Dear MetroLab Community, 

On September 14, 2015, an announcement was made by the White House that set a course of 10 years in the making. MetroLab began as a consortium of local partnerships. We saw mayors and university provosts signing letters together to make a commitment to work together to innovate our cities. These partnerships were a new approach to collaborate on nascent technology, catalyzing innovation and making civic research more actionable. 

Today, MetroLab is home to 95+ organizations committed to using research in city halls. Our mission has evolved to support not just partnerships on technology, but to consider how research can proactively bring capacity and innovation to communities. Our mission is a big one. MetroLab has evolved to meet this larger mission, with the goal of growing our network, our programming, and our impacts. That’s why we are excited to announce what is next for our work and for this organization.

MetroLab is joining the Federation of American Scientists, or FAS. FAS is a non-profit organization that works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver dramatic progress, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. This collaboration will infuse FAS and MetroLab’s approach, embedding science, innovation and experience to local governments and communities. 

We will continue our programs, including the Local Government R&D Agenda, Data Governance and AI initiatives, and supporting the Mobility Center of Excellence as MetroLab initiatives at FAS. And while MetroLab Network, the 501c(3) that could, will technically close, we do so to grow. This is our next chapter. I am humbled to partner with the amazing team at FAS. Simply put, they’re great. 

You can visit MetroLab at our new webpage on the FAS website. You can also find more detailed information, in our FAQ document here. 

Meanwhile, I want to thank the MetroLab team, both current and alumni for all that you’ve done. A tremendous thank you to the MetroLab Board of Directors who have guided this process to this momentous outcome.  Thank you to our Advisory Board over the years, particularly to Governor Martin O’Malley, for his support. 

But most of all, to the individuals who came to our webinars and to our summits, who joined as members, affiliates, or Friends Of. To the folks who read our publications, bought a sticker, and believed in our cause. MetroLab is what it is today because of you. I can’t wait for you to meet the FAS team, and for what’s next. 

Cheers,

Kate