Innovative and Strategic Program Initiatives for Research and Education-North Dakota (INSPIRE-ND)

非技术描述创新和战略计划倡议的研究和教育，北达科他州（INSPIRE-ND）将有助于农业，能源和先进的制造业经济在北达科他州通过在区域气候和可持续材料科学的前沿研究。 该项目将为这些行业建立科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）劳动力并使其多样化，加强科学计算基础设施，并促进创新和研究。 该研究由区域气候研究中心（CRCS）和可持续材料科学中心（CSMS）组织，将解决农业生产力和适应气候变化的问题，并开发基于聚合物和复合材料的创新植物材料以及相关技术，造福社会。 INSPIRE-ND是北达科他州州立大学、北达科他州大学和五所部落学院与私立大学本科院校、社区学院以及州立农业和制造业合作伙伴之间的合作伙伴关系。CRCS将研究区域气候、水文过程、作物生产和农民自主适应之间的联系。预期成果包括更好地了解极端干旱和潮湿事件以及农业生产和适应气候变化。CSMS将通过设计和制备生物基聚合物和热固性材料来创造新型材料，这些材料可以通过光触发器进行编程降解。新型生物基材料的工作将从基础聚合物研究到商业化和生命周期评估。该项目利用最先进的研究方法来解决地区，国家和全球重要性的问题。劳动力发展，STEM教育和多样性的投资将通过EMerging Workforce Development，OutReach，Education和Diversity - ND的计划进行协调（EMPOWERED ND）-这将包括对学生，博士后和教师的指导，本科生的研究经验（REU），研究生助学金计划，和私营行业实习，以及新的美国原住民成功的科学和工程（NASSE）倡议和非常成功的自然计划（现在的自然+）的扩展，通过周日学院和夏令营吸引美国原住民学生。

Non-technical DescriptionINnovative and Strategic Program Initiatives for Research and Education-North Dakota (INSPIRE-ND) will contribute to the agriculture, energy, and advanced manufacturing economies in North Dakota through forefront research in regional climate and sustainable materials sciences. The project will build and diversify the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce for these industries, enhance scientific computing infrastructure, and promote innovation and research. The research, organized through the Center for Regional Climate Studies (CRCS) and the Center for Sustainable Materials Science (CSMS), will address agricultural productivity and adaptation to climate variations and develop innovative plant materials based polymers and composites and associated technologies for the benefit of society. INSPIRE-ND is a partnership between North Dakota State University, the University of North Dakota, and the five Tribal Colleges in collaboration with Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, Community Colleges, and state agriculture and manufacturing partners.Technical DescriptionThe research goals are ambitious and potentially transformative. CRCS will study linkages between regional climate, hydrologic processes, crop production, and autonomous farmer adaptions. Expected outcomes include improved understanding of extreme wet and dry events and agricultural production and adaption in response to climate changes. CSMS will create novel materials that can be programmed to degrade with photo-triggers by designing and preparing bio-based polymers and thermosets. The work on novel bio-based materials will span from fundamental polymer research to commercialization and life cycle assessment. The project utilizes state of the art research approaches to address problems of regional, national, and global importance.Investments in workforce development, STEM education, and diversity will be coordinated through EMerging PrOgrams for WorkforcE Development, OutReach, Education, and Diversity - ND (EMPOWERED-ND) - which will include mentoring for students, postdocs and faculty, Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Graduate Assistantship Programs, and private industry internships, as well as the new Native American Success in Science and Engineering (NASSE) initiative and an expansion of the highly successful NATURE program (now NATURE+), which engages Native American students via Sunday Academies and Summer Camps.