Duration: 10/01/2026 to 09/30/2031

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

The land-grant university (LGU) system was established when most U.S. residents lived in rural areas. Today, over 80% of the population lives in metropolitan regions, meaning the LGU research and Extension enterprise must evolve to meet urban needs in the 21st century. NRSP12 will address this need by focusing on urban systems using collaborative research. By building a national network and data infrastructure, NRSP12 will align research outputs with municipal decision-making needs and facilitate comparative studies across cities.

Specifically, this project will:

• Support new research through a national network of Integrated Research Nodes (IRNs) connecting researchers, Extension professionals, and urban stakeholders across key topical areas – including urban agriculture systems, nature-based solutions (NbS), and urban soils – to foster new research that scales knowledge across disciplines and regions and shares best practices.
• Develop data archiving and sharing infrastructure that includes an interactive Urban Map Room that provides researchers and practitioners with access to a vast, existing urban spatial database and an IRN Repository that aims to assemble, catalogue, and disseminate new NRSP12 research outputs, methods, and resources related to urban agriculture systems, nature-based solutions, and urban soils.
• Provide professional development and training for scientists and Extension agents in team science, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community-driven research approaches tailored to urban contexts.

Housed within the National Urban Research and Extension Center (NUREC) at WSU, this NRSP will leverage NUREC’s established network of researchers, Extension professionals, and municipal leaders to ensure that knowledge is co-created with communities and translated into practice. Ultimately, NRSP12 will reinforce productive connections between public universities and urban communities, positioning the LGU system to deliver science-based solutions for complex urban challenges.

Statement of Issues and Justification

Issues and Justifications

This National Research Support Project (NRSP) is rooted in the fundamental mission of the LGU system by integrating research and Extension to advance science as well as support communities. The focus of NRSP12 is on urban areas, which present unique and urgent knowledge gaps in the development of evidence-based solutions for climate resilience, food security, and public well-being for millions of people across the US.

Urbanization has historically aimed to exclude the natural world, leaning on man-made infrastructure, technology, and ingenuity to create an optimal space for humans to gather, create, and thrive. However, the near total exclusion of green spaces, food production, and non-human habitat have introduced fundamental, systematic weaknesses into cities that urbanites are now seeking to address. Over the last two decades, interest in urban agriculture and ecosystem service initiatives have proliferated in cities nationwide and are viewed as promising pathways for shrinking food deserts, increasing local and regional biodiversity, and buffering negative impacts from changing patterns in regional temperature and precipitation. Yet, our understanding of how best to re-integrate the "green” world into urban environments is nascent. First, many perceived benefits used by cities to justify investments and structural changes to support urban agriculture and green space are derived from assumptions based on non-urban ecosystem and agricultural systems, or on urban-based findings from a specific location, neither of which may adequately capture the benefits and trade-offs of urban systems will face. Second, we know that relevant research has been generated in hundreds of urban locations but efforts to align evaluation metrics to better synthesize and compare results across locations related to the benefits and challenges of integrating agriculture and related ecosystem services into our urban landscapes is lacking. [1] [2]

Currently, the data required to achieve these research goals exists in fragmented or inaccessible data streams, reporting results in different units, scales of measurement, nomenclature, and data repositories. Difficulties in accessing and comparing these data hinder our ability to create a new, comprehensive understanding of urban agricultural and ecosystem services that can offer cross-city insights to reduce major barriers to effective decision-making and long-term planning (see Appendix 1: Letters of Intent to Engage, Appendix 2: Interviews with Researchers, [3] [1] [2]).

NRSP12 is conceived as a research coordination and acceleration network. It will directly address the gaps and barriers identified above by focusing on select research problem areas and providing supporting infrastructure for collaboration and synthesis. In the sections below, we outline the major research priority areas that structure this project, followed by the plan of work detailing how integrated research nodes (IRNs) and a NRSP data hub will be created and managed to synthesize and accelerate our understanding of urban agricultural and ecosystem services, and how we intend to track and evaluate the success of our network activities and outcomes. This integrated approach is justified by the breadth of urban challenges: urban areas are diverse, complex, and vary greatly from one another, and interdisciplinary approaches are needed to tackle issues like urban climate resilience and food security. By pooling resources and expertise across the national LGU network, NRSP12 will accelerate our understanding and knowledge of urban systems by synthesizing existing information and encouraging collaboration to explore new research areas that inform our practical capacity to improve urban quality of life, in alignment with the LGU system’s mission to serve all communities.

Prerequisite Criteria

How is the NRSP consistent with the mission?

The goal of NRSP12 is to coordinate and advance research efforts across the US to better understand the benefits and trade-offs of investments in urban agriculture and ecosystem provisioning services. This goal will be accomplished through a research network designed to facilitate nationwide coordination of multiple research agendas and best practices, support the incubation of novel, innovative projects, and synthesize existing information to help generalize findings and understand the impacts and benefits of urban agriculture and ecosystem provisioning services at regional and national scales, allowing us to match the NRSP mission directly.

Research Hub Structure

NRSP12 does not propose a single, hypothesis-driven research study. Rather, it is a structured framework for connecting researchers, curating existing information, supporting new research initiatives, and communicating findings through new shared technologies across three scales of key urban agriculture and ecosystem provisioning services: Urban Agriculture Systems; Nature-Based Solutions; and Urban Soils. Each of these three research areas will serve as an Integrated Research Node (IRN) within the NRSP12 research network, allowing researchers to link new knowledge and practical benefits across national, regional, local, and hyper-local areas of study.

Connecting Researchers: Each IRN is envisioned as a national network of peers who collaborate regularly around a broad research theme to rapidly identify and address urban challenges across scales and disciplines. Each IRN will have a Program Leader to steer the broader NRSP12 effort, assisting leadership in identifying evolving cross-cutting themes and emerging issues, and coordinating the research community. These leaders will be responsible for facilitating communication and collaboration around thematically relevant data synthesis efforts and for creating opportunities for accelerating new research efforts between researchers and with stakeholders, such as municipalities, NGOs, and federal agencies to ensure that science is co-produced with those responsible for implementation. The project will leverage existing networks such as the National Urban Research & Extension Center (NUREC) to recruit researchers and will coordinate with other entities such as the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL), the National League of Cities (NLC), the National Association of Counties (NACo) and others to share resultant information, data, and outputs to decision makers and practitioners (see Figure 1).

Accelerating New Research: To support IRN-themed research efforts, each IRN will have access to a breadth of Research Synthesis and Acceleration Activities (RSAAs) (see Figure 1). Led by the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative (TDI) Center from Michigan State University and the Center for Environmental Research, Education, and Outreach (CEREO) from Washington State University, the RSAAs are designed to provide the additional knowledge and tools for facilitating inter-institutional, interdisciplinary networking and collaboration to tackle IRN-related challenges. Activities will include

• Webinars and workshops aimed at nurturing interdisciplinary teams and ideas to increase shared understanding in heterogeneous teams and make it easier to establish collaborations among groups with different experiences, goals, cultures, and values.
• Monthly “Link & Learn” virtual events structured to share disciplinary and practical expertise widely across the NRSP network and connect researchers across institutions.
• Annual Synthesis Working Groups (SWGs) designed to take advantage of existing data to answer pressing questions at new scales.
• Regular Proposal Development Workshops that will help participants form interdisciplinary teams, refine research questions, and craft compelling extramural grant proposals.
• Seed and Travel Grant opportunities to immediately catalyze promising new research ideas and provide opportunities for high intensity, short-term, in-person collaboration.

Enabling Technologies for Communicating Findings: The Urban Data Hub, consisting of an urban mapping database (Urban Map Room) and IRN repository, will serve as a national, open, standards-based data platform that collects, assembles, curates, and distributes urban datasets (incl., soil, green infrastructure performance, urban agriculture, socio-demographic data) alongside methods, instruments, and protocols so that nuance and results from different cities and studies can be compared consistently. The Urban Data Hub will be used to support research teams (see Figure 1). The Urban Map Room serves as an existing resource for IRN researchers by leveraging the University of Missouri’s current repository of thousands of mappable data layers (https://careshq.org/map-room) and data exploration tools. Users will immediately be able to view data within customized geographic boundaries; create custom reports and data visualizations; and explore comparisons across cities and states. The IRN repository will support the collection, cataloging, and distribution of information and empirical data related to research results, needs assessment, and impact generated by the NRSP12. A secure portal will be developed allowing NRSP participants to submit standardized information regarding their research and related extension activities. The new data will undergo a review and approval process through IRN peer-review. The repository will also support a search and visualization interface that allows users to identify existing partnerships and potential research and Extension connections between faculty and institutions. Online support materials as well as training opportunities will be provided to users of the system, including protocol for helping researchers clean data, write metadata, find an archival location for hosting the data (externally) thereby reducing barriers for teams to launch comparative and multi-site studies. 

Complementarity and non-duplication 

As designed, NRSP12 complements, rather than duplicates, existing multistate projects by supplying the core and foundational services (e.g., data, methods, collaboration venues, training, evaluation) that those projects can leverage. Housed within WSU’s National Urban Research and Extension Center (NUREC) and governed by a multi-region steering committee with State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES) and Extension representation, NRSP12 will link research and Extension from the outset, ensuring that research support activities are mission-aligned with the land-grant system’s obligation to deliver public benefit. Where appropriate, NRSP12 will coordinate with related efforts (e.g., urban agriculture (NE2401) and green infrastructure (NE2206) initiatives) to share their datasets, align metrics, and amplify dissemination. 

Long-term Planning

An important outcome of building these IRNs is the creation of a sustainable national network that persists beyond the NRSP’s funding period. To support ongoing collaboration and mutual benefit, each IRN will develop a sustainability plan that either identifies long-term host institutions or outlines plans for integrating into existing national networks (such as NUREC, NUEL, or professional societies for researchers). By the end of the project, we anticipate that our IRNs will have created strong national networks of their own through extramurally funded projects and in doing so, become largely self-sufficient communities that continue to drive urban research and innovation beyond the lifespan of the NRSP12. This approach enables continuous, structured collaboration across institutions, which is essential for tackling the multifaceted problems outlined in our research priorities.

Conclusion

Our goal is to support research that addresses emerging and pressing issues related to urban agricultural and ecosystem service sustainability, thereby adding to our academic and practical understanding of integrated food systems, ecological infrastructure, and soil health in urban environments.  To meet this goal, our NRSP12 structure is designed to connect researchers rapidly and meaningfully across institutions and with stakeholders and practitioners and sustain engagement along related research themes. Our IRNs serve as intellectual focal points for guiding and fostering new research. Our RSAAs provide soft skills and technical training for participants, creative opportunities for interdisciplinary research development and practice, and financial incentives for fast-tracking promising research. Our Urban Data Hub provides support for easily sharing, accessing, and engaging with related data and promoting research outcomes. The activities and structure of the NRSP complements NUREC’s national network of policymakers and practitioners – streamlining the translation of science to action.

