AccelNet-Design: Designing a Water, Data, and Systems Science Network of Networks to Catalyze Transboundary Groundwater Resiliency Research.

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Transboundary aquifers serve as vital resources shared between countries that oftentimes have distinctive scientific understandings and management approaches. Groundwater is being depleted in an unprecedented way that is intensified in transboundary aquifers. This AccelNet design-track project creates a new international network of networks that connects U.S. and international networks of hydrology, social science, data science, and systems science to establish a novel transboundary groundwater resiliency research approach. The project addresses a key knowledge gap: Why is transboundary groundwater depletion happening and how can it be reversed? Despite previous attempts to understand this fundamental question, it remains largely unanswered. Outcomes from this project will set the foundation for this novel approach that transcends disciplinary thinking to understand why groundwater depletion occurs and how it can be changed. The ultimate impacts of the increased understanding of the systems’ dynamics could be transformational: improved access to drinking water, sustainability of transboundary groundwater resources, enhanced water security, increased transparency and trust, and lower risk of conflicts.This design project will link the networks essential to data-driven system dynamics modeling of transboundary groundwater systems. These new linkages will enable the infrastructure for transboundary groundwater resilience research and deliver conceptual advances that the next generation of water scientist leaders can build on in the future. The novel approach posits that identifying key data and system drivers would make significant progress towards producing research that catalyzes transformative change for transboundary groundwater systems. Objectives of the project are to: 1) catalyze transboundary ground water resilience research to address groundwater scarcity and its natural and societal impacts, 2) identify the capabilities of the convergence approach to determine key questions and fill critical gaps in knowledge and resources, and 3) support the development of students and early-career researchers who will lead the next generation to collaboratively integrate water, data, and systems science to address transboundary groundwater scarcity. The suite of virtual activities includes annual workshops, biannual coordination meetings, peer mentoring, a free online transboundary water modeling course, and a strong and active communication forum for the members. This design project will use surveys to evaluate the quality of the activities and document the lessons learned.The Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) program is designed to accelerate the process of scientific discovery and prepare the next generation of U.S. researchers for multiteam international collaborations. The AccelNet program supports strategic linkages among U.S. research networks and complementary networks abroad that will leverage research and educational resources to tackle grand scientific challenges that require significant coordinated international efforts.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.