REU Site: Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Environments (GI4SUrE)

REU 网站：可持续城市环境的绿色基础设施 (GI4SURE)

• 批准号: 2050979
• 负责人: Jon Hathaway
• 金额: $ 40.48万
• 依托单位: University of Tennessee Knoxville
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2050979&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Green; Infrastructure; Sustainable

In this Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program, Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Environments (GI4SUrE), a diverse cohort will participate in research supporting the advancement of Green Infrastructure to improve public and ecological health in urban environments. Green Infrastructure can be described as the interconnected natural spaces in urban environments such as parks, riparian areas, and nature-based storm water control measures that serve to clean storm water runoff, reduce urbanization impacts to local surface waters, and offer protection from flooding. Research will include state of the art field, laboratory, and modeling studies to better understand and optimize these systems. Students that participate in this REU will have the chance to improve their research and critical thinking skills while bolstering their ability to communicate with technical and non-technical audiences through oral and written mediums. Additional experiences include access to new mentors, exposure to the various career pathways made possible by a graduate degree in engineering, and training on how to collaborate with, learn from, communicate with, and consider the perspectives of colleagues outside their discipline. This program will serve to improve the diversity of the engineering profession and student participation in graduate school by extending opportunities to traditionally underrepresented groups in science and engineering. Through a 10-week, summer undergraduate research experience, the GI4SUrE REU Site aims to: (1) propel scientific knowledge regarding Green Infrastructure (GI) contributions to sustainable urban water, and (2) provide a high quality professional and social atmosphere where attendees are educated on fundamental research methodologies and critical thinking. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, students will perform field, laboratory, and/or modeling studies to explore how GI functions to mitigate the effects of urban runoff on surface water quality and hydrology. Green Infrastructure has been deemed as a way to build better infrastructure as part of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenge to restore and improve urban infrastructure, making it a vital topic for investigation. REU students will be exposed to state of the art techniques and convergent research by the inclusion of non-engineering co-mentors in a subset of the projects to address complex questions that consider social, hydrologic, ecologic, and/or economic outcomes. Through a targeted recruiting strategy, this REU site will bolster the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in undergraduate engineering research. Students will gain skills in research methodology, communication, convergent approaches, and working in team environments which will be invaluable in their professional endeavors. Further, exposure to the various career pathways that are open to individuals with advanced degrees will aid them in determining their desired career path, whether it be academia, industry, government, or non-government organizations. REU contributions to GI knowledge will be invaluable. As billions of dollars are being spent nationwide to reduce the effects of urbanization through the use of GI, there is a critical need to better understand and optimize its performance to make these efforts more scientifically informed. Overall, the REU intends to establish direct, lasting mentoring relationships between participants and faculty, and long-term relationships among those in the cohort.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.

在这项针对本科生（REU）现场计划的研究经验中，可持续城市环境（GI4SURE）的绿色基础设施（GI4SURE）将参与支持绿色基础设施的进步，以改善城市环境中的公共和生态健康。绿色基础设施可以描述为公园，河岸地区和基于自然的雨水管制措施等城市环境中相互联系的自然空间，这些措施有助于清洁雨水径流，减少对当地地表水域的城市化影响，并提供防止洪水的保护。研究将包括最先进的领域，实验室和建模研究，以更好地理解和优化这些系统。参加此REU的学生将有机会提高他们的研究和批判性思维能力，同时通过口头和书面媒介加强与技术和非技术观众交流的能力。其他经验包括进入新导师，工程学研究生学位使各种职业途径的接触以及如何与他们的学科之外的同事的观点进行合作，学习，交流并考虑有关的培训。该计划将通过向传统上代表性不足的科学和工程群体扩展机会来改善工程专业人士和学生参与研究生院的多样性。通过为期10周的夏季本科研究经验，GI4SURE REU网站的目的是：（1）推动有关绿色基础设施（GI）对可持续城市水的贡献的科学知识，（2）提供了高质量的专业和社交氛围，其中与与会者有关基本研究方法和批判性思维的教育。在教师导师的指导下，学生将执行现场，实验室和/或建模研究，以探讨GI的功能如何减轻城市径流对地表水质和水文学的影响。绿色基础设施被视为建立更好的基础设施的一种方式，这是美国国家工程学院恢复和改善城市基础设施的巨大挑战，使其成为投资的至关重要的话题。 REU学生将通过在项目的一部分中包含非工程联合委员会来接触最先进的技术和收敛研究，以解决考虑社会，水文，生态和/或经济成果的复杂问题。通过有针对性的招聘策略，此REU网站将加强传统代表性不足的团体参与本科工程研究的参与。学生将获得研究方法，沟通，融合方法以及在团队环境中工作的技能，这些技能将在其专业努力中无价之宝。此外，对具有高级学位的个人开放的各种职业途径的接触将有助于他们确定所需的职业道路，无论是学术界，工业，政府还是非政府组织。 REU对GI知识的贡献将是无价的。随着全国数十亿美元通过使用GI来减少城市化的影响，因此有至关重要的需要更好地理解和优化其绩效，以使这些努力更加科学地了解。总体而言，REU打算建立参与者与教职员工之间的直接，持久的心理关系，并在队列中建立长期的关系。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的评估来审查标准的评估，被认为是宝贵的支持。