How does the NRSP pertain to a national issue?

Urbanization is a defining demographic and environmental trend in the United States. Urban communities face complex and interlinked challenges from climate change impacts, degraded soils, food and water insecurity, public health inequities, aging infrastructure, and limited access to nature and nature-based benefits. These issues are not confined to a single region; they affect cities in every state and across all land-grant university regions. As such, they represent a truly national challenge requiring coordinated support through shared infrastructure, robust research networks, and the translation of science to action through the integration of research, Extension, and stakeholder communities. NRSP12 offers a research network structure that coordinates researchers across three pressing research themes and across multiple spatial scales. Through its innovative approaches it will increase research quality and comparability, accelerate new research efforts by providing structured support for team building and proposal generation, strengthen Extension translation, and leave a lasting legacy of open data, shared methods, and a trained, connected community. This fulfills the NRSP mission to support, enable, and facilitate high-priority research across the LGU system.

Addressing National Issues

Urban Agriculture Systems

Urban agriculture (UA) has re-emerged as a multifaceted strategy for urban sustainability and resilience, integrating food production directly into city systems. Managing UA requires thinking differently to traditional agriculture, especially in how limited resources (space, light, water, etc.) can be used creatively to maximize productivity. A growing body of work has emphasized examining UA through the food-energy-water system (FEWS) nexus lens to better manage these resource trade-offs and potential synergies in holistic ways [4]. However, in practice most cities continue to address food, energy, and water in isolation [5]. Given that UA has the potential to provide numerous benefits- ranging from improved food security to enhanced ecosystem services and social well-being- there could be substantial, compounding economic and societal benefits to UA when managed as a FEWS [6] [7] [8]​, including helping US cities serve as models for meeting global Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns) [4] [5] [6] [9].

Managing UA as a FEWS will require addressing several pressing issues. First, many new technological innovations—such as controlled-environment agriculture—have not yet been evaluated for long-term sustainability in supporting urban agriculture needs [9]. Second, in-ground, uncontrolled environment UA systems differ substantially in both form and function from rural agroecosystems [8] [10]​. UA often is situated in urban soils and fragmented urban ecosystems [11] [12]. Interdisciplinary approaches using a FEWS lens could help address these challenges through new research that aims to help UA take a different approach to nutrient and pest management, irrigation, harvesting, processing, and marketing.

Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem Services

Nature-based solutions (NbS) go hand-in-hand with UA efforts to address urban challenges by leveraging ecosystem services and green infrastructure, providing services like stormwater management, pollination, urban cooling, carbon sequestration, and public health benefits. NbS have gained prominence as multi-benefit strategies for urban sustainability and climate resilience [13]. Studies show that well-designed NbS can reduce flooding, mitigate heat islands, support biodiversity, and enhance human well-being. However, key debates center on their effectiveness and equitable implementation. Poorly planned projects may reinforce system deficiencies such as unequal access to green infrastructure or improper planning and zoning ordinances for conditions that may limit community access to clean water, food, and infrastructure.

Another challenge is the gap between research and practice in deploying NbS at scale. Many cities pilot NbS projects but mainstreaming them into policy and infrastructure investment remains slow [1] [2]. Obstacles include fragmented governance, lack of long-term monitoring, and design approaches that do not account for local ecological conditions [14] [1] [2]. To overcome these barriers, scholars recommend developing global knowledge networks for sharing NbS best practices, innovating financing models that value ecosystem services, and creating regionally adapted implementation strategies [14]. Interdisciplinary collaboration is likewise critical, integrating ecology, urban planning, engineering, and social sciences to fully quantify NbS benefits and optimize co-benefits [13] [15].

Urban Soils and Anthropogenic Landscapes

Urban soils, often heavily altered by construction, pollution, and other human activities, form the foundation of urban green infrastructure and UA. Although frequently overlooked, recent research shows that these soils provide essential ecosystem services, including carbon storage, stormwater regulation, nutrient cycling, and support for vegetation that improves air quality, reduces urban heat, and enables sustainable food production [16] [17].

A major recurring issue in urban soil science is contamination. Many city soils contain legacy pollutants such as lead from older house paints and gasoline, posing health risks and constraining the growth of UA [18] [19]. Toxic metals and other contaminants often necessitate soil testing, remediation, or the use of clean substrates or raised beds to ensure food safety [18]. Identifying effective strategies to manage contamination, especially in-situ techniques, is an increasingly important topic for future research [20].

Meanwhile, the physical and biological properties of urban soils remain comparatively understudied. These properties influence soil structure, water retention, microbial activity, and plant growth, yet they are rarely assessed, or their unique structure integrated into planning decisions [17]. For cities to effectively incorporate soil considerations into urban planning and design, particularly for NbS and UA, interdisciplinary approaches are required. Collaboration among soil scientists, ecologists, engineers, and public health researchers is essential for developing strategies that address contamination while also improving soil function and food production [16]. Ultimately, improving urban soils is a key step toward building sustainable, healthy, and climate-resilient cities.

Leveraging the Best Minds and Resources 

Urban sustainability and resilience cannot be addressed by individual institutions acting alone. NRSP12 will promote interdisciplinary collaboration to generate new research and will draw on expertise across the SAES system and beyond, integrating soil scientists, ecologists, engineers, social scientists, planners, and Extension professionals into coordinated IRNs. Within these networks, we will provide platforms for cross-pollination of ideas, avoiding duplication of effort, and enabling more rapid progress. Importantly, IRNs will encourage researchers to work with municipalities, NGOs, and federal agencies to ensure that science addresses real management concerns. 

NRSP12 is complementary to other NRSPs by providing support services that enable multistate research. While other NRSPs focus on specific agricultural production systems or specific components of production systems, NRSP12 focuses on the urban interface, a space that is often underrepresented but critically important for national sustainability. Its role is to provide opportunities for multi-state researcher networking, curation of existing information, support of new research initiatives, and mechanisms for communicating findings through new shared technologies. By filling this gap, NRSP12 ensures that urban issues are fully integrated into the national agricultural experiment station and Extension agenda. 

This proposal builds directly on the increasing recognition of urban systems as a national priority for the land-grant system. Initiatives like NUREC, NUEL and recent USDA investments in urban agriculture, urban forestry, and heat health highlight the continuing need. NRSP12, and its integration with NUREC, provides a logical progression by offering a durable support framework to institutionalize and scale this work. Rather than a temporary project, it embeds the NRSP12 framework into existing, well-known institutions, enhancing our existing ability to support a wide array of multistate research and Extension efforts for years to come.

Rationale

Priority Established by ESCOP/ESS

This project aligns directly with national priorities identified by agInnovation and the ESCOP Science and Technology Committee (STC). The ESCOP Science [21] and Land-grant University [22] and National Climate Change [23] roadmaps highlight the need for research support activities that advance agricultural science by addressing cross-cutting challenges such as sustainable production, resilient ecosystems, climate adaptation, water and soil stewardship, and stakeholder engagement. NRSP12 IRNs address priority issues related to Climate Change and Resilient Ecosystems (P1), Water Resilience (P2), Sustainable Food Systems (P3), Resilient Lands (P4), and Human Health and Nutrition (P5) through their focus on urban agricultural systems and ecosystem services.

IRN Research Priority Areas

NRSP12 IRNs focus on three research priority areas that are critical for urban agricultural and ecosystem science and are well suited to a collaborative, multi-state approach. Each IRN will support opportunities where a national effort can accelerate discovery and application across new ideas and knowledge scales within AgInnovation priorities.

1. Urban Agriculture Systems

New and innovative approaches are needed for agricultural production in non-traditional systems that benefit the farmer, the urban community, and the urban ecosystem. In particular, the structure and management of urban agriculture and agriculture-adjacent resources will determine how well communities can support and sustain effective and productive UA systems such as community gardens, rooftop and Building-Integrated Agriculture (BIA), hydroponic and aquaponic systems, other forms of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), etc.  

To maximize the efficiency, benefits, and profitability of UA, research on urban-adapted integrated pest management, scalable nutrient management, appropriate irrigation and harvesting strategies and technologies is crucial [12] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [28]​. In contrast, soil-based systems provide social and nutritional benefits but are space-limited, often encounter contaminated soil, and are restricted by lack of infrastructure and urban-adapted technical support [10] [29]​. This IRN will support research that explores these UA production systems and their human and environmental interactions through topical areas such as:  

• FEW trade-offs (P1, P3, P4, P5): What types of energy, water, labor, and yield trade-offs exist among indoor, rooftop, agrivoltaics, soil-based, and other types of urban agriculture systems? What connections exist between urban food production and regional agriculture systems to enhance resilience under climate and supply-chain stress?  
• Efficient scaling of technology (P2, P3, P4): How can urban agriculture systems be designed to optimize water reuse, renewable energy integration, and nutrient cycling without compromising food safety and economic viability?  
• Climate Resilience (P1, P4, P5): How do different urban agriculture models (e.g., rooftop farms, vertical farming, CEA, community gardens) influence the resilience of FEW systems under climate extremes, and what role can smart technologies and novel governance frameworks play in enhancing adaptive capacity and supporting equitable access to benefits?  

These topical areas align with existing multi-state and SAES Hatch or McIntire–Stennis projects such as:

• NE2401: Urban Agriculture: Innovation, Stewardship, and Local Engagement
• NE2335: Resource Optimization in Controlled Environment Agriculture
• W5185: Biological Control in Pest Management Systems of Plants
• NCERA101: Controlled Environment Technology and Use
• NE2206 Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Agriculture
• WERA 1053: Urban Agriculture and Food Systems
• SAES – Improving pest management in urban ecosystems through comprehensive integrated pest management plans.

 

2. Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and Ecosystem Services

Cities worldwide are turning to non-agricultural nature-based solutions (NbS), such as green roofs, street tree plantings, rain gardens, bioswales, urban wetlands, and pocket parks, to address challenges like flooding, extreme heat, air and water pollution, and declining biodiversity [13] [30] [31] [32]. While NbS hold great promise for urban resilience, their adoption and effectiveness in U.S. cities are not yet well understood in a systematic way. Performance data on urban NbS (e.g., stormwater retention, temperature reduction, air quality improvement, human health benefits) are often inconsistent or localized, making it difficult for planners to predict outcomes in new contexts [1] [2]. Governance of NbS can be fragmented. For example, responsibilities may be split between public works and parks departments, or between city and homeowner actions which complicate maintenance and long-term success. There is also a need to examine trade-offs and unintended consequences. At present, much of the evidence for NbS benefits in urban areas remains anecdotal or site-specific. A coordinated research effort can help move from isolated case studies to a generalizable understanding of what works, where, and why in deploying NbS across different urban contexts. Examples of AgInnovation related research in this area include work exploring:

• The role and function of ecosystem services (P1, P2, P3, P4): Understanding how urban agriculture and other NbS can mitigate heat stress, manage stormwater, increase biodiversity to support pollination and nutrient cycling and improve urban environmental health.
• Decentralized vs. centralized solutions (P1, P2, P3, P4). Comparing the effectiveness and cost-benefit of decentralized green infrastructure versus traditional centralized infrastructure. This includes analyzing how different urban density or land-use contexts influence which approach performs better.
• Unintended consequences and trade-offs (P1, P2, P4, P5). Developing cross-site protocols to study potential unintended impacts of urban greening (e.g., does installing bioswales in a community lead to any displacement to maximize societal benefits and minimize inequities?).

