Themes

The Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative Leadership Group used the 228 results from the NC State faculty survey to assess NC State’s existing research portfolios, collaboration interests, and “Big Ideas.” These were summarized into six thematic areas that build on NC State faculty strengths.

Theme 1: Sustainable agriculture, forestry, and rural, natural resource-based economies

Understanding and adapting to changing temperature and precipitation patterns, increases in severe storms, and subsidence and saltwater intrusion requires innovation. NC State faculty are innovating in agricultural water management, developing new technologies for promoting soil and plant health, strengthening aquaculture, and supporting commercial fishing industries with new science and technology.

Theme 2: Water quality and quantity in the coastal zone

A variety of projects are advancing water management for coastal resilience and sustainability, including innovations to address competing demands for water, improving wastewater management, and addressing microplastic pollution, PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern. New watershed-wide approaches to nutrient management, stormwater management, and water recycling in the coastal zone are also envisioned.

Theme 3: Energy resilience, and innovations in technology

Smart and connected energy systems are a strength at NC State, including, but not limited to innovations to ensure uninterrupted service, promote microgrids and local distributed systems, and further developing animal waste bioenergy and offshore wind, wave, and solar energy systems. Additional work focuses on AI, advanced robotics and observing applications, and other innovations with multiple applications in the coastal zone.

Theme 4: Coupled human and natural systems

Deep integration of human and natural systems that incorporates climate change scenarios is essential for sustainability. Monitoring, modeling, prediction, visualization, and scenario planning innovations at multiple scales and over the long term are widespread across the campus. These include, but are not limited to innovative interventions for flood mitigation and adaptation and novel engineering and design standards that support communities and the environment, including new approaches to infrastructure.

Theme 5: Mutually beneficial engagement that emphasizes social equity

Holistic approaches that respect communities and consider cultures, the roots of poverty, and intersectional environmental science and justice offer the surest path to sustainable development and long-term resilience. Co-production of future research agendas with our partners is a pervasive goal across most undertakings.

Theme 6: Education at NC State and beyond

Undergraduate and graduate programs at NC State will be expanded over time, building from our strengths. Informal science education and community science literacy can be tools for building resilience and sustainability across the coastal plain.