Publications

The Scientists in State Politics Database is a detailed, publicly accessible inventory of state legislators across the United States with educational or professional backgrounds in science, engineering, or healthcare, hosted by the Eagleton Institute of Politics with support from the New Jersey State Policy Lab. The database helps users identify these legislators, explore their areas […]

As conversations about climate resilience and food security have intensified, we began developing a proposal in late 2024 to examine how regenerative farmers are adapting to economic, environmental, and market disruptions across New Jersey. We planned to deploy a statewide survey, designed in consultation with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, that would capture insights on local […]

Our project to create a dataset of historical water bodies in New Jersey began by finding maps of historical water bodies. Two atlases were used to locate historical water bodies in New Jersey. The first was Atlas of the Metropolitan District and adjacent country comprising the counties of New York, Kings, Richmond, Westchester and part […]

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs provide a financing solution for energy efficiency upgrades using special property tax assessments. This approach tackles the significant barrier of high upfront costs that can prevent property owners from implementing clean energy improvements. Special assessments are established municipal financing tools traditionally used for public infrastructure. These assessments are “special” […]

As the New Jersey State Policy Lab (NJSPL) reaches its fourth anniversary, it is my honor to serve as the Executive Director, working with an incredible team of dedicated professionals to better understand and investigate policy issues impacting the state. The NJSPL was created as the result of a grant from the Office of the Secretary […]

If you’ve noticed more e-bikes around your neighborhood lately, you’re not imagining things. In 2022 alone, over one million e-bikes were sold in the United States—a 269% increase from 2019 (Vehicle Technologies Office, 2023). This surge isn’t just a passing trend; e-bikes are outpacing the growth of conventional bicycles and even surpassing the rise of […]

Agriculture has long been a vital element of New Jersey’s economy and food system, providing fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, and products such as milk, cheese, and jams to local and regional markets. Despite its small geographic size, New Jersey remains one of the country’s most agriculturally productive states, with nearly 10,000 farms generating billions in […]

The purpose of this project is to identify and create a dataset of historical water bodies in New Jersey that have been altered by human development, with a focus on areas with a history of flooding and areas with combined sewer overflow (CSO) systems and explore the spatial relationship between these historical water bodies and both local flood vulnerability and CSO locations.

This blog continues a series examining Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, active in 32 states and the District of Columbia, which enable residential and commercial property owners to undertake energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy, and resiliency improvements. PACE programs provide the upfront financing for these projects by using the borrowing authority of municipal […]

When people think of scientists, engineers, or healthcare professionals, they likely imagine them working in labs, hospitals, or industrial buildings. Some, however, are also policymakers at all levels of government, shaping and enacting consequential policies that impact crucial sectors of our society including technology, health, finance, energy and more. As many legislative decisions are complex […]

In the past few weeks, President Trump has followed through on his campaign promises to begin terminating climate, environmental justice, and equity-based federal funds and initiatives (among a flurry of other far-reaching, punitive executive actions). There is considerable confusion ongoing regarding which agency funds are frozen, how federal agencies should implement guidance from the White […]

About the Survey Between October 7 and November 14, 2024, the New Jersey State Policy Lab conducted a brief survey to gain insights into emerging issues and policy priorities in New Jersey. The survey aimed to inform the Policy Lab’s strategic research planning, ensuring the organization continues to deliver rigorous, evidence-based policy research that addresses […]