Title
Grant Request to Participate in International Research Project (Ordinance S-44331)
Description
This report requests the City Council to authorize the City Manager, or designee, to apply for, accept, and enter into any related agreements for a grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant will cover City-related costs incurred as part of an international research project to study the food-water-energy nexus. Request to further authorize the City Treasurer to accept and the City Controller to disburse any funds related to this item.
Report
Summary
Many cities across the globe experiment with innovative solutions to challenges in food, water and energy systems. However, issues of food, water and energy are often tightly connected with each other, both locally and globally. This is known as the Food-Water-Energy (FWE) nexus. As a result, for example, an effective solution to a local water problem may cause new local problems with food or energy, or cause new water problems at the global level. For local actors, it is very difficult to anticipate whether solutions to one issue in the FWE nexus are sustainable across food, water and energy systems, both at the local and the global scale. In response, the GLOCULL (Globally and Locally-sustainable Food-Water-Energy Innovation in Urban Living Labs) project aims to develop a novel approach to produce innovative solutions to FWE challenges that are both locally and globally sustainable, through experiments in Urban Living Labs in seven countries (Austria, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, South-Africa, Sweden and the United States).
The seven-country consortium includes reputed research partners as well as local public and private sector partners committed to implementation of FWE innovation experiments. The consortium brings together a wealth of knowledge and expertise on living labs and other transformative transdisciplinary approaches in sustainable urban development, as well as extensive research experience in governance and management of food, water and energy issues from the local to the global level, including multi-level interactions. Urban Living Lab FWE innovation experiments are already identified in each of the seven participating countries.
The project lead, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, has received 1.8 million Euro to conduct this research, and has invited Phoenix and Tempe to be pilot U.S. cities with Arizona State University (ASU) as the local research partner--offering $50,000 to each participating city to host workshops and gather local data over the three-year research period. The funding offered to Phoenix is intended to offset costs incurred in conducting the research.
Financial Impact
The funding from Maastricht University will be delivered through the National Science Foundation for all U.S. participants. There is not a requirement for matching funding. The funds will be used over the three-year research period.
Concurrence/Previous Action
This item was approved by the Sustainability, Housing, Efficiency and Neighborhoods Subcommittee meeting on Feb. 20, 2018, by a vote of 3-0.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Office of Sustainability.