NSF Convergence Accelerator Track E: The BlueGreen Action Platform, connecting communities upstream and downstream to improve nitrogen management

一个强大和可持续的蓝色经济需要健康的流域。蓝绿行动平台（BlueGAP）将流域内的人们和组织联系起来，以克服水和当地环境中氮污染造成的经济和健康挑战。水的氮污染可能导致严重的健康问题。氮污染也会损害流域内的当地沃茨，导致有害细菌、藻类和植物的高浓度，从而破坏整个生态系统。前线社区往往是受影响最严重的。BlueGAP通过以下方式为氮管理带来新的解决方案：a）提供信息，B）扩大通信网络，c）促进社区行动，d）改变政策，e）寻找资金来源。 BueGAP的团队包括一个多元化的学术团体（南佛罗里达大学、爱荷华州大学、斯泰森法学院）、非政府组织（海洋科学黑人组织）和半政府组织（坦帕湾河口计划），以及社区和私营部门组织。他们与Champions合作，最初来自爱荷华州、佛罗里达和美属维尔京群岛3个不同规模试点流域的6个社区组织，共同设计和建设跨流域的能力。它将两个以人为中心的组件（联盟和学院）与虚拟平台相结合。BlueGAP利用目前公众不易获得的信息，为改善海洋生物资源的健康、水质和人类健康做出了贡献。 BlueGAP的愿景是通过加速氮管理最佳实践的融合来刺激蓝色和绿色经济。BlueGAP主要有四个目标：1.推进以人为本的污染解决方案设计，2。将讲故事与最前沿的科学证据相结合，以确定行动的杠杆点，3。创建包容性的教育材料，影响氮管理和告知社区，和4。为BlueGAP制定可持续发展计划。BlueGAP的核心是一个系统模型，侧重于当地的经验和知识，向人们展示在氮管理的特定杠杆点采取行动的成本和收益。BlueGAP采用以人为中心的融合框架，促进联盟解决社区无法自行解决的问题，使前线社区处于最前沿。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。

A strong and sustainable Blue Economy requires healthy watersheds. The Blue-Green Action Platform, BlueGAP, connects people and organizations across watersheds to overcome economic and health challenges caused by nitrogen pollution in their water and local environment. Nitrogen pollution of water may cause severe health problems. Nitrogen pollution also harms local waters in a watershed, leading to high concentrations of unwanted bacteria, algae, and plants that can collapse entire ecosystems. Often, frontline communities are the most affected. BlueGAP brings new solutions to nitrogen management by: a) providing information, b) expanding communication networks, c) fostering community action, d) changing policy, and e) finding sources of financing. BueGAP’s team includes a diverse group of academic (University of South Florida, University of Iowa, Stetson Law School), non-governmental (Black In Marine Science), and quasi-governmental (Tampa Bay Estuary Program) organizations, and community and private sector organizations. They are partnering with Champions, initially from six community organizations from 3 differently sized pilot watersheds in Iowa, Florida, and the US Virgin Islands, to co-design and build capacity across watersheds. It couples two human-centric components, an Alliance and an Academy, with the virtual platform. BlueGAP contributes to improving the health of marine biological resources, water quality, and human health using information that is presently not readily accessible to the public. BlueGAP’s vision is to stimulate the Blue and Green Economies by accelerating convergence on best practices for nitrogen management. BlueGAP focuses on four objectives: 1. Advance human-centered design of solutions to pollution, 2. Integrate storytelling with cutting edge scientific evidence to identify leverage points for action, 3. Create inclusive educational materials to impact nitrogen management and inform communities, and 4. Establish a sustainability plan for BlueGAP. The core of BlueGAP is a systems model focused on local experiences and knowledge to show people the costs and benefits of actions at specific leverage points of nitrogen management. BlueGAP’s uses human-centered convergence framework fosters coalitions to solve problems that communities cannot solve by themselves, keeping frontline communities at the forefront.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.