Planning Grant: Engineering Research Center for Emerging Disaster Engineering Encompassing Human Directed Expert Systems (ERC-DEES)

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Title: Planning Grant: Engineering Research Center for Emerging Disaster Engineering Encompassing Human Directed Expert Systems (ERC-DEES)PI: Jeffrey D. Naber, Michigan Technological University, jnaber@mtu.eduPart 1: Nontechnical description of the project:Disasters cause immense economic and human losses. The UN reported between 1998 to 2017 that the world experienced financial losses of $2,908 billion (US$) with the US recording the largest losses of $945 billon. In addition, these disasters were responsible for killing 1.3 million people and left 4.4 billion in need of assistance. Those persons in the communities most significantly impacted are the elderly, disabled, and those economically disadvantaged with limited resources and limited mobility. Concurrently, man-made infrastructure is becoming more vulnerable due to aging and degradation, while weather extremes and terrorism threats are increasing the occurrence and impact of disasters. Thus, there is a critical need to have rapid intelligence and an ability to deploy limited resources with maximum impact at the earliest stage of the disasters. Vitally needed is improved situational awareness in partnership with first responders and community stakeholders at the emergence of disasters. The ERC planning grant is to develop the scoping, organization, and management of an NSF ERC for Emerging Disaster Engineering Encompassing Human Directed Expert Systems (ERC-DEES). The proposed vision is to develop expert systems with autonomous agents directed by humans with rapid response capabilities in partnership with, and in support of, first responders, communities and their citizens, and local and federal agencies.Part 2: Technical description of the project:The proposed vision of the ERC is to develop expert systems with resilient and connected autonomous agents directed by humans with rapid response in partnership with, and in support of, first responders, communities and their citizens, and local and federal agencies. The proposed research includes seven areas integrating 1) resilient autonomous systems able to operate for extended durations in unstructured and extreme environments, 2) advanced sensing and perception, 3) remote sensing, multi-mode communications, 4) social media that feeds expert systems, 5) research and modeling of human and social behavior in emergency situations, 6) data-driven methods for sensing, data mining, and telematics, 7) system of systems predictive models and modeling methodology that integrate rapid environmental change, human social system dynamics, and the corresponding interdependencies. These technologies will enable the development of novel tools to forecast and to anticipate tipping points in the dynamics of such systems by combining forecasting with model-based approaches. Within the planning grant activities we will explore new convergent research areas and educational programs that link engineering, science, ethics, policy, and societal factors. Outcomes of the workshops and discussions will focus around convergence and pathways to inclusion and diversity. These outcomes will be shared with the four partnering institutions as best practices and guidelines that the institutions may incorporate into their programs. The planning grant will bring together an expansive group of researchers and stakeholders to discuss critical issues facing our nation and world. It will bring together local, state and federal agencies with industries for discussions on the use of advanced technologies including autonomous agents and expert systems. The planning grant will additionally bring together experts in education, leaders in diversity and inclusion, and STEM educators and researchers to explore methods to remove barriers and increase pathways to workforce development, diversity and inclusion.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.