Four Research Teams Awarded Funding for Early-Stage Solution Development
How can U.S. cities adapt and thrive as remote work persists, shifting patterns of commercial activity and impacting tax revenue? How can high-quality vocational training be deployed to reach the scores of young people who need it most in a changing economy? What are the most effective ways to detect and reduce deaths from colorectal cancer? How can programs designed to coordinate the charging of electric vehicles in a manner that evenly distributes demand operate most effectively?
These are the questions motivating the four Stanford-led research teams who were awarded Stage 1 funding from Stanford Impact Labs (SIL) this spring. All four teams have built deliberate partnerships with practitioners from the public, social, or private sector around a shared ambition of exploring and developing practical solutions to their chosen issue. Their solutions-focused projects join SIL’s growing portfolio of investments in Stanford-led “impact labs” and may ultimately take the shape of new programs, activities, or technology tools; research delivered in service of a real-world demand; or practical advice as to how to put data-driven insights into action. For the time being, the teams—led by scholars from Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences, Graduate School of Education, School of Medicine, and Doerr School of Sustainability—are each working to deepen their understanding of the problem landscape and lay the groundwork for testing viable solutions.
We're thrilled to introduce Stanford Impact Labs’ 2025 Stage 1 investments:
Remote Work and Thriving Cities
Major U.S. cities are at a turning point as remote work continues to change where people live and how cities function. This research project led by Nicholas Bloom, the William Eberle Professor of Economics at the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, brings together researchers and city leaders to better understand how remote work is reshaping urban life. The team will explore how changes in work patterns are impacting broad dimensions of city living – including housing demand, public transit, and the future of downtown spaces. With a particular focus on San Francisco as one of many cities navigating a shifting office landscape, the team aims to leverage economic research in support of local leaders as they respond by adjusting or developing policies—from tax systems to zoning laws—accordingly.
Hundreds of thousands of young people in Brazil leave high school each year for the workforce, often landing in low-wage positions with limited growth prospects. This research project led by Eric Bettinger, the Conley DeAngelis Family Professor in the Stanford University School of Education and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, seeks to address that challenge by expanding access to vocational education for low-income and rural high school students in the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. By generating evidence to improve vocational education programs and guide broader policy, the team aims to create a roadmap for regions across Brazil that can help more young people receive the education and training they need to grow professionally.
Pathways to Preventing and Reducing Colorectal Cancer in Chile
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in Chile and one of the top causes of cancer-related deaths. Working across government and academia, this research project led by Fernando Alarid-Escudero, Assistant Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine, is exploring the practicality of introducing a simple and affordable CRC screening test, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). By conducting a feasibility study, the team aims to deliver the evidence policymakers require to know how best to reduce the life-threatening burden of colorectal cancer across the country.
Helping Business Help the Climate
The rapid shift toward clean energy is transforming how electricity is produced and consumed. This research project led by Hunt Allcott, Professor of Environmental Social Sciences in the Doerr School of Sustainability, is focused around a more flexible electricity demand system that can adjust to changes in supply, helping to prevent the distribution grid from becoming overloaded. By studying programs that manage when electric vehicles are charged, the team aims to understand ways to reduce costs, ease pressure on local infrastructure, and help utilities deliver cleaner, more reliable power. The goal is to improve the design of managed charging programs and inform energy policy, creating a model that can be scaled across the U.S. as the transition to electric vehicles accelerates.
Stage 1: Seed Partnerships funding offers impact labs up to $350,000 to support early-stage work to better understand a social problem and deepen external partnerships in a way that creates a clear path to testing solutions.