Federal Grants:

2015: Co-PI, National Science Foundation, Award #1541694
“FEW: River FEWs: Workshop to explore the nexus between food, energy and water in a large international river system.” (From award abstract:)
This project will convene a three-day workshop to explore natural and social science linkages between food, energy, and water (FEW) systems in large river ecosystems. The results of this workshop will create a foundation for understanding the interconnected and interdependent nature of FEW dynamics in the Mekong and other river ecosystems. The project will support both education and diversity by enhancing the scientific capacity of Mekong scientists and underrepresented groups.

2012: PI, National Science Foundation, Award #1204609
“WSC-Category 1: Integrative Modeling of the Interactions, Connectivity and interdependence of Water Systems and Ecosystem Services in the Lower Mekong Basin.” (From award abstract:)

This project establishes a framework necessary for understanding the interactions, connectivity and interdependence of humans and a changing water system in the lower Mekong River Basin of Southeast Asia. The cross-disciplinary team of experts creates future scenarios of change, develops an innovative and integrative modeling framework, and defines the data collection efforts needed to evaluate how sustainability of the water system affects human welfare. This question is how to promote human well-being in a region dependent on a changing water system. The Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia are connected through a flood-pulse hydrology and river-floodplain connectivity upon which humans are dependent for rice farming, fish production, and social lifeways. Current rapid changes in land use, hydropower development, human activity, and climate will all have significant impacts on the predictability of the flood-pulse system and the availability of water in the future. This research connects the natural and human system through the study of the ecosystem services provided by the water system, which in turn support and sustain human life. Through the assembled team, the research focuses on all dimensions of the region’s ecosystem services including the provision, adaptation, valuation, and response mechanisms. The results of this project will set the stage to measure and explain critical interactions and impacts of a social-ecological system on the brink of profound transformation driven by demographic shifts, rapid economic growth, hydropower installations and climate change. The models developed are adaptable to other ecosystem service applications.