These topical areas align with existing multi-state and SAES Hatch or McIntire–Stennis projects such as:

• NE2206 Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Agriculture
• WERA1508: Western Water Network for Addressing Complex Water Issues
• NE1962: Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Other Green Environments: Understanding Human and Community Benefits and Mechanisms

• NE1962: Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Other Green Environments: Understanding Human and Community Benefits and Mechanisms

• MAS 00554 Rebirth and Resilience: Building Social, Cultural, and Green Infrastructure to Revitalize Legacy Cities and Make Them More Resilient to the Effects of Climate Change
• SAES – Urban tree ecosystem services, disservices, and net benefits.
• FRST – St. Univ. of New York - Increasing Community Resilience and Reducing Disaster Risk through Equitable Urban Forest Planning
• FRST – Univ. of Washington - Translating Urban and Community Forestry Human Health Evidence to Integrated Urban Planning and Policy 
• SAES – Decoding urban soil landscapes – A framework for improving ecosystem services and lifescape quality.

 

3. Urban Soils and Anthropogenic Landscapes

Urban soils are often disturbed or manufactured, composed of fill, construction debris, and legacy contamination affect our urban community’s health, infrastructure, agricultural, and ecosystem security [33] [34] [35] [36]. Yet these soils are frequently used to support urban food production and green infrastructure initiatives [37]. Understanding and improving these soils is crucial for maintaining environmental health, sustaining food production, and promoting sustainable urban design.

Research that explores efficiencies in implantation practices (e.g., faulty implementation without geotextiles, properly sized perforated pipes, or sufficient clay liners may contribute to contamination of groundwater in a filtration basin), nutrient cycling and leaching in urban soils, legacy contamination (e.g., heavy metals, PFAS, microplastics) and impacts on community health, physical properties (i.e., infiltration and structure) that affect urban design and infrastructure, and biophysical properties such as microbial communities that are key to preserving ecosystem services, are all urgently needed.

Examples of AgInnovation related research in this area include work exploring:

• Soil Contamination and Community Health (P3, P4, P5): How do legacy pollutants and emerging contaminants in urban soils influence crop nutrient quality?  What remediation strategies can balance food production with soil ecosystem integrity? What is the impact of specific contaminants in urban soils on humans and the environment (e.g. lead, PFAS, and microplastics)?
• Soil-Ecosystem Links (P1, P3, P4, P5): How does soil microbial diversity in urban agricultural and NbS sites affect nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and resilience to climate stressors, and what design interventions can enhance these ecosystem services?
• Soil-Structure Interactions (P2, P3, P4): In what ways can urban soil management practices (e.g., compaction reduction, organic amendments) improve stormwater infiltration and structural stability of green infrastructure while supporting productive and profitable urban agriculture?

These topical areas align with existing multi-state and SAES Hatch or McIntire–Stennis projects such as:

• NE2401 Urban Agriculture: Innovation, Stewardship, and Local Engagement
• W525: Evaluation of Outcomes-Driven, Aspirational Goals to Achieve National Food Security
• NE2206 Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Agriculture
• NCERA59: Soil Organic Matter: Formation, Function and Management
• NCERA3: Soil and Landscape Assessment, Function and Interpretation
• W5188: Soil, Water, and Environmental Physics to Sustain Agriculture and Natural Resources
• NCERA103: Specialized Soil Amendments and Products, Growth Stimulants and Soil Fertility Management Programs
• NCERA13: Soil Testing and Plant Analysis.

Relevance to Stakeholders

Identification of Stakeholders and Related Needs

The project is designed with a wide stakeholder base that spans the research, Extension, policy, and community landscape. Primary stakeholders include: 

Land-Grant University (LGU) Researchers and Experiment Stations: Faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students across SAES institutions, including ecologists, biologists, soil scientists, hydrologists, engineers, urban planners and social scientists will be engaged to develop standardized evaluation frameworks and to synthesize knowledge across cities, thereby accelerating the smart implementation of NRSP12 outcomes. NRSP12 will offer researchers unique opportunities to collaborate at broader scales and across disciplines and leverage the Urban Data Hub, which should lower barriers to entry for urban research, provide standardized datasets, and enable cross-site comparisons. Appendix 1 includes 30 letters of intended engagement with NRSP12, including businesses (1), NGOs (4), foundations (1), and university faculty, centers, institutes, or colleges (24). Of those from universities, 9 were from individual faculty members and 15 were from centers, institutes, or colleges as well as from all regions of the country: 13 from the West; 3 from the South; 2 from the Northeast; 5 from the North central, and 1 national. We also conducted interviews with researchers about the NRSP as a project (see Appendix 2: Interviews with Researchers) and more specifically about the research priorities for urban agriculture [3].

Extension Professionals: County and urban Extension agents, NUEL members, and program leaders who serve as translators of research to communities and managers interested in ensuring land and water resiliency for urban agricultural and ecological systems in the face of climate change and urbanization pressures. NRSP12 will allow Extension to access new research results, connect communities with research teams, and be more proactive in responding to urban agricultural and ecosystem challenges more easily (see attached letter of commitment from NUEL).

Government Agencies: Local level city planners and sustainability offices [2] and individuals at state public health, environmental and agricultural departments require credible science-based outputs to inform policy and decision-making. Federal agencies (e.g., USDA, EPA, HUD, NOAA) that support urban sustainability require national datasets and methods to inform programs and investments. NRSP12 will provide managers and policymakers with access to a centralized, reliable platform for urban data that complements and extends existing datasets (e.g., USDA urban agriculture toolkit, EPA green infrastructure guidance). We have letters of intent to engage from the National League of Cities (see Appendix 1)

Community-Based Organizations and NGOs: Urban agriculture groups, neighborhood associations, food justice coalitions, and nonprofits often provide frontline services to urban communities and would benefit from research-based information, including data sets and standardized metrics of ecosystems services provided by NbS, on which to base local programming ( [1] and letters of intent to engage from Landscape Architecture Foundation, Scholars Strategy Network, and ICLEI USA in Appendix 1)

Industry and Private Sector Partners: As interest in NbS and urban agriculture grow, companies working in green infrastructure, urban technology, consulting, and engineering fields need a reliable research base and open datasets on which to build their businesses and standardized metrics to use in evaluating performance( [38], and letter of intent to engage from Green City Growers in Appendix 1).

Stakeholder Involvement in Project Development and Activities

Stakeholders and participants have been actively engaged in shaping NRSP12 since its inception [3] [1] [39] (see Appendix 1 and Appendix 2). During the concept-building stage, municipal officials, Extension leaders, and community-based organizations have participated in several NUREC activities, listening sessions and webinars, including:

Building Collaborative Research and Extension Networks to Advance the Application of Science with Urban Communities. In July 2024, NUREC and NLC co-convened a by-invitation summit with 43 individuals representing federal agencies, local governments, non-profits/membership organizations, land-grant universities, and a non-land-grant urban serving university to identify research priorities and potential educational/Extension programs in the issue areas of: 1) urban agriculture and food systems, 2) health and wellness, and 3) the built environment [40].

Generating Research Opportunities Workshop (GROW) for Urban Agriculture. This 2023 workshop was a virtual event designed to engage potential research, Extension, education, industry, and community collaborators from across the nation in integrated urban agriculture proposal development. During this conference, interdisciplinary teams collaborated to develop creative and effective proposals rather than spend resources competing against one another. (https://sites.google.com/msu.edu/grow-uaconf/home).

Leading Edge Dialogues: In 2019, NUREC (formerly WCMER) hosted the National Urban Extension Conference and launched the Leading Edge Dialogues, a series of 90-minute interactive workshops which explored critical issues facing our cities and our universities and developed recommendations and opportunities for collaboration [41]. 

Urban, Indoor, and Emerging Agriculture: During May 2020, NUREC, in conjunction with NUEL and several urban Farm Bureau county organizations, conducted four on-line listening sessions to solicit, collect, and submit responses from a broad group of stakeholders to inform NIFA’s development of Urban, Indoor, and Emerging Agriculture program [42].

Sustainable Urban Systems: In 2019 NUREC brought together a select group of 40 scientists and practitioners across an array of disciplines, sectors, and locations as part of the National Science Foundation’s development of their Sustainable Regional Systems program. Publications include a guide for city planners, a guide for developing community outreach and engagement for researchers, and a project report, all available at: https://nurec.extension.org/portfolio-item/sustainable-urban-systems/.

Urban Green Infrastructure: In early 2018, NUREC hosted a summit to connect scientists, Extension professionals, practitioners, and community leaders to share existing resources, inform education and research priorities, and build new collaborative, problem-solving networks program [43].

Promoting Urban Food, Energy and Water Resource Resilience via the Regional Food System. This 2016 summit built on 27 key-informant interviews and convened researchers, Extension professionals, urban food producers and policy makers to understand how food, energy, and water are interdependent in the context of changing environmental pressures and policies [27].

Built Environment Rx Series. NUREC’s 2025 Built Environment Rx Series [44] explored how urban design, planning, landscape architecture, and construction practices can improve human and ecological well-being across U.S. communities. This four-part series brought together scholars, practitioners, and community partners to examine “living systems” in the built environment including water, vegetation, soil, and the city itself and to highlight emerging research, metrics, and collaborative approaches for healthier, climate-adaptive urban systems. Sessions featured national experts and fostered dialogue across universities, agencies, and community organizations. https://nurec.extension.org/portfolio-item/built-environment-rx-series/.

This input directly shaped our IRN and SWG structure and focus. To ensure that our network stays relevant to urban issues, each IRN will have mechanisms to involve community stakeholders and end-users in meaningful ways. This will build on the Memorandum of Understanding between NUREC and NLC (Appendix 4 and their engagement letter in Appendix 1) to include a municipal representative or community organization leader as a co-chair of each IRN, hosting listening sessions or “urban needs” panels at IRN meetings and stakeholder meetings (e.g., NLC’s annual City Summit), and partnering with Extension in each state to connect research teams with local stakeholder groups to co-design research agendas, contribute datasets, and participate in case studies. This engagement ensures that the research conducted addresses real-world needs and that outreach pathways are built in from the start.

