A pressing need exists to develop and strengthen cooperative cross-disciplinary research efforts in the engineering and geoscience communities, where advances and innovations applied to problems of pressing societal importance will require the knowledge and perspectives of both disciplines.

Sponsored by the:

National Science Foundation


Organized and Hosted by:

Vanderbilt University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University


Workshop Websites:

http://www.engeo-nsf.cee.vt.edu
http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/ees/nsfworkshop

At the request of the National Science Foundation, this Workshop is being convened to explore new opportunities for research collaborations between the engineering and geoscience communities, with the goal of focusing on topics of societal importance where advances and innovations will require the knowledge and perspectives of both disciplines.  A more complete description of the focus topics and Workshop theme — process-driven risk assessment and mitigation — can be viewed via the Workshop Rationale link in the navigation bar on the left side of this webpage.

The product of this three-day workshop will be a report to the National Science Foundation and the research community outlining scientific and societal needs for strengthening these collaborations, and a list of priority cross-disciplinary research areas.  The report will specifically aim at: (i) providing a community-based perspective on what these needs are; and (ii) providing guidance to NSF regarding research priorities over the next decade.

Workshop attendance is open to members of the geoscience, geoengineering and environmental engineering communities; we encourage participation by those representing academics, industry and government.  We particularly encourage participation of early-career scientists and engineers, including advanced graduate students.

Focusing on the theme of process-driven risk assessment and mitigation, participants will be charged with: (i) identifying novel concepts pertaining to underlying processes, mathematical or computational models, or monitoring and instrumentation technologies (including remote sensing) that could improve next-generation risk assessment; (ii) identifying particular challenges to achieving advances in the understanding and prediction of at-risk systems; and (iii) identifying potential benefits to practicing engineers and to society deriving from collaborative research efforts.

Participants are invited to submit an extended 1-3 page abstract, or a poster, describing current work related to the theme and topics of the Workshop.  These will be compiled in the form of a Workshop proceedings.  Instructions regarding the format of the abstracts and posters, and the submission process, can be found at the Abstracts and Posters link in the navigation bar on the left side of this webpage.  Abstracts and posters are due 15 August 2005.

Initial registration for the Workshop can be accomplished via the Registration link in the navigation bar on the left side of this webpage.  Funding is available to help cover the costs of travel and subsistence for a limited number of participants.  Please note that space is limited and early registration is preferred.