Project Grant 2619130

COPE RCN: HUMAN MOBILITY IN RESPONSE TO COASTAL CHANGE -THIS RESEARCH COORDINATION NETWORK (RCN) WILL LEVERAGE SEA GRANT?S TRUSTED, LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO FACILITATE TRANSDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS AMONG THE BROADER SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE, PRACTITIONERS, RESOURCE MANAGERS, AND COASTAL STAKEHOLDERS TO UNDERSTAND CLIMATE-INDUCED HUMAN MOBILITY (INCLUSIVE OF DISPLACEMENT, MIGRATION, AND PLANNED RELOCATION), ITS SOCIOECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES, AND ITS ROLE IN BUILDING RESILIENCE. SEA LEVEL RISE COULD FORCE MILLIONS OF U.S. RESIDENTS FROM THEIR HOMES BY 2100, BUT RESEARCHERS HAVE PAID RELATIVELY LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE-INDUCED HUMAN MOBILITY ON THE RECEIVING COMMUNITIES. AND FEW COASTAL COMMUNITIES APPEAR TO BE PREPARING FOR THE PROJECTED INFLUXES OF PEOPLE FROM SUDDEN DISASTER-INDUCED RELOCATIONS AND MORE SLOWLY IN RESPONSE TO THE PROGRESSIVE IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE. CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE GAPS ALSO EXIST IN UNDERSTANDING HOW SHIFTS IN POPULATION PATTERNS INTERSECT WITH UNDERLYING SOCIOECONOMIC, CULTURAL, POLITICAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES AND RESOURCES THAT EITHER ENABLE OR CONSTRAIN THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO COPE WHERE THEY ARE, FORCE THEM TO MOVE BECAUSE SUPPORT IS LACKING, AND/OR ENCOURAGE RELOCATION DUE TO AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES IN OTHER REGIONS. THIS RCN WILL PROVIDE THE SCIENTIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT PLACE-BASED, USE-INSPIRED COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON CLIMATE-INDUCED HUMAN MOBILITY, AND REGIONALLY TAILORED EDUCATIONAL AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES. MODELED PARTIALLY AFTER THE APPROACH DEVELOPED BY KEY SYNTHESIS CENTERS, THIS RCN WILL: 1) FOSTER ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS RESEARCH ON CLIMATE-INDUCED HUMAN MOBILITY USING EXISTING DATA SETS (INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIOECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DATASETS) AND LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS; 2) STIMULATE COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING ACROSS DISCIPLINES OF NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION BY ENGAGING DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS AND STAKEHOLDERS FROM U.S. COASTAL COMMUNITIES; AND 3) IDENTIFY AND TAILOR EXISTING PRODUCTS AND/OR GENERATE USABLE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION. IT WILL CREATE A LOCALLY RELEVANT PROGRAM THAT IS NATIONAL IN SCALE BY LEVERAGING SEA GRANT?S DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO STIMULATE INNOVATIVE USE-INSPIRED RESEARCH. IT WILL DEVELOP ROBUST AND SUSTAINABLE NETWORKS OF RESEARCHERS, INCREASE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH, IDENTIFY PLACE-BASED RESEARCH PRIORITIES, DEVELOP NEW EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS, AND PRODUCE A NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERSECTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE WITH THE SOCIOECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.