CAREER: Ethical implications of connected critical infrastructure in the food-energy-water nexus

可持续地管理地球的物质资源和食物、能源和水（少数）资源的自然系统对现在和未来的社会至关重要。近几十年来，出现了食物-能源-水关系研究，旨在了解与这些资源相关的相互联系和相互依赖关系。虽然在这方面已经取得了进展，但需要进行量化工作，以便将建筑环境和人类价值纳入少数人研究。本研究的目的是在量化工作中提供对关键基础设施和利益相关者价值的明确考虑，以进一步了解FEW环境可持续性。综合研究和教育计划为研究者的长期职业目标奠定了基础，培养和发展一个跨学科的研究实验室，促进跨领域的努力，阐明关键基础设施之间的复杂相互作用，发展预测性理解，并为食品、能源和水管理提供解决方案。本研究的具体目标是：开发基础设施间数据集和网络理论模型，通过连接的关键基础设施（CI）量化FEW供应链的可持续性，并使用环境伦理框架部署价值知情的心智模型，以发展对FEW-CI可持续性的社会伦理影响的理解。该项目将通过填补先前学术研究的几个空白，发展围绕FEW关系可持续性的基本理论，并推进以下方面的知识状态：i)多层FEW- ci网络在环境可持续性条件下的行为，ii)对关键基础设施的考虑如何影响FEW量化工作，以及iii)利益相关者的价值观如何改变可持续系统的FEW建模和资源管理。此外，研究者的教育计划，通过伦理主题与研究计划相结合，将通过国际参与为本科生和研究生提供职业强化机会，为大学及其他地方提供工程伦理教学资源，并与政策制定者合作，确保研究成果与实现社会目标相关。该教育计划的智力价值基于STEM学科伦理教育的最佳实践理论。最后，结合FEW-CI开放资源的数据，基于理论的社会实验设计，以及来自多个领域领导者的评估和建议，将使研究者能够建立在环境可持续性方面发展和部署跨学科融合研究的能力，为启动她的5年和10年职业目标奠定基础。研究和教育活动将有助于以下七个社会成果：妇女、残疾人和代表性不足的少数群体充分参与STEM；改善STEM教育和教育工作者的发展；提高公众科学素养和公众对科学技术的参与；培养多元化、具有全球竞争力的STEM人才队伍；加强学术界、工业界和其他方面的伙伴关系；加强国家安全；加强研究和教育的基础设施。该项目将重点强调有助于取得这些成果的三项活动：在越南和新加坡为来自代表性不足群体的本科生和研究生实施一个海外学习项目，促进参与者的公平和职业准备；开发符合认证要求的工程伦理模块；组织虚拟研讨会，让决策者参与研究和教育成果。评估和评价将通过由来自多个机构的资深教师组成的杰出顾问委员会以及与教育教育学专家的磋商进行。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。

Sustainably managing Earth's physical resources and natural systems for food, energy, and water (FEW) resources is of critical importance for society now and into the future. Recent decades have seen the emergence of food-energy-water nexus research that seeks to understand the interconnections and interdependencies associated with these resources. Although progress has been made in this regard, quantification efforts are needed to integrate the built environment and human values into FEW research. The objective of this research is to provide explicit consideration of critical infrastructure and stakeholder values in quantification efforts to further understand FEW environmental sustainability. The integrated research and educational plan builds the foundation for the investigator's long-term career goal to cultivate and grow a transdisciplinary research laboratory that catalyzes cross-cutting efforts to elucidate complex interactions across critical infrastructure, developing predictive understanding and offering solutions to food, energy, and water management.The specific aims of this research are to: develop inter-infrastructural datasets and network-theoretic models to quantify FEW supply chain sustainability through connected critical infrastructure (CI) and use environmental ethics frameworks to deploy values-informed mental models that will develop understandings on socio-ethical implications of FEW-CI sustainability. The project will develop fundamental theory surrounding FEW nexus sustainability by filling several gaps in prior scholarship and advance the state of knowledge regarding: i) how multilayer FEW-CI networks behave under conditions of environmental sustainability, ii) how accounting for critical infrastructure influences FEW quantification efforts, and iii) how stakeholder values alter FEW modeling and resource management for sustainable systems. Additionally, the investigator's Education plan, integrated with the research plan through the theme of ethics, will offer undergraduate and graduate students career-strengthening opportunities through international engagement, provide engineering ethics teaching resources for the University and beyond, and engage with policymakers to ensure that research outcomes are relevant to achieving societal goals. The intellectual merit of the educational plan is grounded in theory on best practices for ethics education across STEM disciplines. Finally, the combination of data from FEW-CI open sources, theory-based socio-experimental designs, and assessment and advice from leaders in multiple fields will allow the investigator to build capacity for developing and deploying transdisciplinary convergent research in environmental sustainability, forming the basis to launch her 5- and 10-year career goals. The research and educational activities will contribute to the following seven societal outcomes: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in STEM; improved STEM education and educator development; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education. Highlighting three of the activities that contribute to these outcomes, the PI will: implement a study abroad program in Vietnam and Singapore for undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups, furthering equity and career readiness of participants; develop engineering ethics modules that directly contribute to accreditation requirements; and organize virtual workshops to engage policymakers in research and educational outcomes. Assessment and evaluation will occur through a distinguished advisory board of senior faculty from multiple institutions as well as consultations with an expert in educational pedagogy.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.