RCN: Coordinating Global Coal Transitions Research

世界各地煤炭设施的退役对社区、景观和区域经济产生了显著影响。全球煤炭转型研究协调网络(RCN)汇集了一支全球社会科学学者队伍，致力于支持对地理环境中煤炭转型引发的问题进行新的研究。拟议的活动反映了协调网络成员的不同知识背景和地点，借鉴并有助于完善公平过渡、环境正义、能源正义、社区复原力、比较过渡和能源社会技术研究等领域的学术研究。通过为政策制定者、社区官员和学者提供协调和有用的社会科学，以了解和减轻不利影响，该区域气候变化网络对美国和国际上煤炭转型影响的性质和规模产生了积极影响。多名研究生的参与有助于早期职业科学家的教育和培训。尽管具有全球性，但对煤炭转型的研究仍然有限，没有跨越国际边界，也没有很好地融入政策讨论。该网络将通过侧重于回答三个中心问题的活动来解决这些问题。首先，在不同的国家和地区环境下，煤炭设施退役会产生哪些不同的影响？第二，哪些人类-环境和地理概念和方法最适合研究全球煤炭转型？第三，学者和利益相关者如何开发有用的研究工具和教育资源，以增强煤炭转型研究的积极影响？在一个由九人组成的国际指导委员会的支持下，区域协调中心协力组织了两个讲习班和一个更大的会议，向所有感兴趣的与会者开放，最终出版了一系列建议和观点。与这些努力相辅相成的是网站、研究图书馆、名单服务器和课程模块，这些模块扩大了公众对调查结果的获取。该RCN提供了具有民族志知识的全球视角，以解决围绕能源转型的现实世界政策辩论，并在减少对化石能源的依赖的情况下帮助社区和社会。该奖项反映了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。

The retirement of coal facilities around the world has noteworthy impacts on communities, landscapes, and regional economies. The Global Coal Transitions Research Coordination Network (RCN) assembles a global cadre of social science scholars dedicated to supporting new research into the problems arising from coal transitions in geographic settings. Reflecting the diverse intellectual backgrounds and locations of the coordination network’s members, the proposed activities draws upon and helps to refine scholarship in the areas of equitable transitions, environmental justice, energy justice, community resilience, comparative transitions, and social-technical studies of energy. This RCN positively influences the nature and magnitude of coal transition impacts in the United States and internationally by providing policymakers, community officials, and scholars with coordinated and useful social science to understand and mitigate adverse effects. The involvement of multiple graduate students contributes to the education and training of early-career scientists.Despite its global nature, research into coal transitions has remained limited, has not spanned international boundaries, and has not been well-integrated into policy discussions. The network will address these problems through activities focused on answering three central questions. First, what are the various impacts incurred by retirements of coal facilities in different national and regional settings? Second, what human-environmental and geographical concepts and methodologies are best suited for studying global coal transitions? Third, how can scholars and stakeholders develop useful research tools and educational resources to enhance the positive impacts of coal transitions research? Supported by a nine-person international steering committee, the RCN collaboratively organizes two workshops and a larger conference open to all interested attendees that leads to the publication of a collection of recommendations and perspectives. These efforts are complemented by a website, research library, listserv, and curriculum modules that broaden the public accessibility of the findings. This RCN brings ethnographically informed global perspectives to address real-world policy debates around energy transitions and aids communities and societies amid a diminished reliance on fossil energy.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.