| Designing novel approaches to map implicit benefits of investments in underserved communities | 1031711 | NIFA Non Formula | 2024-67019-41757 | 2024 | NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY | Liang, Chyi Lyi | 07/01/2024 | 06/30/2028 | 2024 | ACTIVE | $998,609.00 | [AFRI] Agriculture and Food Research Initiative | [A1461] Environmental Justice | environmental justice, underserved communities, investment evaluation | This proposed project responds to the AFRI program A1461 Environmental Justice to design a novel user-data-program interface platform via creative approaches and stakeholder engagement to assist government agencies seeking to understand the equity and distribution of both research investments and resulting science outcomes in AFRI priority areas (1) Plant health and production and plant products; (4) Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment; (5) Agriculture systems and technology; and (6) Agriculture economic and rural communities. This is a four-year research project from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028. The long-term goal is to support government agencies to conduct reliable and consistent investment assessment responding to climate change, food and nutrition security, and workforce development in supporting underserved communities. The objectives are to: (1) Evaluate existing geospatial models and other models of investment streams as a direct measure of benefits from public research funding on underserved communities. (2) Elicit information on multiple dimensions of the implicit benefits from research investments on underserved communities. (3) Develop a novel approach that leverages and complements existing geospatial models for environmental justice. (4) Test, validate, and improve the platform for investment assessment on environmental justice. The innovative nature includes the integration of Bayesian Network and GeoSpatial Analysis using published data and stakeholders' input to measure implicit/explicit benefits linking to environmental justice. The expected outcome will support program leaders and policy makers to better assist underserved communities to engage in program opportunities. Other outputs include extension training, new course materials for students, and peer-reviewed publications. | The long-term goal of the proposed project is to design novel approaches to map benefits from, and challenges to, publicly-funded programs in aggregate as they are perceived across scale of operations and type of population.The supporting objectives are to:Evaluate existing geospatial models and other models of investment streams as a direct measure of benefits from public research funding on underserved communities.Elicit information on multiple dimensions of the implicit benefits from research investments on underserved communities.Develop a novel approach that leverages and complements existing geospatial models for environmental justice.Test, validate, and improve the platform for investment assessment on environmental justice. |