IRES Track I: Integration of Innovative Structural Solutions and Data-Enabled Planning Strategies for Infrastructure Resilience in an Evolving Climate (INSPIRE)

北美和欧洲的大部分地区都面临着自然灾害，如洪水、地震和风暴。近几十年来，灾害多发地区的人口增长和经济发展突出表明，需要有弹性的民用基础设施，以便能够有效地为社区提供各种基本服务，特别是在极端事件发生后。为了帮助学生成为未来的领导者，他们能够应对21世纪民用基础设施面临的挑战，实现基础设施弹性的系统研究和教育活动至关重要。复原力被描述为社区在压力下继续发挥作用的能力，这些压力包括间歇性自然灾害和由于老龄化机制导致的缓慢恶化。尽管迄今为止在这一领域做出了各种各样的努力，但目前的培训方案往往滞后于向学生提供组件和系统两级所需的最新知识和技能。这是建立INSPIRE网站的主要动机，因为协同活动和国际交流是培养多样化学生群体的关键，这些学生能够整合创新的结构解决方案和基础设施弹性规划战略，特别是在不断变化的气候中。INSPIRE网站将与瑞士联邦理工大学(ETH Zürich)和瑞士联邦材料科学与技术实验室(EMPA)合作，为广泛的本科生和研究生提供独特的国际研究和教育经验。其目标是通过有意义的国际合作研究培训、网络和与高级结构解决方案以及基础设施弹性数据启用规划和管理相关的领域的指导，为学生提供全球视野和一系列专业成长机会。学生将进行个人项目和基于团队的调查，重点是评估民用基础设施的状况，并考虑到各种安全和性能方面的因素，开发有效的解决方案来改善其状况。这一国际伙伴关系将产生重大的更广泛的影响，通过学术界、产业界和国际合作伙伴的合作，加强不同利益攸关方群体的机构能力。通过各种教育、指导、外展和评估活动，INSPIRE网站将确保一个关爱和支持的环境，特别是在民用基础设施弹性的关键领域扩大参与。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。

Large parts of North America and Europe are exposed to natural hazards, such as floods, earthquakes, and windstorms. In recent decades, population growth and economic development in hazard-prone regions have highlighted the need for resilient civil infrastructures that can efficiently serve communities with a variety of essential services, especially in the aftermath of extreme events. To help students become future leaders who can address the challenges faced by civil infrastructures in the 21st century, systematic research and educational activities toward achieving infrastructure resilience are critical. Resilience is described as the capacity of communities to continue to function under stresses that include both episodic natural disasters and slow-moving deteriorations due to aging mechanisms. Despite the variety of efforts made in this domain to date, the current training programs often lag in equipping students with the latest knowledge and skillsets required at both component and system levels. This has formulated the main motivation for establishing the INSPIRE Site, as synergistic activities and international exchanges are key to preparing a diverse group of students capable of integrating innovative structural solutions and planning strategies for infrastructure resilience, especially in an evolving climate.The INSPIRE Site will provide unique international research and educational experiences for a broad spectrum of undergraduate and graduate students in collaboration with the Swiss Federal University of Technology (ETH Zürich) and Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Switzerland. The objective is to provide students with a global perspective and a suite of opportunities for professional growth through meaningful international cooperative research training, networking, and mentoring in the fields related to advanced structural solutions and data-enabled planning and management for infrastructure resilience. The students will conduct individual projects and team-based investigations focused on assessing the condition of civil infrastructures and developing effective solutions to improve their condition state, considering various safety and performance aspects. This international partnership will have significant broader impacts, strengthening institutional capacity among a diverse group of stakeholders through collaborations across academic, industry, and international partners. Through various educational, mentoring, outreach, and evaluation activities, the INSPIRE Site will ensure a caring and supportive environment, especially for broadening participation in the critical domain of civil infrastructure resilience.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.