Grounded in nearly a century of applied research at Clark University, the George Perkins Marsh Institute studies the socioecological, technical, institutional and other systems through which humans interact with their surrounding environments.
Core Research Themes
Centered in expertise at Clark University’s internationally recognized Graduate School of Geography, Earth System Science research at the George Perkins Marsh Institute examines the structure and function of the Earth’s lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere, and how these systems interact.
Core Research Themes
Among the most pressing challenges facing human society are those involving relationships between humans and natural systems. Researchers at the Marsh Institute were among the pioneers of sustainability science, and the Institute remains a world leader in this critical area of work.
Core Research Themes
Interactions among the environments in which we live, resource governance, and the role of public and private institutions have important effects on human health, development, and welfare. Institutions and governance determine whether and how people benefit from natural resources and the resilience of local populations to global change and regional upheavals.
The Marsh Institute is one of the most productive hubs for research activity at the University, generating approximately 50 percent of the University’s external research funds. It houses approximately 50 research faculty and staff, many of whom have joint appointments with other departments.