Involvement in Review and Management Plans 

NRSP12 governance includes an Advisory Committee with stakeholder representation across SAES, Extension, and partner organizations. The Advisory Committee will help to guide project priorities, facilitate partnerships for pilot projects, and provide feedback on overall network structure and achievements, ensuring that activities respond to real-world needs rather than academic abstraction. This ensures balanced oversight and responsiveness to community and practitioner needs. Members of the Advisory Committee will also contribute through annual advisory forums, where they can review progress, assess outputs, and suggest course corrections. 

Relationship of Stakeholders with Research Support 

Stakeholders are not passive recipients but active partners. By embedding Extension educators and municipal representatives within leadership structures, NRSP12 ensures that research support activities are continually informed by practice. The Urban Data Hub will provide stakeholders with access to open, standardized datasets and visualization tools, reducing reliance on fragmented or proprietary information. In turn, stakeholders will contribute local data, knowledge, and feedback, creating a reciprocal relationship between research support and application. 

Mechanism for Assessing Stakeholder Use of Outputs 

NRSP12 incorporates a comprehensive evaluation and assessment framework that includes: 

• Usage Analytics: Tracking downloads, dataset contributions, and visualizations accessed from the Urban Data Hub. 
• Surveys and Feedback Loops: Periodic surveys of researchers, Extension professionals, municipal staff, and community organizations to measure adoption, satisfaction, and impact of tools. 
• Advisory Forums: Annual convenings where stakeholders review outputs, share use cases, and recommend adjustments. 
• External Evaluation: A mid-term independent review that includes stakeholder interviews and case studies of use. 
• Outcome Indicators: Metrics such as number of municipalities adopting standardized NbS metrics, number of Extension programs using urban soil curricula, or new policies informed by project outputs. 

See Appendix 3: Evaluation Plan Overview for more details.

By establishing robust mechanisms for tracking stakeholder use and producing policy-relevant outcomes, NRSP12 ensures that its research support activities will directly inform decision-making, advance national priorities, and strengthen the land-grant system’s public value. 

Implementation

Objectives

1. Building Networks. The goal of each IRN is to recruit and foster a research community that can identify innovative, collaborative research strategies to tackle challenging issues. To accomplish this goal, each IRN will provide regular opportunities to contribute expertise, share ideas, and collaborate with others across institutions nationally
   Comments: YEARS 1 & 2 • IRN Program Leaders will articulate key thematic area priorities and create flyers and presentations to introduce IRNs to different groups, units, or institutions to build interest and recruit participants nationally. • RSAA leads will work with IRN Leaders to structure regular workshops aimed at building interdisciplinary team skills, and Link & Learn events aimed at sharing expert knowledge and providing opportunities for dialogue and learning about new work. • Urban Data Hub leads will meet with IRNs to review existing data in the CARES Map Room and host seminars on the services that they provide to NRSP12 participants. • IRN Program Leaders, project PI’s, and Advisory Committee members will recruit individuals from municipalities, NGOs, and federal agencies to ensure that science is co-produced with those responsible for implementation YEARS 3-5 • IRN Program Leads will continue to recruit from new groups, units, or institutions as would be relevant to the research efforts. • RSAA leads will continue to work with IRNs to host training and seminar events. • Networking activities and Hub use would be embedded in research acceleration through Synthesis Working Groups, proposal development workshops, and seed grant opportunities.
2. Synthesizing Knowledge. Given the vast amount of existing data available, the NRSP12 will specifically support efforts that leverage these data to create new knowledge, resolve contradictions, enhance generalizability of findings, and inform policy and practice.
   Comments: YEARS 1 & 2 • Each IRN will support one Synthesis Working Group (SWG) annually (3 total per year). IRN leads will identify a specific, compelling research question related to their thematic area that could be answered with the integration and analysis of existing, related datasets. These questions should support scientific advances aimed at improving regional generalizability, resolving contradictory findings from different studies or locations, or creating new conceptual models or insights. Each SWG will be comprised of a research committee made up of faculty and other experts in this area with the support of one graduate student Research Fellow (9mo, 0.5FTE). Together, this team will review existing datasets and papers, identify a methodological approach, coordinate the analysis (kick-started through an in-person workshop), and draft communications about findings (see Figure 1, Figure 2). • The Urban Data Hub will play a key role in research synthesis, providing rapid access to, and manipulation of, existing data. In this initial phase, we will focus on assembling readily available, high-value datasets and work with the SWGs to visualize and archive outcomes from the group’s efforts. We will develop beta versions of standardized “data reports” for each SWG modeled after existing CARES reports (see Appendix 5 for an example). YEARS 3-5 • Each IRN will continue to host one SWG each per year (three annually) through Year 4. • In the fifth year, instead of IRN-specific SWGs, representatives from each SWG hosted in Years 1-4 will be invited to come together to provide a five-year perspective for the NRSP12 network. • Establish the Data Hub as a national urban atlas. Revise and update data reports to include custom geographical boundaries for urban areas, and custom indicator taxonomy along with 100 existing indicators. Finalize and implement a log-in function to the Urban Map Room to allow for uploading of IRN-based data sets and custom mapping and report development.
3. Accelerate New Research. IRN leads will use SWG findings and community feedback to develop and evolve priority areas in which to support new research across the NRSP12.
   Comments: YEARS 1 & 2 • Virtual proposal workshops will run annually and will support the formation of interdisciplinary teams to create competitive proposals for extramural funding using platforms and facilitation strategies led by our MSU and WSU teams, with proven success in the urban agriculture domain. • Seed grant opportunities are sources of internal funding for research acceleration. We anticipate offering 3 seed grants across Years 1 & 2 ($30,000 each) to support innovative new ideas that advance our science and understanding on IRN-related topics. • Travel grant opportunities also support research acceleration. We anticipate offering 10 travel grants across Years 1 & 2 (for up to $2,500 each) to support inter-institutional collaboration for dedicated ideation and writing time with colleagues at different locations. • We will develop and test a beta version of the IRN Repository, similar to other data repository portals where you can filter data by standardized fields, and established metadata standards. Training will be provided on how to use the tools and the CARES team will work with NRSP12 leadership to develop customized tools for issue leaders and scientists. YEARS 3-5 • Virtual proposal workshops will run annually in Years 3-5 and will support the formation of interdisciplinary teams to create competitive proposals for extramural funding using platforms and facilitation strategies led by our MSU and WSU teams. • We anticipate offering 7 seed grants total in Years 3-5 ($30,000 each) to support innovative new ideas that advance our science and understanding on IRN-related topics. • We anticipate offering 4 travel grants per year in Years 3-5 (for up to $2,500 each) to support inter-institutional collaboration for dedicated ideation and writing time with colleagues at different locations. • Finalize operational aspects of the IRN Repository for both users (e.g. interface and access) and researchers uploading information (e.g. meta data standards, trainings, IRN peer-review process).
4. Communicating Outcomes. A nationwide network requires nimble, timely, and thoughtful sharing of information, news, and opportunities across a wide audience of interested members.
   Comments: YEARS 1 & 2 • We will use the existing NUREC website to provide a known and trusted entry point to the NRSP12 including its goals, IRN and RSAA opportunities and activities, Urban Data Hub, and news and updates. • We will collect evaluation data on participation and engagement in IRNs, and on how RSAAs are being attended and used by participants. • The Urban Data Hub platform will allow users to register free-of-charge and will offer regular training opportunities on how to upload and access scholarly products, policy documents, and presentations. The CARES team will also work towards developing customized tools for NRSP12 academic and non-academic needs. By Year 2, we will develop and beta-test the integration of evaluation metrics to document use, implementation, and impact of Data Hub elements. • We will develop and operationalize how the NUREC website, Urban Data Hub, and CRM will collect evaluation data for the NRSP and develop reporting templates to share use of NRSP elements (see Measuring Accomplishments and Impacts and Appendix 3: Evaluation Plan Overview). • The Steering Committee and Advisory Committee will develop the communication pieces detailed in the Outreach, Communications, and Assessment section. YEARS 3-5 • We will continue to collect evaluation data on our IRNs and on RSAA use. We will use this Year 2 reflection point as an opportunity to course correct or improve our offerings for the remaining years. • In addition to NRSP12 activities and results disseminated through disciplinary channels and AES networks, we will also leverage partnerships with NUEL, NLC, NACo and others to get information, data, and outputs to decision makers and practitioners. • Finalize and implement evaluation metrics to track use across all elements of the Urban Data Hub, including customizable reports of use by institution, region, and topic to tailor communicating value to stakeholders.

Projected Outcomes

Management, Budget and Business Plan

Management and Organizational Structure

Steering Committee: NRSP12 will be managed by a steering comprised of the two IRN leads (Dr Dan Cronan and Dr Joshua Arnold), Data hub leadership (Chris Barnett), professional development leadership (Dr Julie Padowski and Dr Edgar Cardenas) and project director (Dr Brad Gaolach). The steering committee will meet virtually each of the first six months of the project, every other month for the balance of year 1, and then quarterly during years 2-5 of the project. The steering committee, advisory committee and external reviewer will meet in person annually. The steering committee will review progress and ensure that activities remain aligned with project goals and stakeholder needs. This committee also plays a role in evaluation oversight and in planning for sustainability (e.g., identifying opportunities to institutionalize parts of the project into existing national programs).

Advisory Committee: In addition to the AAs and NIFA representative, it will include representatives from research (Bret Hess, Executive Director AgInnovations – West); Extension (designee of NUEL, see Appendix 1); Extension Foundation (TBN); NLC (Dr. Chistine Baker-Smith, Director of Research); National Association of Counties Large Urban County Caucus (TBN); and a representative from a non LGU urban serving university (TN). They will provide strategic guidance for the NRSP, review performance of the NRSP, provide a feedback loop to ESCOP, ECOP, and USDA and identify further action and/or communication needed to be shared with constituents and stakeholders. They will meet annually with the steering committee.

External Evaluation: We will employ an external evaluator throughout the project to measure the overall outcomes, successes, and challenges of the NRSP and identify areas for improvement. The evaluator will use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, employing focus groups and individual in-depth interviews to collect primary data. Additional data will also be collected from the documents and other outputs developed as part of the NRSP activities. They will provide summative reviews in years 2 and 5. They will meet annually with the steering and advisory committees at a minimum and more frequently (virtually) as needed

Executive Team: NRSP12 will be administered within NUREC, which has been hosted by Washington State University since inception. This will allow integration with and leveraging of NURECs established research, Extension, and stakeholder connections. WSU currently provides fiscal administration of NUREC as well as overall organizational support for the Director (Brad Gaolach), operational management (Martha Aitken), an urban Extension specialist and a project specialist. NRSP12 will have access to WSU’s resources such as communications hosting and document repositories. The executive team, consisting of the project director, operations director and assistant, will meet weekly as part of NUREC’s standing operations meeting to ensure smooth operation of the NRSP, that all milestones are being met, and support to all aspects of the NRSP are being provided.

