Delaware EPSCoR: Meeting Delaware's 21st Century Water and Energy Challenges through Research, Education, and Innovation

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As a coastal state, Delaware is facing the prospect of sea-level rise and its consequences for natural and built landscapes ranging from tidal wetlands to agricultural land to densely populated and polluted urban areas. Accordingly, this project addresses water and energy sustainability issues through four interdisciplinary research themes that integrate engineering and the social and natural sciences: the effect of sea-level rise on contaminant mobility and cycling; coupled land use and climate change impacts on water and natural systems; development and deployment of environmental sensors that provide data for the other themes and assist in environmental monitoring and forecasting systems; and innovations in environmentally sound renewable energy sources.The University of Delaware (UD), Delaware State University, Wesley College, and Delaware Technical Community College will collaboratively address these themes using innovative research approaches and educational programs. The project includes public outreach activities and partnerships with private industry and government.Intellectual MeritThe proposed research is interdisciplinary with a focus on factors affecting water quality in a coastal zone subject to land use, demographic, and climate changes. Novel approaches will be used to investigate the fate of soil-bound contaminants inundated by sea-level rise, new environmental sensor technologies will be developed, and economic, sociological, ethical, and policy research will be integrated within each of the research themes. The project will address renewable energy including wind and biofuels. Novel means of securing the economic and societal benefits of the research through intellectual property development, education, and outreach, in the context of workforce development, are proposed. A seed grant program will capitalize on new opportunities and expand the network of investigators.Broader ImpactsImproved understanding of the changes likely to occur in coastal areas and the range of possible human responses to those changes will have direct and near-term application in the state of Delaware, as well as widespread applicability around the nation and the globe. The research is planned so that results will inform public policy and decision making through collaboration and outreach. Student participants will be trained in interdisciplinary research approaches that integrate the natural and social sciences, as well as bridge the academic, public, and private sectors. New degree programs, internships with public and private partners, outreach visits, training in communication and intellectual property, and initiatives to integrate education and research combine to provide innovative opportunities for training the next generation of scientists and engineers.