Iowa INSIGHT will officially launch on July 1, 2026. 

Initial funding for Iowa INSIGHT supports a five-year program, though the program is expected to continue as long as financial resources are available. 

Iowa INSIGHT is a collaborative effort between the University of Iowa’s Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) and IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering (IIHR), bringing together complementary expertise in environmental monitoring, biomonitoring, and data science to advance the work. 

David Cwiertny, William D. Ashton Professor of Civil Engineering and director of CHEEC, leads the initiative alongside Larry Weber, Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics and IIHR director.

The program builds on the existing expertise of CHEEC and IIHR in environmental monitoring and analysis to close critical gaps related to emerging environmental health threats, including chemical exposure, environmental pathogens, airborne and microbial contaminants, and risks to municipal and private drinking water supplies.

Sharon Krause has been invested in the nexus of conservation, agriculture, and healthy food systems in Iowa for years. She and IIHR Director Larry Weber connected during their time on The Nature Conservancy board of trustees and bonded over shared interests in driving solutions to Iowa’s water quality issues.

Amidst growing concerns over Iowa’s cancer rates and understanding the impacts of environmental exposures on public health, Krause was determined to create a holistic vision that would address these interconnected challenges. 

Working alongside Weber, David Cwiertny leveraged his expertise and a career dedicated to research focused on watersheds, water treatment, and the movement and fate of pollutants such as pesticides and “forever chemicals” in the environment and put together a robust proposal to implement Krause’s vision. Cwiertny and Weber built the proposal on the established research infrastructure of CHEEC and IIHR, which enabled the development of Iowa INSIGHT.

The program emphasizes a highly collaborative approach and will work to leverage existing partnerships and identify new connections with leading experts working on the issues that Iowa INSIGHT will address. 

Specific partnerships will include:

• Oncologists, pediatricians, and other health practitioners at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
• Professors and undergraduate students at four-year colleges across Iowa to assist with data collection and sampling
• Municipal water treatment facilities
• County public health agencies
• Watershed Management Authorities made up of city, county, and soil and water conservation district representatives
• Volunteer farmers willing to host environmental monitoring equipment
• University of Iowa College of Public Health
• State Hygienic Laboratory
• Environmental health specialists across Iowa

This list will evolve as the program grows and is not comprehensive of all partners who provide meaningful contributions to support activities. 

The University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) supports and conducts research to identify, measure, and study adverse health outcomes related to exposure to environmental toxins. CHEEC was established through the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act and has focused its efforts mainly on drinking water contaminants. CHEEC’s mission, as stated in the act, is “to determine the levels of environmental contamination which can be specifically associated with human health effects.”

A primary activity of CHEEC involves maintaining environmental database designed for environmental health research. CHEEC is involved in a variety of epidemiologic studies of rural and urban populations in Iowa, mainly focused on drinking water contaminants and health effects.

IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering is a world-renowned center for education, research, and public service focusing on fluids. Based in the C. Maxwell Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory, a five-story red brick building on the banks of the Iowa River, IIHR is a unit of the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. At IIHR, students, faculty members, staff, and research engineers work together to understand and manage one of the world’s greatest resources — water. Students from around the world benefit from IIHR’s comprehensive multidisciplinary approach, which includes laboratory experimentation, computational approaches, and observational field research.

The Kyle J. and Sharon Krause Family Foundation was established in 2012 to advance meaningful, long-term impact in the communities the Krause family calls home and serves. Building on decades of charitable giving, the foundation focuses on three core pillars: advancing climate action through clean air and water initiatives, reducing disparities and promoting equity, and increasing access to arts and culture.

An advisory board of nationally recognized experts will help guide the work, ensuring scientific rigor and expertise. 

A list of board members will not be formalized until after the official July 1 start date.