ADVANCING CLIMATE RESILIENT FOOD INNOVATIONS (HI, USAPI)
ADVANCING CLIMATE RESILIENT FOOD INNOVATIONS (HI, USAPI)
Photo credit: Keli'i Kotubetey/Paepae o He'eia
About
The NSF Engines Development Award 2305455: Advancing Climate Resilient Food Innovations (HI, USAPI) supports the development of a Regional Innovation Engine in Hawai’i (HI) and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) that will collaborate to collectively develop innovative food sustainability solutions driven by indigenous knowledge systems and modern technology. Led by the University of Hawai’i, the network of collaborating partners, nicknamed “CliRFIN” for the Climate Resilient Food Innovation Network, will assess, plan, and coordinate the development of the Engine to facilitate the science, translation, commercialization, and scaling of products, methods and technologies for climate resilient food systems in agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture.
The NSF Engines Development Award 2305455: Advancing Climate Resilient Food Innovations (HI, USAPI) will work with 18 Minority Serving Institutions throughout the Pacific region including all 10 of the University of Hawai’i System’s campuses statewide, in addition to: American Samoa Community College; Chaminade University; College of the Marshall Islands (Majuro); College of Micronesia (Pohnpei); Hawaii Pacific University; Northern Marianas College; Palau Community College; and University of Guam.
Broader Impacts
The islands in this region share similar challenges associated with climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, geographic isolation, social inequities and tourism-reliant economies. Community resilience to these threats is deeply rooted in ancestral knowledge systems, which combined with contemporary scientific methods, can provide:
Climate
Resilience
Food Innovation
& Security
Economic
Diversification
Workforce
Development
The NSF Development Engine provides an opportunity to bring together the skills and expertise of a diverse group of innovators and entrepreneurs, industries, governments, and investors, to further the region’s food innovation ecosystem. The goal is to provide a significant economic impact to the multibillion-dollar food sector in Hawaiʻi and the USAPI and demonstrate economic and cultural models for climate resilient food production for other US and international areas.
Outcomes
The CliRFIN project outcomes are to solidify partnerships, provide organizational structure, and develop a knowledge foundation to set the stage for food system innovation activities to expand in the region through the NSF Engines Development Award 2305455: Advancing Climate Resilient Food Innovations (HI, USAPI) 24-month program:
PHASE 1: Assessment
Conduct a series of in-person meetings with current and potential partners to share information, evaluate resources, opportunities and challenges of expanding food production systems and workforce development in the region.
PHASE 2: Planning
Synthesize the information from the assessment phase to generate plans to identify and prioritize goals and objectives and the steps to achieve them.
PHASE 3: Coordination
Establish a framework of the organization, communication and knowledge sharing among the network, including governance activities, formal and informal meetings, and social events to facilitate the sustainable growth of CliRFIN.
PHASE 4: Application
Apply for an NSF Engines Type-2 multi-million dollar award upon solidifying organization and partnerships in order to initiate and ramp up activities over an extended period.
Program Partners
For more information on how to become a network partner, contact clirfin@hawaii.edu.
Contact
For any questions about the NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing Climate Resilient Food Innovations (HI, USAPI), email clirfin@hawaii.edu.
| NAME | TITLE | ROLE |
|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I | ||
| ERIK C FRANKLIN | Associate Professor Hawai‘i institute of Marine Biology | Director & Fisheries Team Lead |
| VASSILIS L. SYRMOS | Vice President for Research & Innovation | Leadership Team |
| STEVE AUERBACH | Interim Director Office of Innovation & Commercialization | Leadership Team, Workforce Development |
| KAMUELA ENOS | Director Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation | Leadership Team, DEIA |
| CHARLES FLETCHER | Dean School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology | Leadership Team, Climate Resilience Lead |
| NOA LINCOLN | Associate Professor Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences | Agriculture Team Leader, DEIA |
| BRADLEY KAI FOX | Aquaculture Extension Agent UH SeaGrant | Aquaculture Team Leader |
| CAROLINE FRY | Assistant Professor Shidler College of Business | Landscape Mapping Team Leader |
| SUBHASHNI RAJ | Assistant Professor Urban and Regional Planning | USAPI Team Leader |
| MICHAEL KANTAR | Associate Professor Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences | Agriculture |
| TYLER RAY | Assistant Professor College of Engineering | Human Health Equity |
| AIMEE GRACE | Director Office of Strategic Health Initiatives | Human Health Equity |
| JOHNNY ALDAN, JR. | Data and Policy Analyst Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity | Human Health Equity, DEIA |
| MICHELLE CLARK | Business Development Manager Pacific Business Center Program | Workforce, Business & Economic Development |
| DORIS MIOČINOVIĆ | Business Development Specialist Pacific Business Center Program | Landscape Mapping |
| PARTNERS | ||
| GREGORY BARBOUR | Director Natural Energy Lab of Hawai‘i Authority | Core Partner, Aquaculture |
| LEN HIGASHI | Executive Director Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation | Core Partner, Investment |
| RACHEL LEON GUERRERO | Vice Provost University of Guam | Core Partner, Aquaculture, Workforce Development |
| SATU LIMAYE | Vice President East-West Center | Core Partner, Policy |
| TIFFANY HUYNH | Director of External Affairs Elemental Excelerator | Core Partner, Investment |
| WAYNE MURPHY | Partner and Co-Founder HATCH | Core Partner, Investment, Aquaculture |
| DANA SHAPIRO | General Manager Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative | Core Partner, Agriculture |
| HARMONEE WILLIAMS | Executive Director Hawai‘i Good Food Alliance | Core Partner, Agriculture |