ENG Newsletter: Improving disaster resilience

A message from the NSF Assistant Director for Engineering is below. Access the full newsletter and subscribe for more ENG updates.

Dear Engineering Community,

As we enter the warmer months, much of the country readies for natural disasters. The Gulf and East coasts prepare for hurricanes, the Midwest prepares for tornadoes and states across the U.S. watch out for wildfires. Engineers have a key role in keeping our homes, businesses and key services safe and strong. The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering (NSF ENG) is committed to supporting critical research to make American communities and infrastructure safer, more resilient and better equipped to recover from natural and man-made disasters.

A cornerstone of that investment is the NSF Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NSF NHERI), available to researchers across the nation. NSF NHERI facilities, tools and data allow researchers to investigate the effects of earthquakes, wind and coastal hazards and test groundbreaking concepts to protect individuals, communities and critical infrastructure. 

To enhance national security, NSF ENG core programs support disaster resilience research through standard awards and Rapid Response Research awards (to collect perishable data). Our programs also support cybersecurity, sustainability and civil infrastructure research.

Be sure to bring us your great ideas for engineering research that ultimately will benefit people, grow our economy and strengthen our communities. 

Susan Margulies, Ph.D.
NSF Assistant Director for Engineering