to detail the project description, results, and reflections on what factors were challenging and what factors supported the success of the project, (2) ensuring that the project has been shared with the broader community that it impacts, and (3) sharing the project with the PCC community, such as through a blog post or a PCC seminar.