Budget Justification

University of Massachusetts is requesting salary and benefits for 0.10 FTE annually for Dr Josh Arnold to provide leadership for the Urban Agriculture Systems and Soils IRNs and annual travel to the in-person steering committee ($1,771). Dr Arnold is an agroecologist who combines research, Extension, and teaching to impact the health of cities and increase food security. He specializes in integrated pest management, soils, and the social-ecological factors that influence and create urban agroecosystems. Total five-year salary requested for Dr. Arnold: $54,480 plus $17,051 benefits

Michigan State University is requesting salary and benefits 4 staff (cumulative 0.33 FTE) from the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative (TDI) to support the Research Synthesis and Acceleration Activities (RSAAs) and travel for 1 person to the annual in-person steering committee meeting ($1,771). Total five-year salary requested: $182,243 plus $68,515 benefits

TDI has developed and provide training similar to theRSAAs to National Science Foundation projects (AceelNet, Convergence Accelerator, Growing Convergence Research Programs, EPSCoR and BEACON programs), NASA, the Swiss National Science Foundation, European Commission and 6 US-based Institutions (5 LGUs), among many others.

Dr. Edgar Cardenas will lead activities focused on interdisciplinary training. He will contribute to the design and delivery of quarterly team science and research synthesis webinars, Link & Learn events focused on networking and idea cross-pollination, team science and participatory research capacity building activities, and office hours. He will also co-lead the development and management of Synthesis Working Groups (SWG) and serve as a reviewer for evaluating travel grant and seed grant competition applications. Dr. Cardenas will serve as the institutional lead for Michigan State University.

Dr. Michael O’Rourke will support Dr. Cardenas in designing interdisciplinary activities, co-managing SWGs, and in overseeing MSU contributions.

A Project Senior Specialist (TBN) will support Dr. Cardenas in designing and delivering all interdisciplinary training activities, including quarterly team science and research synthesis webinars, Link & Learn events focused on networking and idea cross-pollination, Team science and participatory research capacity building activities, and office hours. They will also participate in supporting the development of SWGs.

A Project Manager (TBN) will support Dr. Cardenas by scheduling and running planning meetings, scheduling events, coordinating with NRSP staff, and running budget and personnel reports and will coordinate with the NRSP project assistant.

University of Missouri is requesting funds to support 6 staff (cumulative 0.46 FTE annually) from the Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES); travel for 1 person to the annual in-person steering committee meeting ($1,771; software licensing ($4,500 in years 1 and 3-5 and $6,500 in year 2); and $9,000 for additional computer storage in year 1. Total five-year salary requested: $182,402 plus $70,775 benefits.

CARES will provide leadership for the Urban Data Hub. CARES develops and hosts web-based resources that support access to thousands of geographic data sets, supports tools that provide tailored insight into data impacting local condition, and provides information and tools with the goal of helping communities obtain and understand how to use data to better support decision making. Aside from the limited software and hardware storage costs requested, the project will leverage the existing infrastructure to maintain the CARES map room (https://careshq.org/map-rooms/) at no cost to the project.

Over the last three decades, CARES has worked with state and federal agencies, researchers and non-profits, and local communities and organizations, to better visualize and communicate issues in a manner that supports informed decision-making. https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/cares/. Since 1992, CARES has collaborated on projects with support from several foundations, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and partnering university researchers. Selected funders include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, WK Kellogg Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, US News, Missouri Department of Economic Development, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Through these collaborations, CARES has developed a significant portfolio for data collection and management, web-based content delivery, and spatial analysis.

Chris Barnett, CARES Director, will direct implementation of the Urban Data Hub, collaborate with project partners, oversee CARES staff assignments and budget allocations, and contribute to project evaluation and distribution of results.

Project Coordinator (TBN) will support the CARES Director on management of the project, oversee daily project operations, coordinate with project partners on project issues and milestones, and assist with project reporting and evaluation.

Data and Database (TBN) staff will identify and integrate the data supporting the project systems, design and support an optimal database structure, implement and maintain map and report content, and manage data-related website content.

Programmer and website developer (TBN) staff will design and implement project system web interfaces, ensure compliance with digital accessibility and other applicable standards, develop programs supporting Urban Data Hub tools, and collaborate with broader project staff on Hub review and modifications.

Fiscal and systems administer (TBN) staff will ensure project systems are current and compliant with standards, set up required data storage and management systems, and collaborate with project management and University of Missouri fiscal officers on project expenditures and fiscal reporting.

Communications staff will be responsible for website content development, supporting communications events, and preparing reports and user support documents.

Washington State University is requesting funds to support:

Senior Personnel:

Dr. Brad Gaolach is requesting salary and benefits for 1.5 months in Year 1, and 1.0 months in Years 2-5 to provide overall project direction and oversee Martha Aitkin and Maggie Anderson. Total five-year salary requested for Dr. Gaolach: $66,122 plus $19,890 in benefits.

Dr. Dan Cronan is requesting salary and benefits for 2.0 months per year for the duration of the project. Cronan will lead efforts related to the Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem Services IRN and co-lead the Urban Agriculture Systems IRN. Total five-year salary requested for Dr. Cronan: $106,442 plus $33,316 in benefits.

Dr. Julie Padowski is requesting salary and benefits for 2.0 months per year for the duration of the project with a projected inflation of 4% per year.  Padowski will lead the Research Synthesis and Acceleration Activities, including overseeing SWG Research fellows, Travel Grants, Seed Grants, and SWG Workshops. Total five-year salary requested for Dr. Padowski: $125,722 plus $37,351 in benefits.

Other personnel:

Marth Aitkin is requesting salary and benefits for 5% FTE each year to administratively support IRN leads and travel of all participants during the NRSP. Total five-year salary requested for Aitkin: $25,835 plus $9,015 in benefits.

Maggie Anderson is requesting salary and benefits for 50% FTE per year to programmatic support to the IRN, RSAA, SWG leads and the activities of the NRSP. Total five-year salary requested for Anderson: $175,294 plus $96,850 in benefits.

Synthesis Working Group Graduate Research Fellows will play a major role in conducting science synthesis. SWGs will identify a specific, compelling research question related to their thematic area that could be answered with the integration of existing, related datasets. These questions will support scientific advances aimed at improving regional generalizability, resolving contradictory findings from different studies or locations, or creating new conceptual models or insights. This opportunity will provide twelve early career scientists (one for each IRN for Yrs 1-4) with unique research and networking experiences that are shown to increase the successfulness of research careers for rising scientists [45]. Each fellow will receive a 9-month Research Assistantship (0.5 FTE). New fellows will be selected each year for Years 1-4, and fellows will be chosen for their interest and expertise in the SWG questions selected for that year. Fellows will be selected through an application process and reviewed by the Steering Committee plus 3-6 ad hoc review committee members; these positions will be open to graduate students at any participating University. Fellows will help lead efforts for compiling the SWG-related literature, identifying key knowledge gaps and relevant datasets, and engaging in feedback discussions with the SWG research committee, SWG Advisory Group, and other workshop participants. Research Fellows would receive $31.20/hr at 0.5 FTE, with an expected 4% increase per year for inflation.  Total salaries requested are $272,669 and $50,988 in benefits.

Travel:

Steering Committee: We are requesting funds to allow the steering committee to meet in-person each year to discuss overall project accomplishments and goals. Funds are requested for Gaolach, Anderson, WSU Evaluator, Padowski, and Cronan. Expected costs for this 3-day / 2-night meeting include $800 for airfare, $100 for misc. travel, $248 for lodging and $92 for per diem for a total of $1,771 per person or $44,275 across the project.

Advisory Committee: We are requesting funds to support one, in-person NRSP Advisory Committee per year for Years 1, 3, and 5. Funds would cover five participants, and for this 1 day / 2 night meeting would include $800/person for airfare, $100/person for misc. travel, $248/night/person for lodging, and $92/person/day for per diem. Total costs per person are $1,587.  Total costs across the project are $23,808.

Other Costs:

Travel Grant Awards: Travel grants are small, but critical, resources for enabling the exchange of ideas across disciplines, fostering innovation, and broadening research networks for successful collaboration. We request funds to support 24 travel grant awards at $2,500 each. We anticipate awarding 6 grants each in Years 1 and 5 ($30,000 total), and 4 grants each in Years 2-4 ($30,000 total).  Total funds requested across Yrs 1-5 are $60,000.

Research Seed Grant Awards: We request funds to support 10 seed grant awards at $30,000 each. We anticipate awarding 1 grant Year 1 ($30,000 total), 2 grants each in Years 2-4 ($180,000 total), and 3 grants in Year 5 ($90,000 total).  Total funds requested across Yrs 1-5 are $300,000.

SWG Annual Workshops: We request funds to support one, in-person workshop per year for Years 1-5. Workshops will provide an opportunity for SWG teams to meet once in person to work towards synthesis research goals and recommendations. In Year 5, we will hold a final summative SWG that convenes the Steering Committee and representatives from all SWGs in Yr 1-4 to develop a final set of recommendations for the NRSP.  These three-day workshops will cover costs for 25 attendees, and include conference room rental ($2,000), flights ($600/person), lodging ($150/night for 3 nights), meeting refreshments and working lunches ($4,000/day) and partial per diem ($35/person/day).  Total workshop costs per year are $47,500.  Total workshop costs across the project are $237,500.

Publication fees: We request $9,000 annually in Years 1-4, and $12,000 in Year 5 to cover open access publication fees for NRSP members. Funds will be available by request and based on need.  Total requested: $48,000.

External Evaluation: We request $59,184 for evaluator costs for the project.  This is based on a projected fee of $9,864 in year 1 for 10% FTE; $19,728 (20% FTE in years 2 & 5 to support synthesis, analysis, and reporting); and $4,932 (5% FTE) in years 3 and 4 for basic data collection.

Software licenses: We request $2,000 per year to cover Gather virtual meeting costs in Years 1-5 (total: $10,000) and 10,680 in HubSpot subscription fees in Years 1-5 (total: $53,400).  Total costs: $63,400.

Equipment: We request funds for two Owl 3 plus extra microphone ($1,483 ea) to support inclusive virtual meeting engagement. Total costs for Year 1 are: $2,966.

Cloud Storage: Dr. Cronan requests data cloud storage for IRN related activities.  We request $288 per year for Years 1-5.  Total requested: $1,440.

