Collaborative Research: IRES Track I: Flood Resilience Program - Integrated research experiences to foster understanding on how to increase resilience in flood-prone communities

洪水的影响仍然是世界范围内最频繁、最具破坏性和代价最高的自然灾害。这些影响继续增加，特别是在受气候变化不利影响最严重的快速发展的沿海地区。需要新一代的毕业生，他们有培训和技能来解决这个问题，这个问题已经造成了灾难性的洪水事件及其相关的困难，每年仅在美国。美国和荷兰之间的国际学生研究经验（IRES）洪水复原力计划（FRP）将通过实施基于地点的科学和工程综合研究和教育计划来满足这一关键需求，以帮助培养多样化的一代研究人员和从业人员，以解决与美国和世界各地减少洪水风险相关的复杂问题。该计划的每一年，八名美国学生（4名本科生和4名格拉德）将在荷兰进行为期六周的沉浸式问题和基于地点的研究体验，荷兰是洪水风险缓解和管理的世界领导者。两国多个机构，研究人员和学生之间建立的现有伙伴关系将被利用，在两国多个学科的教师和研究人员的指导下为学生提供国际研究经验。主要的美国合作伙伴包括德克萨斯农工大学加尔维斯顿分校（TAMUG）和学院站（TAMU）校区、杰克逊州立大学（JSU）和波多黎各马亚圭斯大学（UPRM）。荷兰的合作伙伴包括德尔夫特理工大学（主要主办方）、阿姆斯特丹自由大学和荷兰国家大学。学生将开展研究项目，涵盖城市和沿海地区的浪涌和降水驱动的洪水问题。将调查结构性和非结构性战略的有效性，从而更好地了解何时采取战略减轻洪水事件的不利影响。美国的研究人员和学生将能够利用荷兰的数据，方法和设施与洪水管理。IRES FRP将为下一代工程师和科学家做好准备，他们将不得不以创新的方式解决广泛的洪水问题。此外，该计划将创建具体的教育技术和方法的定量数据，以提高学生的学习成果，作为基于地点的研究设置的一部分。分别涉及休斯顿-加尔维斯顿和鹿特丹-海牙大都市区的基于问题和地点的案例研究将整合具有工程专业知识的研究人员和教师（TAMU/JSU/UPRM/TUD），沿海结构（TUD/RWS），建筑（TUD），经济学（VU）和规划（TAMUG），以指导学生项目解决以下首要研究问题：1）物理洪水复原力的基本特征是什么以及两国之间的差异; 2）为什么城市社区和相关的建筑环境如此容易受到洪水的影响;以及3）荷兰正在实施哪些结构性和非结构性缓解技术，哪些可以应用于美国？学生将选择研究项目，涵盖基于浪涌和降水驱动的洪水问题。将调查结构和非结构战略的有效性，从而更好地了解何时采取避免或抵抗战略，以减轻洪水事件的不利影响。美国研究人员和学生将能够利用荷兰的数据，方法，设施和专业知识，与洪水管理相关。该计划的主要目标是通过创造“真实的变革性学习环境”，为参与学生提供跨学科的问题和基于地方的国际研究经验。参与的学生将学习“如何进行研究”一般和“如何通过不同的学科镜头处理一个问题。”该计划将为学术界和实践中的下一代工程师和科学家做好准备，他们将不得不以创新的方式解决洪水的社会问题。此外，该计划将创建有关特定教育技术和方法的定量数据，以提高学生的学习成果，作为基于场所的研究环境的一部分。这些发现将有助于改善未来的国际研究交流计划，并将纳入所有合作机构的教学战略。重点将放在积极招募学生从代表性不足的群体参加该计划在所有合作机构。社会的广泛代表性对于洪水相关问题的有效战略尤为重要，因为洪水的影响与弱势群体不成比例，而代表性不足的群体与洪水相关的生活经历可能会为追求相关的高等STEM教育提供火花。TAMU、UPRM和JSU（指定的HBCU）的PI具有招募代表性不足的团体的经验，这些团体将为该提案承担责任。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Impacts from flooding continue to be the most frequent, disruptive, and costly natural hazard worldwide. These impacts continue to mount, especially in rapidly developing coastal areas most influenced by the adverse effects of climate change. A new generation of graduates is needed that have the training and skillsets to address this problem that has already been causing catastrophic episodes of flooding and its associated hardship every year in the United States alone. The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Flood Resilience Program (FRP) between the U.S. and the Netherlands will fill this critical need by implementing a place-based integrative research and educational program in science and engineering to help produce a diverse generation of researchers and practitioners equipped to solve complex problems related to flood risk reduction in the U.S. and around the world. Each year of the program, eight U.S. students (4 undergrad and 4 grad) will engage in an immersive, six-week problem-and place-based research experience in the Netherlands, a world leader in flood risk mitigation and management. Existing partnerships established among multiple institutions, researchers, and students in both countries will be leveraged to provide students with international research experiences under the guidance of faculty and researchers from multiple disciplines in both countries. Key U.S. partners include Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and College Station (TAMU) campuses, Jackson State University (JSU), and University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez (UPRM). Dutch partners include Delft University of Technology (main host), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Rijkswaterstaat. Students will conduct research projects covering both surge-based and precipitation-driven flood problems in both urban and coastal areas. The effectiveness of structural and non-structural strategies will be investigated, leading to a better understanding of when to pursue strategies for mitigating adverse impacts from flood events. U.S. researchers and students will be able to leverage Dutch data, methods, and facilities associated with flood management. The IRES FRP will prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists that will have to tackle the societal problem of widespread flooding in an innovative fashion. Furthermore, the program will create quantitative data on specific educational techniques and methods to improve student learning outcomes as part of place-based research settings.Problem-and place-based case studies involving the Houston-Galveston and Rotterdam-The Hague Metropolitan areas, respectively, will integrate researchers and faculty with expertise in engineering (TAMU/JSU/UPRM/TUD), coastal structures (TUD/RWS), architecture (TUD), economics (VU) and planning (TAMUG) to guide student projects addressing the following overarching research questions: 1) what are the underlying characteristics of physical flood resilience and the differences between the two countries; 2) why are urban communities and the associated built environment so vulnerable to flood impacts; and 3) which mitigation techniques, both structural and non-structural are being implemented in the Netherlands and what can be applied in the U.S.? Students will select research projects covering both surge-based and precipitation-driven flood problems. The effectiveness of both structural and non-structural strategies will be investigated, leading to a better understanding of when to pursue avoidance or resistance strategies for mitigating adverse impacts from flood events. U.S. researchers and students will be able to leverage Dutch data, methods, facilities, and expertise, associated with flood management. The primary goal of the program will be to provide participating students with interdisciplinary problem- and place-based international research experiences by creating “authentic transformative learning environments”. Participating students will learn “how to conduct research” in general and “how to approach a problem through different disciplinary lenses.” The program will prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists in academia and practice that will have to tackle the societal problem of flooding in an innovative fashion. Furthermore, the program will create quantitative data on specific educational techniques and methods to improve student learning outcomes as part of place-based research settings. These findings will lead to improved future international research exchange programs and be incorporated into teaching strategies at all partner institutions. Emphasis will be placed on actively recruiting students from underrepresented groups to participate in the program at all collaborating institutions. Broad representation across society is particularly important for effective strategies to flood-related problems since the impacts of floods are disproportionate to vulnerable populations and flood-related lived experiences of underrepresented groups may provide the spark to pursue related higher STEM education. PIs at TAMU, UPRM and JSU, a designated HBCU, have experience with recruitment of underrepresented groups that will be brought to bear for this proposal.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.