Project Grant 2627282

CONFERENCE: ENVR 2026 WORKSHOP: EMERGING DIRECTIONS IN SPATIAL STATISTICS -THIS AWARD PROVIDES PARTICIPANT SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE ENVR 2026 WORKSHOP, TO BE HELD OCTOBER 8-10, 2026, IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, HOSTED JOINTLY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, RICE UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, FROM TRACKING AIR AND WATER POLLUTION TO ANTICIPATING EXTREME WEATHER, INCREASINGLY DEPEND ON MAKING SENSE OF ENORMOUS, COMPLEX STREAMS OF DATA COLLECTED FROM SATELLITES, SENSORS, AND CLIMATE MODELS. TURNING THIS RAW INFORMATION INTO SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING AND SOUND POLICY REQUIRES STATISTICIANS AND DATA SCIENTISTS WITH SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN SPATIAL AND SPATIO-TEMPORAL METHODS, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS, PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCHERS, AND POLICYMAKERS. THIS AWARD SUPPORTS A WORKSHOP, ORGANIZED BY THE SECTION ON STATISTICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT (ENVR) OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION, THAT WILL BRING TOGETHER RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS WORKING AT THIS INTERSECTION TO SHARE EMERGING STATISTICAL METHODS, FORGE NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS, AND IDENTIFY PRESSING RESEARCH DIRECTIONS MOTIVATED BY REAL-WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. BY FUNDING TRAVEL AND PARTICIPATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 16 GRADUATE STUDENTS AND EARLY-CAREER RESEARCHERS WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO ATTEND, THE AWARD HELPS BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SCIENCE WORKFORCE, SUPPORTING THE NATION'S CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, AND MANAGE NATURAL RESOURCES. THE WORKSHOP PROGRAM INCLUDES TWO HALF-DAY SHORT COURSES ON SPATIAL CAUSAL INFERENCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND ON SCALABLE GEOSPATIAL GAUSSIAN PROCESS AND MACHINE LEARNING METHODS, FOLLOWED BY TWO DAYS OF INVITED SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS COVERING TOPICS SUCH AS GAUSSIAN PROCESSES AND DEEP LEARNING FOR LARGE SPATIALLY CORRELATED DATASETS, ADVANCES IN POINT PROCESS MODELING, SPATIO-TEMPORAL METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH APPLICATIONS, AND BROADER DEVELOPMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS. A DEDICATED POSTER SESSION WILL GIVE STUDENTS AND EARLY-CAREER RESEARCHERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ORIGINAL RESEARCH AND ENGAGE WITH ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS IN THE FIELD, AND STRUCTURED NETWORKING ACTIVITIES ARE DESIGNED TO CATALYZE NEW RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS ON EMERGING PROBLEMS IN ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SCIENCE. THIS AWARD SUPPORTS TRAVEL, LODGING, AND REGISTRATION FOR STUDENTS AND EARLY-CAREER PARTICIPANTS, WITH THE GOAL OF MAXIMIZING ACCESS TO THE WORKSHOP'S SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO ATTEND. THE WORKSHOP'S WEBSITE IS AT HTTPS://COMMUNITY.AMSTAT.ORG/ENVR/EVENTS/WORKSHOPS/ENVR2026WORKSHOP. 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.