The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced their intent to support funding for a Research Coordination Network (RCN) relating to Coastlines and People (CoPe). This opportunity will fund a team to use interdisciplinary science to advance understanding of coastlines and people.

In their announcement, NSF stated, “Through CoPe, NSF is interested in supporting projects to build capacity and explore research focused on understanding the impacts of coastal environmental variability and natural hazards on populated coastal regions. CoPe projects should explore the complex interface between coastal natural processes, geohazards, people and their natural and built environments. CoPe will include coastal variability and hazards on a range of spatial and temporal scales, from local to global and seconds to millenia to put current changes in context of pre-anthropogenic changes.”

In September 2018, NSF hosted 4 workshops to outline how to broaden participation in this research area, and what kinds of research infrastructure, or “hubs”, are necessary to research CoPes. They summarize 4 key areas of focus on their website.

See the full announcement from NSF.  A one-page summary of a research plan is due on May 31st.

NOTE:  At the time of publication, the CRC Director and Board members are still considering a possible RCN proposal submission through the CRC.   If you have ideas  for collaboration that you would like to share and are willing to participate in proposal preparation  — or if you have alternative ideas for which you would appreciate CRC support — please send a short note to Bill Ball at CRC-Director@chesapeake.org.