In July 2010, the National Science Foundation awarded a $3 million grant to Portland State to fund the creation of a one-of-a-kind multi-disciplinary Ph.D. program focused on addressing the pressures placed on ecosystems by rapidly growing cities. The grant leveraged $730,000 in Miller Foundation funds and put PSU on the map as a center for excellence in ecosystems services.

The Ecosystems Services for Urbanizing Regions IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship) ended in 2017 after training 30 Ph.D. students — in disciplines spanning environmental science, public affairs, urban studies, mechanical engineering, and others — over four cohorts. ESUR IGERT concluded in August 2017, over which period they published 120 journal articles and gave around 100 presentations.