Science Appropriator Announces Grant to Temple University to improve future disaster management

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Congressman Fattah (PA-02), the lead Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding appropriations for National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that a joint collaboration between Temple University and the University of Aizu in Japan will receive $1.8 million over three years from the NSF and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). 

The Temple/University of Aizu collaboration received one of only six competitive grants awarded under a joint program setup by NSF and JST to transform disaster management through the use of data analytics and Big Data. The six funded US-Japanese research projects aim to improve the collection and processing of data about disasters while also helping experts, decision makers, and emergency personnel to create more resilient computer networks that can provide real-time analytics in the aftermath of a disaster. The Temple/Aizu grant, awarded by the NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, will support the design of a smartphone-based ad hoc emergency network that can evolve as a disaster unfolds.

"I am very excited about this important research initiative and commend Temple University for their demonstrated success within this field." Congressman Fattah said. "Providing emergency personnel with updates to real-time disaster data has the potential to save thousands of lives. I applaud the NSF for this research initiative, and I look forward to following the development and implementation of this project as the teams move forward."

In a release, Jim Kurose, head of NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate stated, "We're proud to collaborate with JST to address the global need for Big Data and data analysis for disaster management. Collaborative programs such as this one bring diverse perspectives and expertise to bear in mutually synergistic ways on critical problems that impact all of society. These are challenges that no single country can address in isolation."

For more information on the grant award visit: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=134609&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

Related Links

http://www.fattah.house.gov