Implementation Grant: Community-Soil-Air-Water (CSAW): A Model Community-Based Learning Ecosystem to Transform Geosciences

社区-土壤-空气-水（CSAW）学习生态系统将把正义、公平、多样性和包容性融入到与社区在地球科学研究中的合作实践中。为了扩大地球科学家和社区合作伙伴之间社会环境研究合作的能力和问责制，CSAW将汇集三个学术合作伙伴（佐治亚州立大学，一个以黑人为主的机构，斯佩尔曼学院，一个历史上的黑人学院和埃默里大学）和两个社区组织：西亚特兰大流域联盟和生态行动。这个项目将解决这样一个问题：地球科学家如何向面临与地球系统相关的基本问题的社区学习，做出贡献，并找到解决方案？CSAW将研究以社区参与、基于地点的研究为中心的学习生态系统模式如何增加：(1)招聘、保留和培训不同类型的地球科学家；(2)地球科学家与社区合作解决社会环境问题的能力和责任。教师和社区组织者以及12名学士学位后学者和15名硕士生将接受培训，在公平、透明和问责制的共同价值观框架下，与社区合作伙伴建立外展和研究项目。这些项目将解决基于地点的地球系统研究的关键需求，包括土壤铅和其他重金属污染以及氡暴露；空气污染、气候变化和热图；水污染、城市洪水和绿色雨水基础设施。该项目的总体目标和目的是建立一个桥梁：1)与所有队列成员一起建立和正式建立CSAW学习生态系统，以解决社会环境挑战；2)招募不同群体的博士后和硕士生，并对他们进行专业发展、社区参与和网络培训，重点是以正义、公平和包容为中心；3)实施培训、规划和教学方案，以招募、指导和支持地球科学领域的不同学生、社区合作者和教师；4)与社区驱动的研究开发一种基于资产的合作模式，包括正式培训、问责制和对参与实践和结果的评估；5)发展网络、材料和原型，将CSAW学习生态系统模型扩展到其他社区、大学和机构。CSAW的合作伙伴关系将推动社会环境问题及其解决方案的广泛学术研究，以及地球科学家在社区参与、问责制和合作生产方面的最佳实践。CSAW将为跨学科的变革性地球科学工作提供一个评估良好且成功的模型。通过扩大代表性不足群体的参与，建立和加强与社区倡导团体的伙伴关系，CSAW学习生态系统将为促进其他机构和跨学科的地球科学转型提供一个原型。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。

The Community-Soil-Air-Water (CSAW) learning ecosystem will integrate justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion into the practices of collaborating with communities in geosciences research. To expand capacity and accountability in socio-environmental research collaborations between geoscientists and community partners, CSAW will bring together three academic partners (Georgia State University, a Predominantly Black Institution, Spelman College, a Historically Black College, and Emory University) with two community organizations: the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance and ECO-Action. This project will address the question: How can Geoscientists learn from, contribute to, and find solutions with communities facing fundamental problems related to Earth systems? CSAW will examine how a learning ecosystem model centered in community-engaged, place-based research can increase: (1) recruitment, retention, and training of diverse geoscientists; and (2) capacity for and accountability within collaboration between geoscientists and communities addressing socio-environmental problems. Cohorts of faculty and community organizers along with 12 post-baccalaureate (postbac) scholars and 15 Master’s students will be trained in building outreach and research projects with community partners using a framework of shared values of equity, transparency, and accountability. These projects will address critical needs in place-based Earth systems research including Soil lead and other heavy metal contamination and radon exposure; Air pollution, climate change, and heat mapping; and Water pollution, urban flooding, and green stormwater infrastructure. The overall goals and objectives of the project are to build a BRIDGE: 1) Build and formalize the CSAW learning ecosystem with all cohort members to solve socio-environmental challenges; 2) Recruit diverse cohorts of postbacs and Master’s students and train them in professional development, community engagement, and networking, with a focus on centering justice, equity, and inclusion; 3) Implement training, programming, and pedagogy protocols to recruit, mentor, and support diverse students, community collaborators, and faculty in the geosciences; 4) Develop an asset-based model of collaboration with community-driven research to include formal training, accountability, and assessment for engagement practices and outcomes; and 5) Grow a network, materials, and prototype to expand the CSAW learning Ecosystem model to other communities, universities, and institutions. CSAW partnerships will advance a broad range of scholarship on socio-environmental problems and their solutions, and on best practices for geoscientists in community engagement, accountability, and co-production. CSAW will provide a well-evaluated and successful model to adopt in transformative geosciences work across disciplines. Through broadening participation of underrepresented groups and building and enhancing partnerships with community advocacy groups, the CSAW learning ecosystem will provide a prototype to promote geoscience transformations at other institutions and across disciplines.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.