 

WSU Personnel Details

Dr. Dan Cronan, Assistant Professor in the School of Design and Landscape Architecture at WSU. He is providing leadership for the Built Environment IRN. Dr. Cronan’s research interests include Landscape Planning and Landscape Architecture with an emphasis: Food, Energy, and Water Systems (FEWS); Alternative Futures Landscape Analysis (GeoDesign Scenario Planning); Agricultural and Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) siting, sizing, and implementation; Urban Sustainability; Urban Ecology; Landscape Planning and Site Planning; and Sustainable construction practices for Landscape Architects; Landscape Planning and Systems suitability analysis and geospatial analytical tools; and Landscape Architecture pedagogical evaluation tools.

He was a team lead and member on an NSF INFEWS grant (# 1639529), contributing scenario modeling and planning to align stakeholder perspectives and researcher-based trajectories of change. The scenario-based land use projections are intended to provide guidance for community planning and a framework for future development in socio-ecological systems, specifically food systems within the urban and rural context. Dr. Cronan has contributed extensively to major national and international research initiatives. He has served as Co-PI on the UNESCO-funded CABN–FABN Atlas of Climate and Environmental Change, where he led atlas architecture and production to support climate-informed decision-making across biosphere reserves. His work also includes co-leading a MetLife Foundation and Lender Center project with Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF in which he directed the production of digital twins to advance placemaking and community engagement.

His ongoing scholarship builds on significant NSF-funded projects, including leading an EPSCoR GEM3 Large Seed project that coupled stakeholder-informed and biophysical scenarios to address uncertainty in socio-ecological systems. He also played a central role in the NSF INFEWS ATLAS initiative, where he guided scenario modeling, GeoDesign workflows, representational strategies, and stakeholder facilitation to create actionable land-use projections for food-energy-water systems resilience. Earlier, as a Geodesign and Representation Team Lead for the NSF GEM3 “Genes by Environment” program, he contributed integrative visualizations and scenario-based planning tools for a $20 million research effort examining climate–ecosystem interactions. Cronan’s work advances scenario-based, stakeholder-driven futures that guide community planning and provide frameworks for resilient development in complex socio-ecological systems, particularly food systems in both urban and rural contexts.

Dr. Julie Padowski serves as the Director for WSU’s Center for Environmental Research, Education, and Outreach (CEREO) https://cereo.wsu.edu/about_us/, and is a Research Associate Professor with the School of the Environment. Through her work with CEREO, Padowski brings a decade of experience working with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners in advancing interdisciplinary, environmental scholarship and engagement through grant-funded projects. She specializes in approaches that use systems thinking and community engaged scholarship strategies to develop flexible, collaborative structures that bring thought leadership, convene and support multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary research projects, and will leverage this expertise to build integrated opportunities for research, education, and outreach through the NRSP.

She has been a PI or Co-PI on 23 grants since 2017 that have collectively brought in $21M in grant-related funding. Notable projects of Padowski’s include an NSF Sustainable Regional Systems Research Network grant entitled “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West” (#2115169); an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program entitled “Stakeholder Informed Modeling of Innovations in the Food, Energy, and Water (FEW) Nexus” (#1950877); an NSF INFEWS/T1 grant entitled “Increasing regional to global-scale resilience in Food-Energy-Water systems through coordinated management, technology, and institutions” (#1639458); and an NSF NRT graduate training program award entitled, “Rivers, Watersheds and Communities: Training an Innovative, Cross-Sector Workforce for Equitable, Multi-Scale Decision-Making Towards Human and Ecosystem Health” (#2125758).

Dr Brad Gaolach will serve as the project director. He is the founding director of NUREC and WSU’s Metropolitan Center for Applied Research and Extension, both focusing on bridging the gap between research and community through extramurally funded projects, NSF and USDA funded workshops, and listening sessions.

Dr Gaolach is trained as a population biologist and community ecologist; he is recognized for bringing systems and sustainability-based approaches to community-based applied research and education programs. Dr. Gaolach utilizes his training as a research scientist and ecologist to bridge the world of academia with community-based applications. He provides leadership on Center projects related to environmental stewardship, systems thinking, and organizational development. He has additionally conducted applied research and developed Extension programs relating to water quality, climate change, agriculture, food systems, and community and economic development.

Martha Aitken will support operations of the NRSP across all universities, ensuring successful operational and administrative collaboration amongst all project partners and subcontractors, including primary oversight over fiscal and contract matters related to the NRSP. Ms. Aitken has performed these activities for over 20 years with WSU.

Maggie Anderson will provide broad-based support to the project, supporting the IRN leads in scheduling meetings, events, and coordination with RSAA participants. Ms. Anderson currently performs these activities on NUREC projects, including their Knowledge and Practice Networks and grant-funded projects.

Business Plan

NRSP12 will be hosted by Washington State University (WSU), within NUREC. WSU is providing significant in-kind support (staff time, fiscal management, integration into WSU operational and management systems, office space, etc.) to ensure the success of NUREC and NRSP12, reflecting a strong institutional commitment to this initiative. NRSP12 Director (Dr. Gaolach) will oversee day-to-day operations, coordination among teams, and serve as the primary liaison to the NRSP governing bodies.

With long-term sustainability in mind, financially, NRSP12 will operate within the NUREC business plan which currently includes Smith-Lever funding, NUREC membership dues ($85,000 annually), external grants, and in-kind contributions. While NUREC is currently modest in size (0.6 FTE) and fiscal revenue (membership dues plus active grant projects), it is organizing as a Research and Extension Consortium to increase its capacity to develop fiscal resources from corporate and philanthropic sources. The synergistic activities of NUREC and NRSP12 will provide a strong foundation for a research and Extension consortium. NUREC’s goal is to grow LGU institutional memberships from the current 17 to over 25, with a target of at least 5 institutions from each of the 4 geographic regions of AgInnovations/ECOP (west, south, northeast, and north central) as well as membership from non-LGU urbans serving universities. NUREC’s business plan also includes working through our USDA federal partnership to facilitate fiscal opportunities with other federal agencies (e.g., HUD, EPA, NOAA) to support existing and developing new IRNs.

NUREC has established an MOU with NLC around core pillars of synthesis and acceleration and best practices development and expansion. This MOU will be used to mutually develop revenue streams for conducting research and Extension projects that augment NRSP12 and base NUREC funding—either through joint funding opportunities (e.g., grants) or direct funding from NLC to NUREC to complete targeted research projects (see Appendix 4). NUREC’s business plan is to develop this fiscal and programmatic (research and Extension) model with NLC and then replicate it in similar ways with the NACo’s Large Urban County Caucus as near-term growth opportunities.

Integration

Integration with Extension is a core design feature of NRSP12, ensuring that research results translate into on-the-ground impact. The project’s housing within NUREC provides a structural link to Extension from the start, as NUREC’s mission is explicitly to bridge research and practice in urban areas. We will leverage NUREC’s existing networks and partnerships (such with the NUEL and NLC) to disseminate NRSP12 insights widely. The goal is that every research activity also has an outreach pathway, and every Extension activity is informed by current research.

Key strategies for Extension integration include:

• Extension Representation in Leadership and IRNs: Extension professionals are part of the leadership team and Advisory Committee of NRSP12 and are actively involved in each IRN. This ensures Extension perspectives (such as the feasibility of applying research recommendations in community programs) shape the research from the beginning. Extension members also act as liaisons to state and local Extension networks, communicating needs and findings in both directions.
• Urban Extension Program Development: Applied research projects undertaken through NRSP12 will be connected to urban Extension programming from the outset. For example, if a research team is developing a new soil testing protocol for urban gardens, we will coordinate with Extension educators to pilot that protocol in urban gardening programs and gather feedback. Similarly, if research identifies a successful intervention (e.g., a particularly effective design for a community cooling center or a high-yield rooftop farming technique), NRSP12 and/or NUREC will help package those findings into Extension curricula, toolkits, or demonstration projects that can be delivered by Extension in cities nationwide. By weaving research and Extension together, we accelerate the adoption of innovations.
• National Urban Extension Leaders Partnership: We will maintain a close partnership with NUEL, which is a network of 1,300+ urban-focused Extension professionals across the country. The NRSP12 Director (who is also NUREC Director) sits on the NUEL Steering Committee, which facilitates ongoing exchange of information. Through NUEL, we will share NRSP12 outputs (datasets, case studies, policy briefs) with Extension leadership in all Extension regions. NUEL’s biannual National Urban Extension Conference and other forums will be used to showcase NRSP12 projects and glean input on emerging urban issues that research should address. NUEL has agreed to have an urban research track in the conference to highlight research from the NRSP (see Appendix 1).
• Community Outreach and Engagement: The project will follow best practices for community engagement, emphasizing respect, mutual benefit, and transparency. We will promote and support the use tools like community advisory boards for certain research projects and create accessible outreach materials (such as fact sheets or neighborhood workshops) to share results in non-technical language. Extension personnel will be crucial in translating scientific findings into culturally relevant outreach and education materials. The Urban Data Hub will also have a public-facing component that allows community users to access information (e.g., a community group could use the map room to visualize conditions in their neighborhood). In this way, the Hub supports outreach by serving as a data resource for the public, facilitated by Extension.
• Feedback Loop from Practice to Research: Integration with Extension not only helps push research out, but also pulls community needs in. Through Extension’s on-the-ground connections, NRSP12 will stay attuned to the evolving needs and questions that urban communities have. For example, if Extension agents report increasing inquiries about urban pollinator conservation or safe techniques for rooftop gardening, the NRSP can respond by encouraging research in those areas. This responsiveness to community-voiced issues helps keep the NRSP relevant and demand-driven.

Overall, Extension integration ensures that NRSP12 remains firmly grounded in application. Success will be measured not just by academic outputs, but by evidence of use—city agencies using data from the Hub to make decisions, community gardens adopting new practices from our research, or new Extension programs (like urban soil health workshops) launched as a result of NRSP12 findings. By embedding Extension throughout the project, we will bridge the notorious gap between research and practice, fulfilling the “extension” of knowledge that is the hallmark of the LGU system.

Outreach, Communications and Assessment

Intended Audiences

Our target audiences include:

• The scientific community at land-grant universities; urban serving universities; local, state, federal, and tribal governmental agencies. This would include graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and fellows.
• Policy makers at local, state, federal agencies and their associated organizations such as NLC as a conduit to their members nationally and tribal governmental agencies.
• Extension and other non-governmental organizations, and practitioners at local, state, and national levels.

In addition to fostering high quality urban research, this NRSP complements the mission of NUREC to bridge the gap between community and research and support the translation and application of that research by Extension.

