New JHIPH and APL Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research Networks

New JHIPH and APL Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research Networks

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health (JHIPH) and the Johns Hopkins University-Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) are teaming up to launch four collaborative interdisciplinary research networks to accelerate breakthrough solutions for planetary health, and we invite you to participate. These standing networks—spanning Coastal Resilience, the Arctic & Cryosphere, Critical Resources, and Air Quality and control—will connect experts across APL, JHU schools, centers, and institutes, providing a disciplined structure for sharing results, shaping proposals, and competing for forthcoming funding opportunities. 

On 13 March 2025, about 50 researchers and scientists from across JHU gathered at APL for a half-day strategic workshop co-organized by APL’s Climate Network and JHIPH. In three hours, we generated over a dozen fundable concepts, ranging from glacier-stabilization techniques and AI-tuned low-cost air-quality sensors to adaptive coastal flood defenses. That momentum demonstrated the power of targeted convening—and it is precisely what these new networks are designed to sustain. 

What do we mean by “network”? It’s a lightweight but active cross-divisional collaboration platform—more than a mailing list, less than a formal center. When you join, you’re added to a persistent Slack/Teams space and email roster, invited to a one-hour hybrid session each quarter, and given access to pop-up “micro-convenings” whenever a new funding call or urgent question arises, plus two or three global webinars per year. The only standing commitment is to attend (or send a delegate to) the quarterly meeting and share occasional updates; everything else (joining micro-convenings, nominating speakers, co-leading proposals) is strictly opt-in. 

Why it matters: Major grants in these areas demand truly interdisciplinary teams—but finding collaborators at the last minute is a scramble. These networks connect you upfront with JHU colleagues whose expertise you might never otherwise encounter. When opportunities arise, and through a network, you already have shared ideas, refined concepts, and established relationships—giving you a competitive edge for the large, center-level awards that drive breakthrough research. 

Why join a network?

• Quarterly hybrid sessions to make introductions, exchange data, discuss new ideas, refine existing ideas, build collaborations, and form proposal teams. 

• Host occasional global webinars on targeted topics that showcase emerging research connect us with international partners and spark new collaborations. 

• Help set up rapid sub-group convenings within each network whenever a new Call for Proposals is made or when an urgent question arises. 

Network Focus Areas:

(Feel free to join even if you are just interested to learn more about any of these topics) 

1. Coastal Resilience Network—This network focuses on understanding and reducing coastal hazards—sea-level rise, storm surge, and land subsidence—through adaptive infrastructure, nature-based defenses, and data-driven planning (e.g., permeable pavements, AI flood-risk models).  

2. Cryosphere Network—This network targets real-time monitoring and mitigation of rapid ice sheet, glacier, and permafrost loss and its global ripple effects, pairing multisensor data with intervention strategies (e.g., reflective coatings, engineered snow, and permafrost stabilization).  

3. Critical Resources Network— This network is multifaceted, focused on securing resilient, circular supply chains for water, food, or critical materials (metals and polymers) by mapping risks and scaling recovery and low-carbon manufacturing pathways (e.g., urban mining of e-waste, metal/polymer upcycling, CO₂-cured cement).  

4. Air Quality & Control Network—This network aims to deliver block-level pollution insight and equitable clean-air solutions by fusing sensors, satellites, and health data and then deploying rapid-impact interventions. 

If your research spans multiple areas, please join all the networks that fit. If you identify a gap or want to propose a new network, reach out—we’re eager to weave your ideas into this effort.  

How to get involved 

Fill out this 2-minute form to indicate which network(s) interest you.  

We’ll circulate the first round of rosters in early July and schedule each network’s kickoff session for late August. 

About JHIPH

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health (JHIPH) exists to connect and empower such networks across APL, different JHU Schools, Centers, and Institutes—so researchers can coalesce quickly and compete effectively on topics relevant to our planet’s health. We do not manage grants; we want to enable the teams to win them. Proposals continue to be run through your home departments and institutes. 

If you have questions, ideas, or a brand-new topic we should explore, write to us at [email protected] and let’s talk. 

Thank you for your time. 

Dr. Jay Brett  
Senior Oceanographer and Project Manager  
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory  
Email: [email protected]  

Dr. Elizabeth Reilly 
Group Supervisor of the Complex Systems Group 
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 
Email: [email protected]   

Prof. Jaafar El-Awady 

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering 
Co-Director of the Innovations and Implementation Program 
Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health (JHIPH) 
Email: [email protected]