Planning: South Dakota NSF EPSCoR Track-1 Planning Grant

在一年的时间里，这笔规划赠款将在南达科他州举办十项活动，以成熟选定的项目概念和研究团队，采用合作、包容的方法。这些活动包括计划访问合作大学和南达科他州政府机构，规划会议以制定未来五年计划的优先事项，以及举办研讨会吸引潜在参与者。最初的战略规划是与2022年10月在南达科他州布鲁金斯举行的南达科他州生物技术协会峰会一起进行的。南达科他州董事会的这个规划项目有可能发展未来EPSCoR研究基础设施改进Track-1提案所需的州内团队合作，该提案涉及农业碳循环的一般主题，以及人工智能(AI)、机器学习(ML)和精准农业如何有助于减少农业的碳足迹。农业碳循环的话题与南达科他州的州科技计划是一致的，该计划将农业可持续性和粮食安全确定为该州的关键领域。农业是南达科他州温室气体排放的主要来源，占该州温室气体排放总量的46%。迫切需要探索有效的解决方案，以有效减少农业的碳足迹。这笔规划赠款的目的是确定南达科他州的研究人员准备解决这些挑战中的哪些，以及哪些可以在未来的五年项目期内完成。该规划项目的合作研究大学包括南达科他州州立大学、南达科他州矿业与技术学院、南达科他州大学和达科他州州立大学。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。

Over a one-year period, this planning grant will stage ten events across the state of South Dakota to mature a selected project concept and research team, using a collaborative, inclusive approach. The events include planning visits to partner universities and South Dakota state government agencies, planning meetings to develop priorities for the future five-year project, and workshops to engage potential participants. Initial strategic planning was held in conjunction with the South Dakota Biotechnology Association Summit, held in Brookings, South Dakota, October 2022.This planning project from the South Dakota Board of Regents has the potential to develop the intrastate teamwork needed for a future EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-1 proposal on the general theme of the agricultural carbon cycle and how Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and precision agriculture can contribute to reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint. The agricultural carbon cycle topic is consistent with South Dakota’s state Science & Technology plan, which identifies Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security as key areas for the state. Agriculture is the principal source of greenhouse gas emissions in South Dakota, accounting for 46% of the state’s gross greenhouse gas emissions. There is an urgent need to explore efficient solutions to effectively reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint. The aim of this planning grant is to identify which of these challenges South Dakota researchers are ready to tackle and which can be accomplished within the future five-year project period. The planning project’s partner research universities include South Dakota State University, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, the University of South Dakota, and Dakota State University.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.