Utilize higher education institutions (heis) to enhance the systemic resilience of infrastructure against disaster and climate risks

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a $1,000,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas (CFDA 98.001) program to establish a network of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the U.S. and India to enhance the systemic resilience of infrastructure against disaster and climate risks.

The cooperative agreement aims to address gaps in infrastructure resilience education, training, and knowledge management by strengthening stakeholder capacity and fostering a higher education ecosystem focused on infrastructure resilience. Key activities include establishing the network of HEIs, facilitating collaboration with other stakeholders, and building resilience-focused education and training programs. The award has an ultimate completion date of April 30, 2029. Virginia Tech is the prime awardee, with sub-awards going to the University of Illinois, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee to support the partnership's research and program delivery.

This will be achieved by establishing a network of selected heis from the united states and india, working in collaboration with other stakeholders, to address gaps in infrastructure resilience education, training, and knowledge management. The activity aims to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders and foster a higher education ecosystem focused on infrastructure resilience.