NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing climate technologies in Eastern North Carolina (NC)

该NSF引擎发展奖将开发以使用为灵感的解决方案，以促进沿海社区的弹性。低洼沿海地区面临的挑战包括气候变化压力、人口增长和日益扩大的社会经济鸿沟。这些压力源与种族、性别和社会经济地位的交集不成比例。经济必须变得更可持续，对气候和人口变化更具弹性，并迅速做到这一点。在资源有限、压力可能加剧的地方，快节奏的经济变革尤为重要。该项目旨在利用生物生态系统及其过程来创造和增强产品和服务。服务的地区是北卡罗来纳州东部，基地在威尔明顿。计划快速发展的重点部门是沿海基础设施、水产养殖和可再生能源，目标是五个方面：1)与自然工程，2)环境传感和信号，3)生态系统启发材料，4)生态系统基因工程，5)生态系统服务测量和建模。该项目由来自大学和社区学院的多样化和反应迅速的研究人员团队领导，与商会、非营利性实体和营利性企业合作，寻求开发一条管道，将受使用启发的创新转化为适销对路的产品，同时发展强大的地区劳动力。为了开发未来的NSF引擎，该项目将建立一个由不同合作伙伴组成的网络，能够加速将其转化为实践，包括技术转移、创新和创业办公室(例如，NC生物技术中心、小型企业和技术开发中心、社区学院小型企业中心、Propera、NC商务部劳动力解决方案中心、NC IDEA和NC黑人创业委员会)。此外，该团队将部署利益相关者调查，以确定创业环境中必须弥合的差距，以使经济增长成为现实。社区学院的合作伙伴将建立劳动力发展和商业创造的途径。通过完成这一发展奖，该项目将建立：1)一个受使用启发的地区性跨学科研究网络，2)促进创新研发机会的战略，3)跨大学的研究翻译专业知识和资本网络，4)建立参与的社区参与战略。此外，一个外部咨询委员会将协助招聘未来国家科学基金会引擎的跨部门领导团队。通过这些活动，该项目将创建一个促进社区气候适应能力的网络，同时建立一个强大和包容的区域经济。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。

This NSF Engines Development Award will develop use-inspired solutions that promote coastal community resilience. Challenges facing low-lying coastal regions include climate change stressors, population growth, and a growing socioeconomic divide. These stressors intersect with race, gender, and socioeconomic status disproportionately. Economies must become more sustainable and resilient to climate and population change and do so rapidly. Fast-paced economic change is especially important where resources are limited, and stressors can intensify. This project aims to use living ecosystems and their processes to create and enhance products and services. The region of service is eastern North Carolina, with its base in Wilmington. The focal sectors slated for rapid development are coastal infrastructure, aquaculture, and renewable energy targeting five aspects: 1) Engineering with Nature, 2) Environmental Sensing & Signaling, 3) Ecosystem-Inspired Materials, 4) Ecosystem Genetic Engineering, and 5) Ecosystem Service Measuring & Modeling. The project is led by a diverse and responsive team of researchers from universities and community colleges in partnership with Chambers of Commerce, non-profit entities, and for-profit businesses that seek to develop a pipeline for translating use-inspired innovations into marketable products while developing a robust regional workforce. To develop the future NSF Engine, this project will forge a network of diverse partners able to hasten translation into practice, including offices of technology transfer, innovation, and entrepreneurship (e.g., NC Biotechnology Center, the Small Business and Technology Development Center, Community College Small Business Centers, Prospera, NC Department of Commerce Center for Workforce Solutions, NC IDEA, and the NC Black Entrepreneurship Council). Additionally, the team will deploy stakeholder surveys to identify gaps in the entrepreneurial landscape that must be bridged to make economic growth a reality. Community College partners will build pathways to workforce development and business creation. By completing this development award, this project will have established: 1) a regional transdisciplinary use-inspired research network, 2) strategies that promote novel R&D opportunities, 3) a cross-university network of research translation expertise and capital, and 4) community engagement strategies that build participation. Further, an External Advisory Board will assist in recruiting the cross-sector leadership team of a future NSF Engine. Through these activities, this project will create a network to promote community climate resilience while establishing a robust and inclusive regional economy.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.