Visit our website here. Read the Solutions Lab vision document here.
What is the Solutions Lab?
The Solutions Lab is the non-profit research lab I co-founded with my close friend and collaborator, Kyle S. H. Dobson, after years of working together to go beyond simply pointing out problems—we formed our Lab to create accessible, effective, and evidence-based solutions for anyone who needs them.
What is your approach?
First, we listen to the community and stakeholders who are closest to the problem. We then empower community stakeholders and get to know the context to design high-impact research that will inform our solutions. Then, we conduct rigorous research to build sustainable solutions. Finally, we give these solutions back so that they can be implemented at scale.
What are your values?
• Authenticity – Building solutions in accordance with our deepest values; aligning our solutions to the root causes of community problems to ensure they fit to the context where they are deployed.
• Humility – Knowing the context and ensuring that all stakeholders feel they are meaningfully included in the research and solution-building process.
• Empowerment – Empowering all stakeholders to share their perspective and make their voice heard in research that affects them.
• Mentorship – Developing the next generation of scientists through mentoring our staff. Every member of the Lab is a scientist in-training or mentor to other scientists in-training.
• Agility – Meeting dynamic environmental demands to provide the best solutions possible.
• Data-driven – Utilizing rigorous evidence-based tactics and analysis to drive results.
Solution-oriented – Our lab only identifies problems we also intend to fix.
What is the focus of your research?
We have many areas that we research, and we are continuing to expand our expertise. Right now, we focus primarily on interventions with police departments to solve challenges to community well-being.
Our current project portfolios are:
• Relationships — ensuring police departments and their employees transparently communicate their values and intent to those they serve to build
close, trusting relationships between communities and their police.
• Services-Needs Fit — deeply connecting the thoughts, feelings, experiences, and contexts of community members to police, to tailor police services to
address the needs of diverse communities.
• Mental and Physical Wellness — attracting growth-minded people who want to improve the well-being of their communities through compassionate service, into organizations that also support the mental health, physical health, and authenticity of their employees.
Who is in the Solutions Lab, and how do I join?
• Kyle S. H. Dobson and I are the co-founders and directors of the Solutions Lab.
• Arianna Chiappi is our Operations Director.
The Lab also comprises project-specific teams of researchers at different levels: doctoral students and faculty volunteering their time and leadership, undergraduate students leading teams of researchers at field sites, and full-time project managers in charge of managing our project portfolios.
Feel free to email if you’re interested in joining the team, collaborating, or have any more questions about the Lab! 👋🏻 Email join@solutions-lab.org to learn more!