What We’re Learning

What We’re Learning

We believe that a community of creative problem-solvers, faced with complicated, seemingly intractable challenges, is well-served by thought-provoking, research-based information, and analysis. We support the development and dissemination of research in two ways:

Abell Reports

Abell Reports are commissioned reports by subject matter experts, academics, and investigative journalists that provide studies of selected issues on the public agenda.

Abell-Supported Research

These projects – undertaken with grant funding by academics and nonprofit research and advocacy organizations – advance learning on issues key to Baltimore City.

Featured Reports

Abell-Supported Research – Whole Blocks, Whole City: Reclaiming Vacant Property Throughout Baltimore

There are nearly 15,000 vacant houses and 20,000 vacant lots in Baltimore City, with many thousands more at risk, the majority of which are found in predominantly Black, low-income neighborhoods. Baltimore can break this cycle of disinvestment through a whole block strategy.

Abell-Supported Research – Energy Efficiency for Everyone: How to Supercharge EmPOWER Maryland

The 2008 EmPOWER Maryland Act has helped the state make important strides in energy efficiency and affordability. In this report Maryland PIRG and the Frontier Group analyze its successes and suggest reforms to help it better meet Maryland’s evolving climate goals and the needs of residents.

Photo courtesy of B’more for Healthy Babies

Abell Report – B’more for Healthy Babies: The Story Behind the Data

B’more for Healthy Babies (BHB) is a multidisciplinary public health strategy to improve maternal and child health outcomes. BHB has made a significant difference in Baltimore City, cutting the racial disparity between Black and white infant deaths by more than half. This report explains what has made BHB so effective.

Publications Library

Supporting Executive Function in Schools: A Look at Three Promising Program Models

Executive Function (EF) is important for success in school and in life. This Abell Report digs into the research on EF and explores three programs operating in Baltimore and nationwide.

Public Health and Cannabis Legalization

As Maryland lawmakers consider the legalization of recreational cannabis, this Abell-funded report by the Maryland chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD-Maryland) considers the implications for public health policies. How have other states navigated these policies? What can be learned from their experiences?

Advancing and Sustaining the Community Health Worker Workforce in Baltimore

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline public health personnel who are making a difference in Baltimore City. This Abell Report examines funding strategies to sustain their work.

Protecting Baltimore’s Water Supply from “Forever Chemicals”

This Abell Report outlines how the federal and state governments can mitigate the threat of “forever chemicals” in our drinking water.

Cooling Cities, Slowing Climate Change and Enhancing Equity

With funding from the Abell Foundation, the Smart Surfaces Coalition analyzed the costs and benefits of adopting “smart surfaces” in neighborhoods of Baltimore City where a high proportion of residents have low incomes.

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    Header photo courtesy of Venture for America.