Collaborative Research: NSF R2I2: Identifying Community Need Based Adaptation and Resilience Priorities in the US Northeast

Rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and increasing flood risks are creating unprecedented challenges for coastal communities across the northeastern United States. In this region in particular, the magnitude of projected sea level rise is among the largest of any in the world threatening millions of Americans and billions of dollars in infrastructure. Small municipalities and neighborhoods often lack the expertise and tools needed to translate cutting-edge Earth system science into practical protection strategies for their residents. This project will build a collaborative network of scientists, engineers, policy experts, and community leaders to accelerate the development and implementation of adaptation solutions at the scale where they matter most, individual properties and neighborhoods. The project aims to reduce flood risks that currently cause over $32 billion in annual damages, protect vulnerable populations from extreme heat related illness, and preserve coastal infrastructure that supports regional economies. The collaborative approach of the project is driven by community needs in the Northeast region and will provide a replicable model for environmental adaptation nationwide. This project establishes a regionally coordinated adaptation network spanning Connecticut, Maine, New York, and surrounding northeastern states. The project employs a systematic 10-step coordination plan to engage collaborators from academia, private sector, and government agencies and promote knowledge sharing between established Technical and Policy (TAP) and Municipal, Agency, and Private sector (MAP) teams. Key methods include structured stakeholder meetings, working group development, and consensus-building processes to identify and prioritize environmental challenges including coastal erosion, flood prediction, localized heat risk assessment, and regulatory barriers. The research approach integrates advanced Earth systems science with community engagement methodologies, focusing on developing practical solutions for living shoreline design, high resolution wave and flooding modeling, machine learning-enable flood alerts, and policy innovation protocols. Phase 1 deliverables include: 1) a prioritized list of regional environmental challenges, 2) co-designed solution strategies, 3) a workforce needs assessment, 4) workforce training and development plans and, 5) a sustainable organizational framework for continued collaboration. The innovation and incubation component of the project aims to ensure long-term sustainability of academia-private sector partnerships beyond the grant period, creating lasting adaptation support capacity for municipalities across the region. 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.