NRT AI: Artificial intelligence for Changing Climate and Environmental SuStainability (ACCESS)

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AbstractClimate change is a pressing issue with major implications for societal well-being, particularly for disadvantaged communities. Climate-related extreme events such as hurricanes, flooding, drought, heatwaves, wildfires are escalating around the world. Machine-learning (ML) based Artificial-Intelligence (AI) approaches have shown great promise in reducing and responding to changing climate. However, climate change research is fractionated in diverse disciplines (computer science, data science, AI, geosciences, environmental science, and engineering). This delays the progress towards a better understanding of the impacts of climate change and ML/AI solutions. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship award to the Morgan State University will provide substantive, hands-on research experience for students from underrepresented minority populations who can tackle grand environmental challenges using interdisciplinary methods. The traineeship will prepare 50 PhD students including 25 funded trainees from diverse fields (bio-environmental science, computer science, civil engineering, mathematics, electrical and computer engineering) with technical, dynamic interdisciplinary and professional skills to responsibly solve grand climate change challenges.The traineeship program places a strong emphasis on a convergence research approach to climate change, which is a pressing 21st century challenge. Major research efforts will focus on three areas: a) AI for water reuse; b) emerging contaminants and ML/AI prediction; and c) disease ecology, climate change and AI. The program consists of an interdisciplinary team of environmental chemists, environmental scientists, computer scientists, engineers to focus on research, educational, and career development activities. Over a five-year period, the career and scientific activities will include: a) mentored research thesis; b) advanced experimental courses; c) a series of professional workshops on leadership, scientific ethic, and science communication skills; d) domestic internship opportunities; e) summer workshops on changing climate and solutions; and f) international research internships. Trainees will work in teams to solve real-world environmental challenges, and a seminar with invited distinguished speakers and professional development activities will all help to foster a friendly and collaborative inclusive positive learning environment. The outcome will be a cohort of students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields with a strong multidisciplinary background and understanding of how AI can provide solutions for changing climate, environmental pollution, and water quality management. The goal is to provide a rewarding opportunity for all trainees to conduct novel, hands-on citizen science research at Morgan State under the guidance of diverse faculty and postdocs. A second major goal is to increase the participation of students from minority groups and stimulate their interest to pursue future careers in the STEM fields.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.