With this Accelerating Research Translation award, George Mason University will create university-wide programming that enables the rapid, low-cost translation of the science that local governments, community-based organizations, and local businesses need to support the development of resilient communities. Disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity – and are costing the United States billions of dollars in damages each year. Communities in Virginia are already experiencing harmful effects of weather and precipitation, extreme heat, and sea level rise damage infrastructure; disrupt work, commerce, and transportation; destroy livelihoods; and cost lives – but the wide-spread implementation of science-based solutions remains elusive. this award will establish a transformative new model for research translation to address this gap.

This award will accelerate the translation of research into practice to communities throughout Virginia (objective 1); establish and foster a culture of translating research through community engagement, technical assistance, and the co-production of research-informed products (objective 2); and create a workforce of scholars, practitioners, and leaders with the skills and expertise needed to put resilience research into practice (objective 3). These programs will be organized into three distinct but interrelated and integrated categories of activity: (a) facilitated and coordinated outreach and ongoing engagement with municipal and other community-based stakeholders; (b) community-focused research translation that is propelled by a modified lean launchpad program that supports the development of seed translational research projects (STRP); and (c) integrated workforce training programs. The first two STRPs will focus on the co-production of solutions that mitigate flood hazards (STRP 1) and reduce the impacts of urban heat (STRP 2) on frontline communities. New instructional programs established by this award will lead to training for use-inspired scientists who are willing and able to translate their research into practice, and entrepreneurs. Municipal and other community-based practitioners will also be trained in how and why to use science-based methods, tools, and data to plan and implement strategies.

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.