SCC-Planning: Smart & Connected Rural Communities

城市地区已经开发了“智能技术”；然而，这些产品不容易适应帮助农村社区的需要，这些社区缺乏人口稠密城市的许多基础设施和“连通性”。这项计划拨款旨在评估和开发技术和有针对性的培训，以促进德克萨斯州东部的一小部分农村人口的发展。该计划将整合工程学、计算机科学和社会科学的专业知识，以吸引社区利益相关者的参与。领导层将与市政府合作，通过推进智能技术的使用来提高生活质量。将利用调查和重点小组来确定该区域的技术优先事项。这种适应性的结构和计划可以作为其他农村社区参与类似计划的典范。缺乏沟通、低收入、人口老龄化和基础设施只是农村社区面临的一些挑战，而农村社区是这项规划拨款的目标。该项目旨在让社区参与，以完成广泛的需求和能力评估，该评估可用于向智能技术研究人员提供实施智能技术的最佳方式。方法：将使用焦点小组和调查，以收集定性和定量数据。技术研究人员将与教育和社会行为专家合作，将适当的教育计划纳入实施时间表。智力价值：这个项目寻求使智能技术能够解决农村社区特有的问题。这项提议最大的潜在好处将来自于通过探索智能技术来提高农村居民的生活质量。此外，政府和其他利益攸关方将学习如何使用智能技术有效地管理基础设施陈旧和能力有限的农村城镇。更广泛的影响：该项目将吸引学生和教职员工参与研究和开发领域，并为学生和社区成员提供培训。这个项目为培养两名学生研究人员提供了一个独特的机会。

"Smart technologies" have been developed in urban areas; however, those products do not easily adapt to help rural communities that lack much of the infrastructure and "connectivity" of more densely populated cities. This planning grant seeks to assess and develop technology and targeted training to advance a small rural population in Eastern Texas. The program will integrate engineering, computer science and social science expertise to engage community stakeholders. The leadership will work with the city government to improve the quality of life through advancing the use of smart technology. Surveys and focus groups will be used to identify technology priorities of the region. This adaptive structure and plan could be used as a model for other rural communities to engage in similar programs.A lack of communication, low income, an aging population and infrastructure are just some of the challenges facing the rural community that is the target of this planning grant. This project seeks to engage the community in order to complete an extensive needs and capability assessment that can be used to inform smart technology researchers as to the best way to implement smart technologies. Approach: Focus groups and surveys will be used in order to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Technology researchers will work alongside educational and social behavioral specialists to integrate an appropriate educational plan into the implementation timeline. Intellectual Merit: This project seeks to enable smart technologies to address concerns that are specific to rural communities. The largest potential benefit from this proposal will come from enhancing rural residents' quality of life though the exploration of smart technology. In addition, government and other stakeholders will learn about how to use smart technologies to manage a rural town with aged infrastructure and limited capacity efficiently. Broader Impacts: This project will engage students and faculty in the research and development areas and provide training to students and community members. This project provides a unique opportunity to train two student researchers.