| NSF Org: |
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | January 17, 2020 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 6, 2023 |
| Award Number: | 2014330 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Bruce Hamilton
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | February 1, 2020 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $299,999.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $299,999.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
874 TRADITIONS WAY TALLAHASSEE FL US 32306-0001 (850)644-5260 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
2525 Pottsdamer Street Tallahassee FL US 32310-6046 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | EnvS-Environmtl Sustainability |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
Large quantities of debris are generated from natural and anthropogenic disaster events. The sheer magnitude and highly variable composition complicate management of the post-disaster debris. With proper material recovery processes, reusing and recycling create value and divert debris from landfills, minimizing the overall environmental impacts of the debris. The main goal of this project is to establish the SUstainable Material Management Extreme Events Reconnaissance (SUMMEER) organization with a geographically distributed network to respond to post-disaster debris management challenges. The mission of SUMMEER is to: (i) facilitate a combined member and community-based approach to maximize the effect of post-disaster debris reconnaissance activities, (ii) organize and train a broad range of individuals for reconnaissance and study of debris from extreme events, (iii) coordinate pre- and post-disaster efforts to collect perishable data on post-disaster debris in a timely and effective manner, and (iv) provide significant data and resources for research on sustainable management of post-disaster debris. The framework and tools developed in this study will facilitate proper planning for and sustainable management of disaster debris to maximize benefits from the materials through reuse and recycling and to minimize adverse effects on human health and the environment.
The importance of recycling/reuse of post-disaster debris has been recognized in the literature and practice; however, quantitative frameworks and tools for pre- and post-disaster planning are highly limited due to the lack of detailed post-disaster debris investigations. This new Extreme Events Reconnaissance (EER) organization will fill this gap by providing standardized data that has not previously been available. The new EER organization will, for the first time, provide reconnaissance guidelines, response protocols, data standards, and training programs for high-quality field assessment for sustainable debris management research. Accumulation of this post-disaster debris data will lead to development of quantitative planning methods for disaster debris and enable effective post-disaster reuse and recycling applications. SUMMEER will function as an integrated platform for coordinating the deployment of interdisciplinary researchers to collect such multidimensional debris data from extreme events. Also, a data repository will be generated during the study for use by the research community. In response to major disaster events, SUMMEER will participate in joint response activities with the other NSF-funded EERs to evaluate environmental impacts of disaster events that are important for sustainable debris management research in a timely and effective manner in addition to the structural, geotechnical, and social impacts identified through the existing EERs adding value and expanding the impact of the combined EERs.
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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The management of debris and waste from disasters, both natural and human-made, poses significant challenges due to the sheer volume and variety of materials involved. There exists a considerable opportunity for the recycling and reuse of these materials, which can transform potential waste into valuable resources and reduce the environmental burden by diverting waste from landfills. However, sustainable debris management practices are not widely adopted in the wake of disasters, often due to ad-hoc management approaches stemming from a lack of comprehensive post-disaster information. This gap hinders effective recycling and reuse initiatives. Moreover, the bulk of research on disaster debris management is primarily based on simulations, limited case studies, or data from standard municipal waste management, which does not adequately address the unique challenges of post-disaster debris management.
SUMMEER has made significant strides during the EAGER project, setting it apart from other NSF-sponsored reconnaissance efforts by focusing on a wide range of data pertinent to sustainable disaster debris management. Specifically, SUMMEER established a unified platform that facilitates coordination among researchers with diverse backgrounds and private and public sectors in the pursuit of incorporating sustainability into post-disaster debris operations by (i) identifying and prioritizing data needs across various aspects of sustainable debris management research and (ii) developing a three-phase post-disaster reconnaissance framework to guide data collection efforts across the debris lifecycle (i.e., response, short-term recovery, and long-term recovery phases).
As climate change escalates the severity and frequency of extreme events, the importance of coordinated and collaborative efforts in post-disaster reconnaissance is ever more critical. Joining the NSF-sponsored CONVERGE Leadership Corps, SUMMEER has positioned itself to collaborate effectively with other leaders in NSF-sponsored extreme event reconnaissance (EER) and to harness the resources and expertise of the NSF-sponsored Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) facilities. Through active participation in this leadership corps, SUMMEER acts as a representative advocating for the significance of data collection to support sustainable debris management research.
In an effort to address the data needs for sustainable debris management research and practices, SUMMEER has undertaken virtual reconnaissance for five federally-recognized disaster events and one global event by collecting data through available virtual resources. The collected data were documented, analyzed, and then disseminated in the form of virtual assessment reports, which provides consistent analysis of the respective disaster scenarios concerning sustainable debris management and highlights potential avenues for research and policy changes within the affected regions. Moreover, SUMMEER convened two national workshops where experts from academia and from public and private institutions collectively identified data needs across the debris lifecycle and deliberated on the attributes necessary for effective field reconnaissance data collection. To cultivate an interdisciplinary research community capable of tackling a wide spectrum of issues related to sustainable practices, SUMMEER organized a series of webinars on topics pertinent to the collection and analysis of disaster debris and waste data, serving as valuable resources for interdisciplinary researchers on how to conduct effective post-disaster reconnaissance. These webinars attracted wide attention across various research communities, with an average registration of 95 participants per webinar.
In addition, SUMMEER has taken steps to nurture the next generation of experts and researchers by establishing a student chapter at Florida State University (FSU) and Florida A&M University (FAMU). Recognized as a student organization at both institutions, the SUMMEER student chapter engages students from various disciplines in tackling debris management challenges and devising solutions through diverse professional development and outreach endeavors.
Last Modified: 01/31/2024
Modified by: Juyeong Choi
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