Build and Broaden: Conference on Social Connections to Promote Individual and Community Resilience in Post-COVID-19 Society

该项目包括一个会议，其目标是在德克萨斯大学阿灵顿分校(UTA)、一个拉美裔服务机构(HSI)、德克萨斯州其他几个少数族裔服务机构(MSI)以及全国其他领先的研究机构之间建立伙伴关系和合作。会议讨论了社会关系作为个人和社区在重大灾害和极端事件后适应变化的一种关键社会资本形式的作用的基本研究问题。强调社会科学、计算机科学和工程学在研究和加强社会关系的创新数据、技术和方法方面的合作机会。随着社会从新冠肺炎大流行中恢复，会议促进跨学科对话，作为一系列富有成效的合作的基础，以满足关键的社会需求。这一混合会议包括为期两天的实况流物理会议、两个会前虚拟会议会议和一系列会后后续虚拟会议。每次会前虚拟会议包括三位发言者的发言和一次公开讨论会议，估计有25人参加。实体会议包括三个结构化的演讲者会议和三个公开讨论会议，估计有50人参加。总体而言，演讲者会议包括以下主题：1)社会关系是应对新冠肺炎危机的关键社会资本；2)新冠肺炎的脆弱性和风险以及社会关系在少数群体和高危人群中的缓解影响；3)调查社会关系对新冠肺炎脆弱性和复原力的影响的创新方法。公开讨论的主题包括1)MSI在最受影响的社区中领导研究和传播的独特作用，以及2)探索跨学科的合作机会和对话。在物理会议上举行了以学生为中心的海报会议，预计将有50名海报演示和另外50名来访学生。海报会议的重点是社会关系作为韧性的关键组成部分。会后后续会议和活动涉及团队建设和会议影响如何持续。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project consists of a conference, the objective of which is to build partnerships and collaborations among the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), several other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in Texas, as well as other leading research institutions across the nation. The conference addresses fundamental research questions of the role of social connections as a key form of social capital for individuals and communities adapting to changes after high-impact disasters and extreme events. Collaborative opportunities among the social sciences, computer sciences, and engineering in innovative data, technology, and methods of studying and strengthening social connections are highlighted. The conference promotes interdisciplinary dialogues as the basis for a series of fruitful collaborations to address critical social needs as society recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. This hybrid conference includes a two-day live-streamed physical conference, two pre-conference virtual meeting sessions, and a series of post-conference follow-up virtual meetings. Each pre-conference virtual meeting consists of three speakers’ presentations and an open discussion session with an estimate of 25 participants. The physical conference includes three structured speaker sessions and three open discussion sessions, with an estimated 50 participants. Overall, speaker sessions include topics on 1) social connections as key social capital in coping with the COVID -19 crisis, 2) vulnerability and risks of COVID-19 and mitigation impact of social connections among minority and high-risk populations, and 3) innovative methods in investigating the impact of social connections in vulnerability and resilience to COVID-19. Open discussion sessions include topics on 1) the unique roles of MSIs in leading research and dissemination among the most affected communities, and 2) exploring interdisciplinary collaborative opportunities and dialogues. A student-focused poster session is held at the physical meeting, with an estimate of 50 poster presentations and an additional 50 visiting students. The poster session focuses on social connections as a critical component of resilience. Post-conference follow-up meetings and activities concern team building and how the impact of the conference may be sustained.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.