Stakeholder Engagement

Primary stakeholder engagement will be through participation in the NRSP12 activities (i.e., RSAAs, IRNs, and the data hub). The IRN leads will engage the research community through existing professional connections, the researchers who have provided letters of commitment in Appendix 2, relevant professional societies and their meetings (e.g., American Ecological Engineering Society), and regional SAES networks. We will leverage our practitioner connections (e.g., NUEL, NLC, Landscape Architecture Foundation) to incorporate them into IRNs and project activities, thereby connecting researchers and communities to identify and prioritize research that is important to both, and then elevate those issues for collaborative problem solving, program development and dissemination of results and products. This approach will ensure an on-going feedback loop of evaluating NRSP activities, how they are being used by stakeholders, and how they are supporting researchers’ needs.

NUREC has established Knowledge and Practice Networks for the Built Environment and Urban Food Resilience by engaging relevant stakeholders (e.g., the Built Environment Rx: web series [44] engaged 285 individuals during the first 4 events: https://nurec.extension.org/portfolio-item/built-environment-rx-series/). NUREC will leverage these existing activities to promote NRSP12 opportunities and track engagement.

NUREC has established a customer relationship management (CRM) system with currently over 1,700 researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and industry members, using it to actively track engagement in activities. NUREC will use this CRM to build and track stakeholder engagement with NRSP activities. NUREC will incorporate NRSP12 into their website (http://nurec.extension.org), directly connecting the Data Hub elements housed on the CARES website in a seamless fashion and showcasing NRSP activities, products, and accomplishments. NUREC and CARES are in the final stages of launching a urban data portal similar in function to the propose Data Hub for NUREC member institutions.

Measuring Accomplishments and Impacts

Evaluation and accountability: NRSP12 will bring a holistic evaluation framework to bear that supports integrated tracking (participation, datasets contributed or used, collaborations formed, outputs, stakeholder use cases) and a mid-term external review to ensure the support functions are effective and responsive. The evaluation plan is designed to monitor progress toward three primary outcomes: fostering national and cross-institutional research collaboration, improving the quality and accessibility of urban agriculture and ecosystem services data, and accelerating the development and dissemination of high-quality research. See Appendix 3 for the complete evaluation plan

To measure these outcomes, the plan integrates process evaluation (ongoing monitoring) and summative evaluation (mid-term and final assessments).

Process evaluation

We will include assessing the extent to which project activities (IRN development and activities, Data Hub development and utilization, and RSAAs) are advancing toward their goals. IRN development and collaborative work will be assessed using meeting agendas, minutes, and a description of the IRN composition, deliverables (e.g., standardized metrics developed) and pilot projects supported. The Data Hub, comprised of the Map Room and IRN Repository, will create a data and research project inventory to establish a baseline rate of utilization overall and by key stakeholder characteristics. Utilization of the Data Hub elements by stakeholder characteristics will also be assessed using database analytics. RSAAs will be assessed using rates of registration, participation, satisfaction, and pre/post assessments of knowledge, self-efficacy, and intention to implement skills. Annual surveys, listening sessions, and/or case studies will be used to understand needs and utilization of IRN, Data Hub, and RSAAs. Hubspot will be used to track participation in IRN and RSAAs and will house data to be utilized as a sampling frame for annual surveys, listening sessions, and/or case studies for mid-project and long-term outcomes.

Summative evaluation

We will assess long-term impact through indicators such as adoption of IRN frameworks by stakeholder groups, utilization of IRN-developed best practices, number of developed and funded research projects, and publications in high-impact journals among those participating in RSAAs and/or using Data Hub resources. Comparative analyses will examine differences in research development and dissemination (e.g., acceptance rates by journals and impact factors) overall and by stakeholder type, region, and utilization of the project’s resources (high vs. low) levels, as well as against publications rates identified in the peer-reviewed literature. Case studies and interviews will provide deeper insights into how IRNs, the Data Hub, and RSAAs influence the longer-term outcomes. Annual surveys, listening sessions, and/or case studies will also be used to understand how the IRNs, Data Hub, and RSAAs support the development of research, adoption of best practices or IRN frameworks, and the faster dissemination of research to peer review.

Specific Metrics include:

• Rates of participation by participant and organizational characteristics (e.g., tenure status, LGU type, expertise, state, EAS region) and by stakeholder type
• Engagement level of participant measured by repeat interactions with NRSP12 activities and opportunities
• # of IRN projects identified and/or supported by topic and stakeholder type
• # of submitted and funded research projects within IRN topical areas
• # of publications by type (e.g., technical bulletins, policy briefs, high impact factor journals) and response of journal (e.g., desk acceptance, major revision, minor revision)
• # of publications in high impact factor journals and response of journal (e.g., desk acceptance, major revision, minor revision)
• # and rate of publications in high impact factor journals compared to national averages identified in the peer reviewed literature
• # and rate of publications in high impact factor journals overall and by participant engagement level
• # of abstracts submitted, accepted, or invited overall and by participant engagement level
• #, institution, discipline, and career-stage of participants engaging interdisciplinary and team science workshops
• #, institution, discipline, and career-stage of participants engaging monthly Link & Learn events
• # and diversity of presenters at Link & Learn events
• #, institution, discipline, and career-stage of participants engaging Synthesis Working Groups
• # of applications received for seed grants and travel grants
• # of proposal development workshop attendees, their institutions, disciplines, and career-stage
• # of proposal development workshop teams formed
• # of proposal development workshop teams that submit a proposal for extramural funding, and # of proposals from such teams that are awarded.
• Research agenda and best practices development by meeting agenda, minutes, action items completed; # of RFAs responded to within research agenda topical areas; # of and type of best practice offerings developed and disseminated
• Annual survey and/or listening sessions to identify research gaps and support needs of stakeholders
• #, %, rates of change related to adoption/implementation of IRN frameworks key stakeholders overall and by AES region
• Annual surveys, case studies, and/or interviews with stakeholders to assess the extent to which goals were achieved
• Establishment and use of an inventory of research projects related to the NRSP
• #/% of changes in products available to researchers and stakeholders (type, topic area)
• Rates of product utilization by user characteristics (LGU/org type; researcher type/tenure); e.g., the Data Hub will include features to help track performance and products by logging key metrics such as the number of datasets contributed, the usage statistics of the platform, the collaborative projects and proposals that emerge, and policy or community applications informed by Hub data
• #/% of cross-institutional research projects using Hub
• # of standardized metrics developed and utilized overall, by IRN area, and by service user characteristics
• # of funded research projects using Data Hub products
• # of publications or funded proposals using Data Hub products
• Changes in rates of participation with professional development offerings overall and by stakeholder type
• Participant characteristics (e.g., LGU type, tenure status); stakeholder type
• Pre/Post tests to examine changes in knowledge, beliefs, and behavior intention
• Participant satisfaction ratings
• Identification of needs through interviews or listening sessions
• Annual needs assessment and service utilization survey
• # and rate of research proposals development overall and by high and low-service user

Stakeholder Advisory Feedback: In addition to formal evaluation, the annual meeting of the Advisory Committee will review progress. They will examine data such as the usage of the Data Hub, participation stats, and examples of research or Extension success, and provide feedback and guidance. Having this external perspective built-in will keep us accountable to the broader community and help flag any issues early.

Two-Year Milestones and Deliverables

YEAR 1

IRNs:

• Establish each IRN, to have membership that includes researchers, Extension professionals, and individuals from municipalities, NGOs, and federal agencies to ensure that science is co-produced with those responsible for implementation.
• Develop governance frameworks for each IRN, including leadership roles, decision-making processes, and annual work plans published on the NRSP website.
• Draft white papers and webinar content for each IRN, to articulate key thematic areas and compelling research questions identified by SWGs to the broader agInnovation community.
• Develop materials to advertise IRNs and recruit membership
• Meet with National Lauge of Cities to identify NLC staff or city leaders to participate in IRNs and how to recruit to SWGs

SWGs

• Each IRN will convene an annual SWG to explore questions that will support scientific advances aimed at improving regional generalizability, resolving contradictory findings from different studies or locations, or creating new conceptual models or insights. SWGs will include associated research committees and a graduate Research Fellow as well as Extension and policy development individuals.
• Submit at least one high-profile, peer-reviewed publication and publish three other broader communication pieces about findings from each SWG in year 1
• One seed grant is awarded. Seed grants will generate preliminary data, methods, or partnerships that can feed into competitive external proposals.

RSAAs:

• Develop schedule and topics for RSAA activities to include team science workshops, and Link & Learn discussions.
• Offer at least 20 RSAAs with combined attendance of at least 250 individuals
• 6 travel grants awarded to support in-person collaboration.

Data Hub:

• Launch a beta version of the Urban Map Room, prioritizing up to 30 key topics (10 per IRN) to draft maps, data, and resources for the IRNs and SWGs.
• Develop and pilot ‘data reports’ based on existing CARES platform (see Appendix 5: Green Infrastructure Report as an example) in consultation with IRN and SWGs.
• Draft set of metadata protocols for uploading of information to the IRN Repository

 

YEAR 2

NRSP wide

• At least 300 individuals from at least 30 LGUs have engaged in NRSP related activities (IRNs, SWGs, or RSAAs).
• Establish the NRSP “credit system” to incentivize and reward researchers for engagement in the NRSP. Accumulated credits will be used to weight applications for seed grant and travel grant opportunities. In addition, these efforts will drive adoption so that the Hub becomes an active, living resource.

IRNs

• Expand membership to include researchers across at least 30 or more LGUs, ensuring disciplinary diversity and institutional buy-in.
• Submit and/or publish at least 5 white papers or peer-reviewed publications in each IRN and promote them through NRSP12 communication channels.
• Each IRN will convene an annual SWG to explore questions that will support scientific advances aimed at improving regional generalizability, resolving contradictory findings from different studies or locations, or creating new conceptual models or insights.
• Informed by our IRN, SWG, and RSAAs, the NbS IRN will draft and evaluate performance indicators for urban NbS (similar Holistic Key Performance Indicators (H-KPIs) to evaluate and document NbS ecosystem services.

SWGs

• Establish 3 new SWGs with associated research committees and graduate Research Fellows.
• Submit at least one high-profile, peer-reviewed publication and publish three other broader communication pieces about findings from each SWG in year 2.
• Report from Yr 1 Seed Grant is submitted and made available on the project website (only if it does not interfere with peer-review publication opportunities)
• Two new seed grants approved

RSAAs:

• Offer at least 20 RSAAs with combined attendance of at least 250 individuals
• Support 200 participants in virtual proposal workshops with at least 5 teams drafting or have submitted competitive grant proposals or Hatch Multistate proposals
• 4 travel grants awarded

Data Hub:

• Expand data and resources around additional key topics spanning additional cities and variables along with 100 existing indicators.
• Finalize metadata standards for all data (using, for example, Dublin Core or ISO standards for geospatial data).
• Beta launch the IRN Repository. Researchers will be able to upload their own datasets (e.g., results from a multi-state urban soil experiment) through a guided submission process ensuring standardized formatting and documentation. The Repository will accommodate data in a variety of formats, including spatial, and will support integration with other Hub components.
• Initiate training workshops and tutorials to promote the Hub’s use, showing the community how to find data, add data, and use the mapping tools in their research and Extension work.
• 100+ registered Data Hub users
• Finalizing existing data reports and revise, update, or develop new reports base on IRN and SWG needs.

