The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The grant aims to support Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks (SRS RNs) that conduct innovative and fundamental convergent research, education, and outreach focused on sustainable regional systems. These networks will study multi-scale regional systems to enhance SRS science, engineering, and education. Key efforts include the development of new data, methods, and models to understand interactions between natural, human-built, and social systems, and to advance theories of change relevant to SRS. The purpose is also to explore concepts of social equity in sustainable regional systems across scales. The SRS RNs are expected to address grand challenges in sustainability, involving partnerships across universities, colleges, governments, tribal communities, non-profit organizations, industry, and others. Awards up to $15 million for 5 years will support projects that have the potential to inform societal actions for sustainability in regional systems.