The Colorado Lab is a strategic research partner for Colorado government. We specialize in actionable research that informs policy and practice decisions of multiple state or local government agencies.
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The University of Denver is a private university committed to public good. The Colorado Lab embodies this commitment through its genuine partnership with the Governor’s office.
The Colorado Lab is different from most research institutes because their ‘research agenda’ is to answer the questions posed by government leaders and generate insights that are used to improve policies, practices, and ultimately the lives of Coloradans.
CORINNE LENGSFELD
Sr. Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education,
University of Denver
We believe that smart, strategic partnerships with government have the potential to improve people’s lives.
The Colorado Lab launched with philanthropic funding as a partnership with the Governor’s office. As it has grown, the Lab has expanded to work with the legislative and judicial branches, county and municipal governments, and philanthropy.
The Lab is the first program of its kind in Colorado. We owe it to the citizens of our state to ensure that the programs we undertake not only deliver on what they set out to do but that they are high quality, measured, and push for improvement.
SENATOR-ELECT JOHN HICKENLOOPER
former Governor of Colorado
29 Government Partners (State and local agencies and offices)
For complete list of our partners, click here to read more.
21 Research Partners(State and local agencies and offices)
For complete list of our partners, click here to read more.
So we listen to our state and local government partners to understand the most pressing challenges they face.
Access to these data has been critical for us. The dashboard is already informing the Governor’s goal to improve the ECE workforce and ensure all young children have an opportunity to succeed before they enter kindergarten.
SCOTT GROGINSKY
Governor Polis’s Special Advisor for Early Childhood
Hickenlooper Administration Priorities
Reduce recidivism for adults and juveniles
Affordable Housing
Prevention / intervention: child welfare, justice-involved youth
Good Government and Efficiency Projects
Marijuana-Funded Programs
Polis Administration Priorities
Move electric grid to renewable sources by 2040
Foster an economy that works for everyone
Fulfill every child's potential regardless of zip code
Save Coloradans money on healthcare
Reduce recidivism for adults and juveniles
Prevention / intervention: child welfare, justice-involved youth
Cross-system solutions for Coloradans
Then, we activate the research community to work with those partners to generate insights.
Colorado has a rich talent base of academic researchers at public and private universities throughout the state. The Colorado Lab serves as a bridge and translator between state and local government and this academic community by matching subject matter experts from universities across Colorado to the projects that meet the decision-making goals of government partners.
The Lab helps researchers use administrative data to meet project goals and offers assistance with data security. For all projects, the Lab facilitates proactive and timely communication to help leaders put research findings into action.
As a dean and a researcher, I am impressed by the Colorado Lab’s success in linking academic researchers and methodologies to real world problems, with a focus on data integrity, and helping to make Colorado a better place to live and work.
PAUL TESKE
Dean of the School of Public Affairs,
University of Colorado Denver
Together, we take a 360-degree view of problems, focusing on the needs of the whole person.
LINC’s public-private partnership allowed it to launch with fewer bureaucratic barriers than other states and counties have experienced. This also means that all LINC partners get to share its successes.
CHRIS KINGSLEY
Senior Associate for Data Initiatives at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national funder of AISP which supported the technical assistance to launch LINC.
When we do this, we create powerful partnerships that drive change, improving the lives of Colorado residents.
At the Colorado Lab, research has to be actionable. It has to have the potential for improving lives. So one of the first things we consider before taking on a new project is how strategic communications strategies that drive change will be built into the project design. We partner with agencies to inform prospective legislation, programmatic decisions, and investments.
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of programs, like Fostering Opportunities, to ensure that valuable students do not fall through the cracks. The researchers at the Colorado Lab have provided the support to help this critical program achieve its goals.
DAVID KOLLAR
Director of Student Engagement
Jeffco Schools
How can you invest in putting actionable research to work for Colorado residents?
Seed funding from philanthropy in 2017 launched the Colorado Lab and gave it the resources to ensure research could be conducted on a timeline that matches the decision-making cycles of government. The Colorado Lab has also been funded by numerous state agencies and philanthropies to partner on key research.
The Colorado Lab’s partnership with the State of Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood to map our early childhood education workforce was masterful. The online dashboard they created will be helpful to our state and all of our stakeholders as we work together to support the future of Colorado’s ECE workforce.
STEFFANIE CLOTHIER
Investment Director, Child Development
Gary Community Investments
Seed funding from philanthropy in 2017 launched the Colorado Lab and gave it the resources to ensure research could be conducted on a timeline that matches the decision-making cycles of government. The Colorado Lab has also been funded by numerous state agencies and philanthropies to partner on key research.
The Colorado Lab’s partnership with the State of Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood to map our early childhood education workforce was masterful. The online dashboard they created will be helpful to our state and all of our stakeholders as we work together to support the future of Colorado’s ECE workforce.
STEFFANIE CLOTHIER
Investment Director, Child Development
Gary Community Investments