Communication Pieces

We will produce an annual report that provides a comprehensive accounting of NRSP12 activities, accomplishments, outcomes, and impacts along with 1-page overviews for each of the IRNs, seed-grant projects, and data hub elements. These will be provided to the Review Committee, NIFA, SAES and ARD directors and shared through the NIMSS system, with all members of the NRSP, on the NRSP webpage, with regional executive directors for both AgInnovations and Extension, other stakeholders, and to use as recruitment and engagement mechanisms for new participants.

Where possible, we will also publish or present on our evaluation approach and lessons learned (e.g., sharing how the IRN model worked) through venues like the Journal of Extension or at the AEA conference for evaluators. This contributes to the knowledge base on how to effectively evaluate transdisciplinary, networked projects.

Data Management Plan

Urban Data Hub

The Urban Data Hub will be developed and housed on University of Missouri (MU) Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES) supported systems. The Urban Data Hub will consist of an Urban Map Room and a Research Repository.

The Urban Map Room will leverage existing national data repositories at CARES consisting of thousands of mappable data layers. The data layers comprise geographic information stored in ESRI geodatabases, SQL Server, and MySQL databases or accessed via standard data sharing protocols (open map services, APIs, etc.). These data are based on common data resources, such the American Community Survey, and include current and (limited) historical data. A complete listing of data layers can be found at https://allthingsmissouri.org/atm-map-data-list/.

The data will be maintained by CARES staff, who will integrate updated information on a regular basis, including acquisition and integration of new data, preparation of map symbolization, documentation of new data, and development of map services. CARES will be responsible for ensuring data security and backup and will collaborate to identify and integrate information directly supporting urban research. No personally identifiable information (PII), including data subject to HIPAA or FERPA regulation, will be housed in the Map Room.

The Map Room will also support integration of local data developed by researchers. The supported formats for this information include standard geographic data formats (shapefiles, KML/KMZ files, or geojson data), spreadsheet data that can be associated with common geographic features (e.g., counties) based on a standard geographic identification code, and geocodable address data. Researchers submitting data will be required to participate in a short training event, certify that the information they are providing does not include PII, enter basic metadata for each dataset uploaded, provide citation and sharing permissions, and develop mapping symbology for their data set. Tools and assistance for the latter will be provided. All data submissions will be conducted using a secure, permissions-based interface and will be reviewed for content before being made publicly accessible in the Map Room.

All mapping data will be publicly accessible through a mapping interface that allows for discovery, display, and interaction with available map layers. The interface will include tools for overlay of multiple data layers, data query and selection, discovery of metadata, generation of map outputs (JPG, GIF, PNG, and PDF formats), and map sharing (via email or social media). Logged-in users will be able to save maps and retrieve maps previously constructed within the Map Room.

A chief component of the Map Room will be the reporting tools, which will provide indicator-based reports for an identified geographic area. A list of supported indicators will be developed for Map Room users to select and build custom reports and logged-in users will be able to generate and save reports on the system. All users will be able to download reports in PDF or Microsoft Word formats.

The IRN Repository will be designed to include systems for submitting and documenting urban research, storing and cataloging submitted research, and allowing user discovery and retrieval of research documentation.

Research descriptions will be collected through a standardized, login only, WordPress-based interface and stored in a MySQL database. Researchers will be asked to provide standard information about their research, including (but not limited to) information on subject, sponsors, methods, findings and publications. A standard taxonomy related to research description will be developed to aid data entry and facilitate data query. Researchers will also supply citation information and use permissions and will be able to update the information submitted. Researchers will have the ability to provide links to research websites and online publications related to their projects. Optionally, researchers can submit a photograph related to their research for inclusion in search results. The information submitted to the eepository will be immediately available for user discovery, but CARES staff will exercise the ability to remove or block public access to submitted data as warranted.

User discovery tools will consist of an interface allowing users to search, filter, and sort information within the repository. Information will be displayed as an array of tiles with basic information that can be selected by the user for display of the complete information related to the urban research project. The user will have the option to mark a particular project as research of interest. It is anticipated that users will select multiple research projects of interest, or even all results of their query, for further action. The user will then be able to generate and download a formatted report (PDF or similar) of all projects of interest with basic research information included.

An optional login for the user discovery tools will be designed and implemented. Logged-in users will be able to save and return to their queries, so that as more research is added to the repository over time, their results will automatically update. In addition, these logged-in users will be able to save their search results reports and use them in the future to link directly to the full research project description stored in the repository.

User support and training materials will be developed and made available within the repository. Regular backup of the systems and data will be supported, and systems security scans and compliance will be provided in collaboration with the University of Missouri Division of Information Technology.

At the conclusion of the project, data DOIs will be uploaded to Urban Data Hub for dissemination and sharing with the larger research community. Redistribution of raw data sets (excluding personally identifying information) will be limited and only granted by permission from the research lead.

Integrated Research Nodes

IRN-related data management will be overseen by IRN leads and the University of Missouri, and will follow the below protocols.

Roles and Responsibilities. Adherence to DMP protocols will be the responsibility of the PIs and IRN leads.  All researchers participating in an IRN will receive instruction in, and be encouraged to, use a common revision control system (RCS) to ensure consistent access to source code, documentation and other artifacts generated by the project. Many faculty already use a RCS in their research groups, but we anticipate that others will need more support. Data products will be stored in the RCS during development and archived using a DataONE member node such as Dryad or the KNB (Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity), when data sets reach maturity. Ultimately, the responsibility for deposition is that of the investigator, or group of investigators developing the product. The PI and IRN lead will ensure that personnel receive training (e.g. Library Carpentry- https://librarycarpentry.org/) and will be the first contact for questions about data management and sharing, with NRSP staff prepared to offer support as needed.

Types of Data. Research will involve both existing data and diverse data sets generated from experiments, simulation, or field observation. DOIs for existing data will be documented in publications and software and in the Urban Data Hub.  The content of data templates will be defined to meet the requirements for generating ISO 19115-1(2014) metadata records for newly created or derived data products. For example, field collected data will include fields to document location, time, methods, individuals, instruments, weather conditions, QA/QC procedures, etc. to be associated with every database entry. Computer codes will be commented to maintain clarity of the code, using best practices for software development. The PI and IRN leads will ensure that standardized metadata format/content are adopted for the collection and archiving of the code.

Data Access and Sharing. All project artifacts such as source code, documentation and case examples will be available under a liberal open source license. Content stored in the RCS will be publicly readable with the exception of personally identifiable information. We anticipate that project content will be available for at least several years after project completion, and by using DataONE infrastructure, we anticipate that all data will be available indefinitely. Where new data sets are generated, they will be released upon publication of the first research product that uses them or within two years of generation, whichever is first. We do not anticipate that any new data produced will generate confidentiality issues; however, we are prepared to discuss and take appropriate precautions (e.g., location obfuscation) in the event that a particular data set raises ethical questions when working with communities and tribes. When data from communities and partners are included in the Urban Data Hub, we will set up mutually agreed upon ethical and privacy guidelines, including limits and timing for data sharing.

Data Storage and Preservation. All public data generated on the project will be documented and deposited in a Member Node of DataONE (e.g., Dryad, KNB) to leverage the DataONE federation capabilities to manage, archive and share the digital project content. DataONE allows access to the public via persistent URLs, provides tools for long-term data management, and permits permanent storage. DataONE has built-in contingencies for disaster recovery, including redundancy and recovery plans. Source code, documentation, and other artifacts of the project will be stored in a revision control system.

Evaluation and Assessment Data

Roles and Responsibilities. The external evaluator from the Extension Foundation will be responsible for DMP adherence. Complete data management guidelines and requirements will be prepared for all researchers and will contain instructions on when and how to record metadata. Project researchers will be required to create metadata information as data are captured.

Types of Data. The types of data are 1) instruments for collecting data from relevant stakeholder and participant groups to include project-designed surveys and interview protocols; 2) data from these instruments; and 3) program leadership meeting minutes.

Participant and other stakeholder data will be collected. Quantitative data will be collected through online surveys, meeting minutes, and project records.  Qualitative data will be collected through open-ended survey questions and interviews. Quantitative data will be recorded in a database, and qualitative data will be transcribed by trained personnel. Data will be stored digitally in common standard formats for text files (Word, PDF) and data files (Excel, Access) to facilitate the ease of use among researchers as appropriate. Project-created surveys will also be stored in commonly used formats and stored with participant data. The project will adhere to The Library of Congress Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS).

Contextual data consists of file names, dates created, and where created. Before new data are created, a procedure will be outlined to define metadata to be captured, where on the university systems the files will reside, and who will have access. Data curation procedures for the project will be defined along with the development of evaluation instruments.

Data Access and Sharing. Data collected from and about program participants and other stakeholders will be shared with relevant stakeholders without personally identifying information. Data will be shared openly between the project research initiatives and the external evaluation team throughout the project to maximize the quality of programmatic decisions and facilitate thorough annual reporting.

Data Storage and Preservation. Evaluation data will be required to be stored and backed up through a secure server at the evaluator’s home institution. Most universities have multiple technologies employed to ensure the availability of data for immediate retrieval by principal investigators and senior personnel. In the case such a system does not exist, Washington State University will assume data storage and preservation for the evaluator.

Confidentiality and Security. All required Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols will be followed rigorously throughout the project, as necessary. Any data collected through pen and paper, along with consent forms, as necessary, will be stored in a locked cabinet in the lead PI’s office, accessible only to the PIs. All transcribed data will be stored on password protected computers accessible only by project staff. All survey data will be entered into SPSS and stored on the same password-protected computer.

Distribution of Results

The primary mechanism for distributing results through NRSP12 will be the project website on the NUREC website, which will include access to the RR. Outreach and engagement efforts will drive traffic to the website so it will be seen as the primary portal to engage with and from which to access results. We will also present the results at scientific discipline-related professional meetings and annual meetings of stakeholders. We are intentionally choosing not to host our own NRSP12-related annual meetings of stakeholders as we feel there are enough existing venues. Instead of competing for participation, we think that resources could be better, and more effectively, spent by engaging stakeholders at their respective meetings and demonstrating how we support their work and missions (e.g., the National League of Cities annual City Summit and the National Urban Extension Conference). 

We will engage with and distribute materials to appropriate organizations and committees within the land-grant system, to include the Executive Director for each of the regional AgInnovations and Extension Directors associations, for dissemination across the research and Extension networks, appropriate APLU committees, Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), and the National Urban Extension Leaders. 

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

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Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

AZ, MA, MI, TX, WA

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Washington State University