Second round of Penn State-Auckland seed grant recipients complete projects

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In 2019, a vision for collaboration between the University of Auckland and Penn State led to the establishment of the Collaboration Development Seed Fund to nurture collaborative research and educational initiatives to become sustainable, self-supporting, long-term activities. Two rounds of co-funded seed grant competitions were launched by Penn State Global, the first in 2020 and second in 2023, resulting in a total of 10 cross-university collaboration projects receiving funding. The 18-month term for the 2023-24 seed grant-funded projects recently concluded, with the teams submitting their final reports. The impact of the research efforts and relationships formed between faculty, staff and students from both institutions, however, continues to generate global impact. 

The second round of funded projects focused on four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): SDG3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG4: Quality Education, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG13: Climate Action.

One of the 2023-24 seed grant-funded project teams, “Assessing Climate Futures through Environmental Data Analytics,” led by principal investigators (PIs) Erica Smithwick, director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and associate director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment, Penn State, and  George Perry, professor, faculty of science, environment, University  of Auckland, worked to establish enduring relationships to support climate resilient communities and capacity building for sustainability. This project supported numerous student-led initiatives, international graduate student collaborations and local climate action projects, and it has resulted in multiple publications. The project cemented sustainable collaborative efforts with ongoing discussions and momentum for a sub-set of impactful projects involving globally engaged transdisciplinary research, according to the researchers. 

"Our project reflects the importance of global institutional partnerships while reinforcing that they are best sustained through investment in human relationships and the co-design of local solutions,” Smithwick said. “By working with our partners at the Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland and with local Māori communities, we have identified place-based research projects that will support a more resilient climate future in Aotearoa/New Zealand and which have meaningfully enhanced the educational opportunities of the Penn State students who were involved.”

Peter Buck, director of education for Penn State Sustainability, agreed.

“By working with Drs. Smithwick, Perry, University of Auckland faculty and students, and partners in Māori iwi (tribes) and trusts, in regional and local government, and non-governmental organizations, we are creating more culturally responsive climate education and climate planning tools,” Buck said. “Most impactfully, we are developing projects that assist community while creating life-changing research and designing projects for undergraduate and graduate students.” PIs Kaleigh Yost, assistant professor ofivil and environmental engineering, Penn State, and Andrew Stolte, lecturer in the geomechanics group in Te Kura Pūkaha Metarahi me te Taiao, which means Deptment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, also received a 2023-24 seed grant award for their project, “Towards Linking Hydro-Climatic Change and Earthquake Hazard.” This project supported fundamental research linking hydroclimatic change and earthquake hazards with a strong focus on relationship development between faculty and students at both universities and within communities.

Students were provided many opportunities to participate in field testing in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and, as a direct result, a related research project to study flood infrastructure resilience in Pennsylvania was funded and will provide momentum for ongoing research collaborations.

“This seed grant allowed us to lay the groundwork for a robust and lasting collaboration between Penn State and the University of Auckland,” Yost said. “Our Penn State cohort spent a week in New Zealand hosting a hybrid workshop on interconnected hazards — which was attended by 34 people across both universities — and collecting field data to support our study of climate-earthquake interactions.”

In tandem with seed grant research and educational activities that provide valuable collaborative opportunities within the partnership, the recent establishment of the University of Auckland/Penn State Advisory Committee, composed of faculty members and Global office staff from both universities, leverages university-wide knowledge to guide the development of the partnership strategy ensuring the opportunities provided through the partnership continue to align with the strengths and goals of each institution.

Working together with the Advisory Committee, the Global offices from Penn State and the University of Auckland co-hosted a  virtual workshop in November 2024, which provided faculty members from both institutions the opportunity to share their research covering four thematic areas: 1) Bio-sourced and bio-inspired multifunctional materials/innovative materials; 2) Impactful collaborations at the intersection of health and environment/Transforming the future of health care; 3) Children’s future/intercultural learning and competencies; 4) Renewable energy and decarbonization. Many research synergies emerged and based on concrete interest, Penn State Global will host a three-day, in-person workshop with selected University of Auckland faculty at University Park from June 16 through June19.

“Shared strategic goals in research and teaching opportunities formed the initial basis for establishing the University of Auckland/Penn State strategic partnership in 2019,” said Alexandra Persiko, director of global partnerships in Penn State Global. “The many efforts and activities over the past six years, including seed grant projects, faculty collaborations, delegation visits and joint workshops, have secured a strong and sustainable foundation for this important partnership which is well positioned for future growth and success.”

For more information, please contact Alexandra Persiko at axp1225@psu.edu.