Resilience of Interdependent Infrastructure Systems: A CRISP/RIPS Grantees Workshop - September 25-26, 2018 - Fairfax/Arlington, VA

George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Investigators

Abstract

NSF's Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes (CRISP) annual solicitation aims to enhance and improve scientific knowledge in the areas of complex, interconnected and interdependent infrastructure systems of physical, cyber and human components. These systems of systems are designed to provide critical goods and services. Thus, their collective resilience to the range of disruptions from mild to catastrophic, of malicious, technological or natural cause, is crucial to the nation's economic competitiveness and, more generally, societal well-being. An underlying principle that has guided the solicitation and selection of awards is that to tackle such complex human-cyber-physical systems problems or create new opportunities through their inherent properties requires integration of cyber, engineering and societal perspectives. Consequently, an important objective of the CRISP solicitation has been to foster an interdisciplinary research community of engineers, computer and computational scientists and social and behavioral scientists. To this end, a grantee workshop will be held. This workshop will involve activities designed to: (1) enable the sharing of research developments and findings from funded CRISP/RIPS projects; (2) promote interactions among awardees, including students and postdoctoral fellows; (3) foster the creation of new interdisciplinary approaches; (4) enhance and strengthen the resilience and socio-technical systems community; and (5) enable new collaborations and the formulation of novel ideas. The meeting will contribute to the enhancement and improvement of scientific engineering and education activities through lectern presentations, a workshop-wide poster session, lectures on focus topics, activities, and organized discussions. Outcomes of the workshop, including newly generated ideas from the meeting, future research needs and more, will be documented in a final report. The workshop will enhance and improve scientific knowledge in the areas of complex, interconnected and interdependent infrastructure systems of physical, cyber and human components. Participants will share their knowledge and research advancements in these difficult multi-temporal, multi-spatial, stochastic and dynamic socio-technical systems. The workshop will also stimulate new research paths in these areas and beyond. Designing, planning for, operating and controlling resilient infrastructure systems, as well as understanding how failures propagate across systems and over time when not prevented, are crucial for building and maintaining a vibrant, well-functioning, prosperous and secure civil society. Bringing together experts from across disciplines and technical specialties to share their knowledge in these areas will aid the nation in this purpose. It will also foster new ways of thinking and innovation. Ways to foster a lasting CRISP/RIPS community of persons with diverse backgrounds will be explicitly considered in the planning and execution of the meeting. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.