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Projects

A collection of ongoing and completed research projects from the FEWsLab.

Current Projects

Perceptions of Energy Security in Sweden

Funded by the National Science Foundation

PhD student Abbey Kollar is furthering understanding of different energy stakeholder perceptions of energy security in Sweden, including responsibilities, threats, and metrics.

Formula One Net Zero Goals

Funded by George Washington University

Lab Manager Sachi Nandurkar built a systems simulation model to explore decarbonization pathways for a tricky business: Formula One. The model tests which policy levers the sport can pull, from sustainable aviation fuel and renewable electricity to a more regional race calendar, and shows where the hardest-to-reach parts of its 2030 net-zero goal lie.

  • Primary Personnel: Sachi Nandurkar
  • Paper published in Frontiers in Climate (2026).
  • Dashboard simulation of the policy pathways.

Surveying the Aid Ecosystem

Funded by the Global Food Institute

In collaboration with Maraym Z. Deloffre and Erica Gralla we are surveying the aid ecosystem changes as processes evolve post-USAID. This includes measuring relationships, information exchange, and more. Our first outcome is a White Paper that describes these impacts in the food aid ecosystem as of October 2025. This work is ongoing and collecting longitudinal data.

Climate Risks and Resilience across Balancing Authorities

Funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

PhD student Abbey Kollar is building systems-level models to investigate the impact climate risks have on electricity generating facilities across the United States at the scale of the Balancing Authority.

  • Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Award Description
  • Primary Student: Abbey Kollar

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

Previous Projects

Operational Risks to Data Centers

Funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and National Science Foundation DTAIS National Research Traineeship

PhD student Abbey Kollar analyzed operational risks to data centers in the U.S., including heatwaves, water stress, and local grid emissions.

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

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 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