NRT-HDR: WaterCube: Big Data Water Science for Sustainability and Equity

现实世界中庞大而复杂的水资源问题正在影响着全球人类的福祉。气候变化、基础设施老化、新出现的污染物和决策失误加剧了这些问题。美国最近的例子包括：弗林特水危机；密西西比州杰克逊市多年来不安全的饮用水；科罗拉多河危机；水被全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质广泛污染；以及持续的干旱，随后是加州的极端洪水。传感器、机器人技术、基因组学和计算建模的进步导致了应对这些挑战所需的大数据。我们需要的是一支能够通过与不同利益相关者、利益集团和政策制定者的合作，将这些大数据和复杂的研究成果转化为有意义的恢复行动的劳动力队伍。这项授予密歇根州立大学（MSU）的国家科学基金会研究培训（NRT）奖将开发一种协作式研究生培训模式，通过公平的视角推进数据革命带来的水资源可持续性。该项目以7所学院13个系的教师之间的协同、跨学科合作为基础，预计将培养58名博士生，其中包括33名nrt资助的学员，他们来自工程、计算机科学、生物学、生态学、公共卫生和社会科学。该NRT计划将培养具有广泛技术，科学和文化技能的高素质劳动力，以应对当前和未来的水挑战。通过集中努力扩大在这一关键领域的参与，来自不同种族、文化和社会经济背景的学生将被训练成为成功的研究和政策领导者。这个NRT项目将让学生沉浸在一个全面的培训和融合研究的方法中，工程师、计算机科学家、生物学家、生态学家和社会科学家共同努力解决最重要的水问题。这种融合研究范式有望在解决水可持续性和水公平方面的关键挑战方面取得进展，例如了解和减轻有害藻华，推进废水监测以监测传染病的爆发，以及让弱势社区参与有数据支持的水研究，以支持公平的结果。数据支持的水可持续性和公平性研究生证书课程将提供整合数据科学、水科学和环境公平性的培训。通过基于对话的团队科学讲习班，小组成员将反思学科差异和相似之处，并学习在跨学科伙伴关系中进行沟通和合作。该NRT项目将建立健全的、结构化的机制，为受训者提供体验式学习，如实习和国际研究经验。外展和其他专业发展活动将使受训者获得有效指导、领导和沟通方面的技能。美国国家科学基金会研究实习生（NRT）计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、具有潜在变革性的STEM研究生教育培训新模式。该项目致力于通过创新、循证、适应不断变化的劳动力和研究需求的综合培训模式，在高优先级跨学科或融合研究领域对STEM研究生进行有效培训。  该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

Large and complex real-world water resource problems are affecting human well-being across the globe. These problems are exacerbated by climate change, aging infrastructure, emerging contaminants, and poor decision-making. Recent examples in the United States include: the Flint water crisis; the years-long unsafe drinking water in Jackson, Mississippi; the Colorado River crisis; wide-spread contamination of water with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); and prolonged drought followed by a extreme flooding in California. Advances in sensors, robotics, genomics, and computational modeling are resulting in the big data necessary to confront these challenges available at all scales. What is needed is a workforce capable of translating these big data and complex research outputs into meaningful restorative actions through partnerships with diverse stakeholders, interest groups, and policymakers. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award to Michigan State University (MSU) will develop a collaborative graduate-training paradigm for advancing data revolution-enabled water sustainability through an equity lens. Building on synergistic, interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty from thirteen departments across seven colleges, the project anticipates training 58 Ph.D. students, including 33 NRT-funded trainees, from engineering, computer science, biology, ecology, public health, and social science. This NRT program will produce a highly competent workforce with the broad technological, scientific, and cultural skills needed to address current and future water challenges. Through focused effort on broadening participation in this critical area, students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds will be trained to become successful research and policy leaders.This NRT program will immerse students in a holistic approach to training and convergent research where engineers, computer scientists, biologists, ecologists, and social scientists work together to solve water problems of paramount significance. Such a convergent research paradigm promises progress in addressing critical challenges in water sustainability and equity, examples of which include understanding and mitigating harmful algal blooms, advancing wastewater surveillance to monitor outbreaks of infectious diseases, and engaging disadvantaged communities in data-enabled water research to support equitable outcomes. A graduate certificate program on Data-enabled Water Sustainability and Equity will provide training that integrates data science, water science, and environmental equity. Through dialogue-based team science workshops, cohorts will reflect on disciplinary differences and similarities and learn to communicate and collaborate in cross-disciplinary partnerships. This NRT program will develop robust, structured mechanisms for providing experiential learning for trainees, such as internships and international research experiences. Outreach and other professional development activities will allow the trainees to gain skills in effective mentoring, leadership, and communication.The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.  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.