Collaborative Research: IRES Track I: Flood Resilience Program - Integrated research experiences to foster understanding on how to increase resilience in flood-prone communities

洪水的影响仍然是世界范围内最频繁、最具破坏性和最昂贵的自然灾害。这些影响继续增加，特别是在受气候变化不利影响最严重的快速发展的沿海地区。我们需要新一代的毕业生，他们受过培训，具备解决这一问题的技能。每年，仅在美国，这一问题就已经造成了灾难性的洪灾及其相关的困难。美国和荷兰之间的国际学生研究经验（IRES）洪水恢复计划（FRP）将通过在科学和工程领域实施基于地点的综合研究和教育计划来满足这一关键需求，以帮助培养多样化的一代研究人员和实践者，他们有能力解决与美国和世界各地减少洪水风险相关的复杂问题。每年，八名美国学生（四名本科生和四名研究生）将在荷兰进行为期六周的沉浸式研究，荷兰是世界洪水风险缓解和管理的领导者。将利用两国多个机构、研究人员和学生之间建立的现有伙伴关系，在两国多个学科的教师和研究人员的指导下，为学生提供国际研究经验。美国的主要合作伙伴包括德克萨斯农工大学加尔维斯顿分校（TAMUG）和大学城分校（TAMU）、杰克逊州立大学（JSU）和波多黎各大学玛雅<s:1> ez分校（UPRM）。荷兰的合作伙伴包括代尔夫特理工大学（主主机）、阿姆斯特丹自由大学和荷兰国立大学。学生将进行研究项目，涵盖城市和沿海地区基于潮涌和降水驱动的洪水问题。将调查结构性和非结构性战略的有效性，以便更好地了解何时采取减轻洪水事件不利影响的战略。美国研究人员和学生将能够利用荷兰与洪水管理相关的数据、方法和设施。IRES FRP将培养下一代工程师和科学家，他们必须以创新的方式解决大范围洪水的社会问题。此外，该计划将创建特定教育技术和方法的定量数据，以改善学生的学习成果，作为基于地点的研究设置的一部分。分别涉及休斯顿-加尔维斯顿和鹿特丹-海牙大都会地区的问题和基于地点的案例研究将整合具有工程（TAMU/JSU/UPRM/TUD），沿海结构（TUD/RWS），建筑（TUD），经济学（VU）和规划（TAMUG）专业知识的研究人员和教师，以指导学生项目解决以下主要研究问题：1)物理抗洪能力的基本特征和两国之间的差异；2)为什么城市社区和相关建筑环境如此容易受到洪水的影响；3)荷兰正在实施哪些结构和非结构缓解技术，哪些技术可以应用于美国？学生将选择研究项目，包括基于潮涌和降水驱动的洪水问题。将调查结构性和非结构性策略的有效性，从而更好地了解何时采取避免或抵抗策略来减轻洪水事件的不利影响。美国研究人员和学生将能够利用荷兰在洪水管理方面的数据、方法、设施和专业知识。该项目的主要目标是通过创造“真正的变革性学习环境”，为参与的学生提供跨学科的问题和基于地点的国际研究经验。参与的学生将学习“如何进行研究”，以及“如何通过不同学科的视角来解决问题”。该计划将在学术界和实践中培养下一代工程师和科学家，他们将不得不以创新的方式解决洪水的社会问题。此外，该计划将创建特定教育技术和方法的定量数据，以改善学生的学习成果，作为基于地点的研究设置的一部分。这些发现将有助于改善未来的国际研究交流计划，并将其纳入所有合作机构的教学策略中。重点将放在积极从代表性不足的群体中招募学生参加所有合作机构的项目。由于洪水对弱势群体的影响不成比例，因此在整个社会中广泛的代表性对于解决洪水相关问题的有效策略尤为重要，而代表性不足的群体与洪水相关的生活经历可能会为追求相关的高等STEM教育提供火花。TAMU、upm和JSU（一个指定的HBCU）的pi在招募代表人数不足的群体方面有经验，这些群体将为这项提议承担责任。该项目由国际科学与工程办公室（OISE）资助。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。

Impacts from flooding continue to be the most frequent, disruptive, and costly natural hazard worldwide. These impacts continue to mount, especially in rapidly developing coastal areas most influenced by the adverse effects of climate change. A new generation of graduates is needed that have the training and skillsets to address this problem that has already been causing catastrophic episodes of flooding and its associated hardship every year in the United States alone. The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Flood Resilience Program (FRP) between the U.S. and the Netherlands will fill this critical need by implementing a place-based integrative research and educational program in science and engineering to help produce a diverse generation of researchers and practitioners equipped to solve complex problems related to flood risk reduction in the U.S. and around the world. Each year of the program, eight U.S. students (4 undergrad and 4 grad) will engage in an immersive, six-week problem-and place-based research experience in the Netherlands, a world leader in flood risk mitigation and management. Existing partnerships established among multiple institutions, researchers, and students in both countries will be leveraged to provide students with international research experiences under the guidance of faculty and researchers from multiple disciplines in both countries. Key U.S. partners include Texas A&amp;M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and College Station (TAMU) campuses, Jackson State University (JSU), and University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez (UPRM). Dutch partners include Delft University of Technology (main host), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Rijkswaterstaat. Students will conduct research projects covering both surge-based and precipitation-driven