The University of Maine, USA, hosts the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, which focuses on interdisciplinary research on local place-based, solutions-oriented research projects. Their approach to sustainability science is based on recurring cycles of stakeholder engagement, research and implementation, with an aim to promote individual and institutional change. They work on three main conceptual terms related to the growth of institutional capacity: 1) evaluating the dynamics of coupled socio-ecological systems and determining how their resilience can be increased, 2) understanding and strengthening connections between socio-ecological systems knowledge and societal actions, and 3) identifying and implementing strategies for organizational innovation. Reflexive dissemination of their approach is prioritized with the aim of helping other universities build and grow their capacity to collaborate effectively with society.