Kentucky awards $20 million National Science Foundation grant to study climate change – NKyTribune
By Tom Latek
Kentucky today
The state of Kentucky will receive $20 million from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which aims to support states that have historically received less funding for research and development.
Through the EPSCoR Track-1 Research Infrastructure Improvement Program, Kentucky received five years of funding to study how climate change affects local communities. The project will allow researchers to find new ways to address these challenges, educate the community and create programs to teach future researchers.
Kentucky faces increasing threats from environmental changes, including extreme weather events, floods, droughts and mudslides. The Climate Resilience through Big Data Multidisciplinary Learning, Forecasting and Building Response Systems (CLIMBS) Project will advance the fields of climate science, geohazard engineering and disaster management to improve sustainability and resilience to climate change. Educational and research programs will benefit underserved communities in Eastern Kentucky.
“We are proud to invest in Kentucky’s future through the CLIMBS project, which aims to increase climate resilience and sustainability across industries,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “By focusing on science-based solutions, Kentucky can address climate challenges, protect communities and strengthen economic growth for communities across the commonwealth and region.”
Led by the University of Kentucky, scientists from eight universities will use Big Data, artificial intelligence and machine learning to model the impact of different climate scenarios. CLIMBS will help build climate resilience and sustainability in Kentucky’s core manufacturing, data analytics, energy transition and engineering industries, and will help train a scientific and engineering workforce that will enable the growth of smaller industries such as food, beverage and agriculture.
CLIMBS responds to the Vision 2030: Kentucky Science and Technology Plan, which includes a primary focus on climate and resilience and is driven by flooding and weather events in 2021 and 2022 that impacted the area, including impoverished mountain and rural communities.
Along with improving education and outreach in Appalachia, CLIMBS will promote the development of university-industry partnerships and improved capabilities to compete for funding and commercialization at the central level.
To learn more about EPSCoR, visit www.nsf.gov.
