Join PSI’s bracket tournament––March 28 through April 9!
What are the most important scientific research questions about Puget Sound ecosystem recovery? You decide!
We are pitting 32 research questions head-to-head so that YOU can vote for the top research need for Puget Sound recovery! Is it a question about chemical pollution? Solutions to hard shoreline armoring? Threats to kelp and eelgrass?
How it works
The PSI selection committee identified 32 questions from across Puget Sound recovery topics in the Grand Uncertainties Matrix (GUM) and representing a range of priority levels (from previous research prioritization). PSI seeded the questions in eight topical groups for the Grand Uncertainties Madness bracket:
beaches vs. bivalves | rivers vs. streams | land vs. water | contamination vs. vegetation
You are invited to vote on these questions in five tournament rounds. In the box below, use the “Vote” button to choose one research question for each match. Be sure to enter your information and click the final submit button to cast your votes! Visit this page on the following dates to vote in each round (you can sign up for email reminders below):
Voting schedule (voting closes at 11:59pm on the last day of each round)
- 3/28 – 4/1 Round 1 | 16 matches; 32 questions
- 4/2 – 4/3 Round 2 | 8 matches; 16 questions
- 4/4 – 4/7 Round 3 | 4 matches; 8 questions
- 4/8 Round 4 | 2 matches; 4 questions
- 4/9 Final round! | 1 match; 2 questions
The results of Grand Uncertainties Madness will be announced on 4/10/2025 and celebrated across the region. Please vote even if you missed earlier rounds! Contact us if you have any questions.
*Disclaimers: The results of Grand Uncertainties Madness will not ultimately influence our research or funding decisions within or outside the Puget Sound National Estuary Program. This activity is (obviously) not connected to the NCAA college basketball tournaments – it is just meant to be a bit of fun.
About the GUM
While Grand Uncertainties Madness is just for fun, in reality PSI co-develops research agendas for ecosystem recovery topics (Implementation Strategies) by engaging regional experts to prioritize research questions. This work, documented in PSI’s Grand Uncertainties Matrix (GUM), supports the Puget Sound National Estuary Program by informing regional funding to study these knowledge barriers.
For more information about this work and the actual research, please visit our GUM webpage.
The University of Washington is committed to providing access and accommodation in its services, programs, and activities. To make a request connected to a disability or health condition contact Puget Sound Institute at (253) 254.7030 or psiweb @ uw.edu as soon as possible.