US-Nigeria Workshop: Innovative Design Approaches to Sustainable Buildings, November, 2010

Anumba 1032164该奖项支持宾夕法尼亚州立大学的Pi Anumba Chimay组织一个为期4天的国际研讨会，讨论如何使用计算和信息技术(IT)作为可持续建筑领域新创新的驱动力。研讨会将于2010年11月29日至12月2日在尼日利亚阿布贾举行。研讨会的目标是创建一个合作框架，允许美国和尼日利亚的研究人员在处理可持续建筑的新项目上合作，利用尼日利亚的环境作为研究和实验的天然实验室。讲习班还旨在增进对在发展中国家形成创新和可持续文化所涉及的技术挑战的了解。尼日利亚大学教授、尼日利亚大学委员会创新与研究主任瓦伦丁·埃克楚库博士将与齐迈博士密切合作，组织这次研讨会。美国土木工程师学会(ASCE)全球计算卓越中心也提供了一些支持，并将在其网站上公布研讨会成果。讲习班的主要目标是通过在使用计算机和信息技术(IT)的基础上整合创新和可持续发展这两个相互关联的领域来推动基础研究。这一进程的第一步是创建一个合作框架，这将允许美国研究人员与他们的尼日利亚合作伙伴合作，利用尼日利亚的环境作为研究和实验的完美自然实验室，特别是与太阳能相关的研究和实验。下一步将涉及发展研究伙伴关系(在研讨会期间和研讨会结束后立即)，从而提交一份国家科学基金会联合提案。投资促进机构预计，研讨会的成果将是一系列联合研究项目，解决可持续发展领域的理论和实验基础研究问题，如果没有尼日利亚的研究人才和环境，这些问题是无法回答的。宾夕法尼亚州立大学有一个发展良好的全球参与节点(Gen)项目，其中提供了服务学习部分，该模型将用于在研讨会上制定美国-尼日利亚合作讨论。研究生和初级科学家将获得参加研讨会的支持。作为与国家大学委员会合作在尼日利亚举办的第一个NSF研讨会，它将对尼日利亚的研究人员产生重大影响，并将重新引起人们对与美国学者和机构合作的兴趣。研讨会材料将由美国土木工程师学会分发，特别是由协助组织研讨会的美国土木工程师协会全球计算机卓越中心分发。这些材料将在中心的网站(www.asceglobalcenter.org)上提供，并将由中心进行宣传。由于该中心的成员遍及各大洲，所以国际科学与工程协会期望产生全球性的影响。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室的非洲、近东和南亚项目支持。

Anumba 1032164This award provides support for PI Anumba Chimay from Pennsylvania State University to organize a 4-day international workshop on the use of computing and information technology (IT) as driver of new innovations in the area of sustainable buildings. The workshop will be held in Abuja, Nigeria from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2010. The goal of the workshop is to create a cooperative framework which will allow US and Nigerian researchers to partner on new projects dealing with sustainable buildings using the Nigerian environment as a natural laboratory for studies and experiments. The workshop is also intended to result in improved understanding of the technical challenges involved in engendering a culture of innovation and sustainability in a developing country. Dr. Valentine Ekechukwu, professor at the University of Nigeria and Director for Innovation and Research at the Nigerian Universities Commission will work closely with Dr. Chimay in the organization of this workshop. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Global Center of Excellence in Computing is also providing some support and will post the workshop outcomes on its website.Intellectual Merit. The primary goal of the workshop is to advance fundamental research in the interrelated areas of innovation and sustainability through their integration based on the use of computing and Information Technology (IT). The first step in this process is the creation of a cooperative framework, which will allow US researchers to work with their Nigerian partners on sustainability using the Nigerian environment as a perfect natural laboratory for studies and experiments, particularly those related to solar power. The next step will involve developing research partnerships (during the workshop and immediately after it), resulting in the submission of a joint NSF PIRE proposal. The PIs expect that the outcome of the workshop will be a number of joint research projects addressing fundamental research questions, both theoretical and experimental, in the area of sustainability, questions which could not be answered without access to the Nigerian research talents and environment.Broader Impacts. Pennsylvania State University has a well-developed Global Engagement Nodes (GENs) program that has provision for a service learning component, a model that will be used formulate the US-Nigeria collaboration discussions at the workshop. Graduate students and junior scientists will receive support to participate in the workshop. As the first NSF workshop in Nigeria being organized in cooperation with the National Universities Commission, its impact on the Nigerian researchers will be significant and will lead to a renewed interest in cooperation with the American scholars and institutions. The workshop materials will be distributed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and specifically by the ASCE Global Center of Excellence in Computing, which is helping with the organization of the workshop. The materials will be made available on the Center's website (www.asceglobalcenter.org) and will be promoted by the Center. Since the Center has members on all continents, the PI expects a global impact.This award is supported by the Office of International Science and Engineering's Africa, Near East and South Asia Program.