NSF Funding Available for Katrina Research

-----Original Message-----
From: Planning Educators Electronic Mail Network On Behalf Of Ashwani Vasishth
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 11:47 PM
Subject: Funding: NSF Grants for Research Into Hurricane Katrina

http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/new.html

September 12, 2005

NSF Funding Available for Katrina Research

The Division of Civil and Mechanical Systems (CMS) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) will be accepting proposals from the research community to support reconnaissance teams to enter the Gulf Coast disaster area to capture data from Hurricane Katrina. Proposals will conform to the rules for the Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) program and be submitted via FastLane. These funds will be used to fund teams to document damage and collect perishable data in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. Historically, postdisaster reconnaissance awards for SGERs are in the range of $10,000 to $30,000.

The number of awards will depend on the quality of proposals received and the availability of funds. Proposals should be submitted via FastLane (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp) in conformance with the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 04-23). The guide is available online at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/nsf04_23/2.jsp#IID1. For full consideration, proposals should be submitted by September 9, 2005.

Prior to submission, the appropriate NSF/CMS program officer must be contacted: Rick Fragaszy for Geotechnical or Structural Engineering issues or Dennis Wenger for Emergency Management and Response issues. Fragaszy and Wenger can be reached at (703) 292-8360 or via e-mail at rfragasz@nsf.gov or dwenger@nsf.gov.

Subjects for consideration by the research community include but are not limited to:

1.Meteorological data including
Wind speeds and distribution
Storm surge

2.Damage data including
Spatial damage distribution
Damage to residential structures
Impact damage to larger engineered structures
Damage to the electrical power system including transmission lines, power substations, and generating plants
Damage to the levee systems and documentation of the repair efforts; damage to the drainage pump system
Damage to coastal bridges and highways, railroads, pipelines
Damage to on and offshore industrial facilities

3.Environmental impact assessment including
Public health and disease effects of the disaster
Petrochemical and other contamination from the storm
Damage to the potable water and wastewater systems
Damage to municipal solid waste and hazardous waste containment facilities
Erosion

4.Emergency Management
Assessment of disaster planning in light of actual events
Effectiveness of warning and evacuation systems
Social vulnerability analyses
Establishment and operation of emergency shelters
Infrastructure restoration management
Search and rescue and delivery of emergency medicine
Urban versus rural effects of the storm

5.Other related issues

The Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) priority area of the National Science Foundation (NSF) also announced that it will accept SGER proposals for research related to Hurricane Katrina. The HSD priority area seeks to stimulate breakthroughs in knowledge about human action and development, as well as organizational, cultural, and societal adaptation and change. Researchers interested in submitting SGER proposals to HSD should contact one of the following program directors prior to submission to discuss their ideas: Robert O'Connor, Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences; (703) 292-7263; e-mail: roconnor@nsf.gov or Dennis Wenger, Directorate for Engineering; (703) 292-7014; e-mail: dwenger@nsf.gov; http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/hsd/. For additional information about SGER proposals, see the Grant Proposal Guide, Section II.D.1, available here.

Hurricane Katrina Quick Response Grants

The Natural Hazards Center is in the process of activating several Quick Response grants studying the impacts of Hurricane Katrina. More information on specific projects will be announced in the coming weeks. Proposals for Quick Response studies are solicited each September by the Center and are approved on a "stand-by" basis. If a qualifying event occurs during the following year, researchers have the option of activating their grants. The small grants average about $2,000 and cover transportation, food, and lodging. For information on proposing and/or activating a Quick Response grant for Hurricane Katrina, contact Greg Guibert at (303) 492-2149 or greg.guibert@colorado.edu. Proposals must follow all Quick Response Program requirements, click here for program guidelines.

Natural Hazards Center Publications Relevant to Hurricane Katrina

Holistic Disaster Recovery: Ideas for Building Local Sustainability After a Natural Disaster < http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/holistic_recovery/>
Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado at Boulder

The Holistic Disaster Recovery handbook is summarized in the Natural Hazards Informer, Issue 3:
Building Back Better: Creating a Sustainable Community After Disaster
Jacquelyn L. Monday

What if Hurricane Ivan Had Not Missed New Orleans?
Shirley Laska, Center for Hazards Assessment, Response, and Technology, University of New Orleans

Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Disasters: Lessons from the East Coast and New Orleans
Stephen P. Leatherman, International Hurricane Center, Florida International University
Virginia R. Burkett, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, Louisiana