flood problems in both urban and coastal areas. The effectiveness of structural and non-structural strategies will be investigated, leading to a better understanding of when to pursue strategies for mitigating adverse impacts from flood events. U.S. researchers and students will be able to leverage Dutch data, methods, and facilities associated with flood management. The IRES FRP will prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists that will have to tackle the societal problem of widespread flooding in an innovative fashion. Furthermore, the program will create quantitative data on specific educational techniques and methods to improve student learning outcomes as part of place-based research settings.Problem-and place-based case studies involving the Houston-Galveston and Rotterdam-The Hague Metropolitan areas, respectively, will integrate researchers and faculty with expertise in engineering (TAMU/JSU/UPRM/TUD), coastal structures (TUD/RWS), architecture (TUD), economics (VU) and planning (TAMUG) to guide student projects addressing the following overarching research questions: 1) what are the underlying characteristics of physical flood resilience and the differences between the two countries; 2) why are urban communities and the associated built environment so vulnerable to flood impacts; and 3) which mitigation techniques, both structural and non-structural are being implemented in the Netherlands and what can be applied in the U.S.? Students will select research projects covering both surge-based and precipitation-driven flood problems. The effectiveness of both structural and non-structural strategies will be investigated, leading to a better understanding of when to pursue avoidance or resistance strategies for mitigating adverse impacts from flood events. U.S. researchers and students will be able to leverage Dutch data, methods, facilities, and expertise, associated with flood management. The primary goal of the program will be to provide participating students with interdisciplinary problem- and place-based international research experiences by creating “authentic transformative learning environments”. Participating students will learn “how to conduct research” in general and “how to approach a problem through different disciplinary lenses.” The program will prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists in academia and practice that will have to tackle the societal problem of flooding in an innovative fashion. Furthermore, the program will create quantitative data on specific educational techniques and methods to improve student learning outcomes as part of place-based research settings. These findings will lead to improved future international research exchange programs and be incorporated into teaching strategies at all partner institutions. Emphasis will be placed on actively recruiting students from underrepresented groups to participate in the program at all collaborating institutions. Broad representation across society is particularly important for effective strategies to flood-related problems since the impacts of floods are disproportionate to vulnerable populations and flood-related lived experiences of underrepresented groups may provide the spark to pursue related higher STEM education. PIs at TAMU, UPRM and JSU, a designated HBCU, have experience with recruitment of underrepresented groups that will be brought to bear for this proposal. This project is funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE).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.