Written by Carolyn Kane
KU News Service
The National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator is a University of Kansas science team developing a water management data ecosystem that collects water quality and quantity data, models it with machine learning algorithms, and makes insights available on dashboards for local residents. awarded $650,000 to a team led by Government employees and state agencies.
KU researchers will work with Internet of Things technology company Viaanix and Kansas Department of Water officials on a project titled “Improving Water Quality and Equity with Sensor Data and Machine Learning Models.”
“This project focuses on technological solutions to the pressing water sustainability challenges facing Kansas,” said KU Principal Investigator and assistant professor of data science at KU. William Duncan said.
During the first year of the project, the team will create a data dashboard for real-time public reporting on water quantity, water quality, and water equity.
“Water equity can be looked at in several ways, but our project shows that the water-related actions of one group of Kansas community members affect the use of Kansas water by other groups. “The dashboard our project is developing will help alleviate this problematic interaction and improve water equity.” said Dietrich Earnhardt, director of the center and professor of economics.
One aspect of the project showcases students’ skills in tackling the complex challenge of tracking water in Kansas. KU mechanical engineering students will design a sensor that remotely detects the presence of harmful algae and broadcasts the data to a network. Additionally, students in the Kansas Data Science Consortium’s Community Data Lab course will work on building dashboards to collect water data from a variety of available sources, including the Kansas Geological Survey.
This award will fund the first phase of this project. In August 2024, the team plans to apply for Phase 2 funding to expand their work.
“This research is consistent with the Guiding Principles of the Governor’s 2022 Water Plan, and university researchers will collaborate with industry, state agencies, and Kansas community partners,” said Belinda Sturm, director of the Kansas NSF EPSCoR program. “We look forward to working with them to help preserve Kansas’ water resources.” Interim Vice President for Research.
The NSF Convergence Accelerator provides funding to teams seeking to apply basic research to pressing societal problems. The team collaborates across disciplines and industries to find solutions that have long-term social impact. An important part of the program is that the team works with a group of other teams, receiving hands-on education and guidance as they progress through the program.
“Convergence Accelerator’s curriculum, which includes human-centered design, user discovery, team science, early-stage prototyping, and pitch preparation, is designed to give funded teams the tools to put their solutions into practice. ,” said Douglas Maughan, director of the department. NSF Convergence Accelerator Program. “Most large-scale challenges cannot be solved by a single discipline or expertise alone, so Phase 1 teams are expected to focus on cross-disciplinary partnerships, not just applying the curriculum.
At the end of Phase 1, each team will participate in a pitch and proposal competition, Morgan said. It will be used in selecting teams for Phase 2.
Millicent Coyle, associate professor of the practice of mechanical engineering at KU, will also lead work on the project. Other team members include Bruce Fritz and his Jay Talreja of Viaanix, and Wes McCary of the Kansas Water Authority.
The Institute for Policy and Social Research supports the proposal and will manage the project.
The research highlights the University’s strength in Earth, Energy and Environment research, one of the University’s five strategic research themes. Research in this field improves our understanding of the various aspects and impacts of climate change on human and natural systems, and develops new technologies and mitigation strategies with the ultimate goal of sustaining life on Earth and its inhabitants. Probably.
