PROBLEM
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SUPPORTS FUTURE COASTAL ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS
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ACADEMIC STUDIES INITIATED
Coastal researchers noted a decline in the number of U.S. coastal research graduates, which directly impacts the ability to expand coastal engineering in the U.S. However, the need for coastal researchers continues to grow as coastal populations increase, storms become more intense and infrastructure continues to age. Meanwhile, coastal research funding is declining, increasing the need to improve and broaden collaboration efforts to stretch research dollars.
SOLUTION
A collaboration of federal agencies, academia and stakeholders was formed to identify coastal research priorities, foster research opportunities and enhance funding for academic programs. The effort provides a mechanism for coastal research collaboration, and identifies gaps in knowledge requiring R&D that can be prioritized and accomplished through combined federal, academic, and non-governmental partnering. It will also expand the coastal workforce.
IMPACT
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One of three primary priorities identified by the collaboration was the measurement of processes and impacts during storms. The DUNEX 2019 pilot study and 2020 full experiments will allow coastal researchers to collect observations and run concurrent models during storms to improve knowledge of and prediction capabilities for storm processes and impacts. Considering all three coastal priority themes, USCRP has initiated 37 academic studies for more than 50 students, two of whom were subsequently hired by the Corps after completing their doctorates through USCRP funding.
