IRES Track I: Integration of Innovative Structural Solutions and Data-Enabled Planning Strategies for Infrastructure Resilience in an Evolving Climate (INSPIRE)

Large parts of North America and Europe are exposed to natural hazards, such as floods, earthquakes, and windstorms. In recent decades, population growth and economic development in hazard-prone regions have highlighted the need for resilient civil infrastructures that can efficiently serve communities with a variety of essential services, especially in the aftermath of extreme events.

To help students become future leaders who can address the challenges faced by civil infrastructures in the 21st century, systematic research and educational activities toward achieving infrastructure resilience are critical. Resilience is described as the capacity of communities to continue to function under stresses that include both episodic natural disasters and slow-moving deteriorations due to aging mechanisms.

Despite the variety of efforts made in this domain to date, the current training programs often lag in equipping students with the latest knowledge and skillsets required at both component and system levels. This has formulated the main motivation for establishing the INSPIRE Site, as synergistic activities and international exchanges are key to preparing a diverse group of students capable of integrating innovative structural solutions and planning strategies for infrastructure resilience, especially in an evolving climate.

The INSPIRE Site will provide unique international research and educational experiences for a broad spectrum of undergraduate and graduate students in collaboration with the Swiss Federal University of Technology (ETH Zürich) and Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Switzerland. The objective is to provide students with a global perspective and a suite of opportunities for professional growth through meaningful international cooperative research training, networking, and mentoring in the fields related to advanced structural solutions and data-enabled planning and management for infrastructure resilience.

The students will conduct individual projects and team-based investigations focused on assessing the condition of civil infrastructures and developing effective solutions to improve their condition state, considering various safety and performance aspects. This international partnership will have significant broader impacts, strengthening institutional capacity among a diverse group of stakeholders through collaborations across academic, industry, and international partners.

Through various educational, mentoring, outreach, and evaluation activities, the INSPIRE Site will ensure a caring and supportive environment, especially for broadening participation in the critical domain of civil infrastructure resilience.

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.