Projects
Current Projects
Healthy Food Systems
Funded by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
In collaboration with DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) and Partnership for a Healthier America, GWU is working to evaluate DCCK’s Healthy Corners program, a leading national model to advance healthier food choices in urban corner stores. - Funding Agency: Patrick J. McGovern Foundation Project Description - AWard Total: $500,000 - Primary Student: Tarun Kumanduri
Global Centers Track 2: Green Energy Transitions in the Far North (GET North)
Funded by the National Science Foundation
This project connects a multidisciplinary, multinational team of researchers with rightsholders and stakeholders in Alaska and northern Sweden. The work examines how best to navigate green energy transitions in these regions with a focus on Indigenous perspectives, infrastructure, and environmental impact. - Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Award Description - Award Total: $249,997
Critical Minerals and the EV Supply Chain
Funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
This project utilizes Life Cycle Assessments and Embedded Resource Accounting scenario modeling to evaluate how the geographic shifts in production impact EV supply chains, resource efficiency, and GHG emissions. - Primary Researcher: Sindhu Ranganath
Adaptation in Megacities
We are analyzing adaptation plans for global megacities to understand how major urban areas plan to respond to climate change. This work builds on the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative. - Primary Student: Dhanyasri Bolla
Ethical Implications of Connected Critical Infrastructure in the FEW Nexus
Funded by the National Science Foundation
Funded by the NSF, this project explores infrastructure and stakeholder values to better understand environmental sustainability across the food-energy-water nexus. - Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Award Description - Primary Student: Selena Hinojos
- Funding: $509,880
Thriving Agricultural Systems in Urban Landscapes
Funded by the US Department of Agriculture
This collaborative project aims to develop thriving and sustainable agricultural systems within urban regions. The FEWsLab contributes by modeling embedded nitrogen and phosphorus flows in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. - Primary Student: Paniz Mohammadpour previous, Tarun Kumanduri current - Project Total: $8,975,094
- FEWsLab Portion: ~$500,000
- Interactive Dashboard: nitrogen-project.fewslab.org – built to visualize data and outcomes from this research
Previous Projects
Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative (GAMI)
A global initiative to synthesize peer-reviewed literature on climate change adaptation, contributing to the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report. - Primary student: Sarah Torhan
Ethics, Security, and Critical Network Project
This Rock Ethics Institute-funded project investigates normative and ethical questions around risk and security in critical infrastructure systems. - Collaboration: Dr. Sarah Rajtmajer
Landscape-U: Graduate Partnerships for Regenerative Landscape Design (2018–2023)
A NSF NRT-funded program exploring food, energy, and water issues in the Chesapeake Bay and globally. - Students: Paniz Mohammadpour, Lauren Dennis - Funding: $3,000,000
Climate Change Impacts on Hydropower and Grid Security
Dr. Grady and PhD student Lauren Dennis developed systems-level models assessing climate change effects on hydropower and Balancing Authority risk profiles. - Primary Student: Lauren Dennis
Maritime Security and the FEWs Nexus (2019)
Funded by the Center for Security Research and Education, this project investigated supply chain vulnerabilities and resilience in maritime food, energy, and water networks. - Student: Paniz Mohammadpour
Using Footprint Methods to Manage the WFE Nexus
This internally supported project examined how to quantify and model water, food, and energy flows in SEI networks and identified critical feedback loops. - Student: Tasnuva Mahjabin