The
University of Minnesota is slated to lead an international virtual institute for the study of Earth-surface systems. The multi-university effort will have a particular focus on watersheds and deltas, and is being called Linked Institutions for Future Earth (
LIFE).
The effort is funded by the National Science Foundation, which is awarding the U of M a grant of $720,000 to kick off the collaborative network. In total, funding, grants, and resources from all participating universities come to roughly $30 million.
An ambitious project, the initiative will bring together numerous international research institutions and field sites, with the purpose of better understanding the impacts of climatic and human stresses on the environment.
LIFE intends to produce research that can affect policy decisions as well as future scientific directions. Initially, the project will also boost networking and information sharing among researchers. It's also likely to increase awareness about sustainability issues among the general public.
LIFE lead researcher Efi Foufoula-Georgiou notes that the effort will build on another NSF-funded project, the National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics, and with that foundation, the project will be able to take a significant step toward better understanding watersheds and deltas worldwide.
"LIFE seeks to empower the next generation of Earth-system scientists, engineers, and educators with depth, breadth, and a global perspective on environmental sustainability," she says.
All that global insight will start right here in Minneapolis, at the distinctive experimental facilities at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory.
Source: Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, LIFE
Writer: Elizabeth Millard