594
1. Significantly advance our understanding of the food–energy–water system of systems through
quantitative, predictive and computational modeling, including support for relevant
cyberinfrastructure;
2. Develop real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces that improve understanding of the behavior of
FEW systems and increase decision support capability;
3. Enable research that will lead to innovative and integrated social, engineering, physical, and
natural systems solutions to critical FEW systems problems;
4. Grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and managing the FEW system of systems,
through education and other professional development opportunities.
NSF has also engaged other parts of the US government, like the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, in INFEWS funding opportunities. While the longevity of INFEWS
and FEWS nexus research grants that will sustain a Nexus Community of Science
is uncertain, other programs support work at the nexus from a variety of sectorbased and cross-cutting perspectives such as sustainability. Thus, the opportunity
for public and private funders around the world to sustain the emergent Nexus
Community of Science is an important one.
In Sect. 17.5, we described the example of the Sustainable Water–energy–food
Nexus Working Group of Water Future as a global nexus community of science
focused on water research in support of international scientific collaboration to
drive solutions to the world’s water problems. Many opportunities to form similar
communities exist. FEW Nexus Communities of Practice are immature at this time
but emerging and evolving. We argue that communities of practice provided with
appropriate tools can most effectively develop and apply solutions to nexus challenges. Providing communities of practice with useful decision-making tools and
platforms frame most of the specific opportunities that follow.
Establishing a global FEW Nexus Community of Science Practice (CoSiP)
would provide the foundation of a general stakeholder community that will provide
a global platform to effectively address the substantial existing knowledge gaps in
science, education, and governance. Such a community would also enable integrated research efforts and improve capacity building, outreach, and education
efforts. Proposals for a FEW Nexus Community of Science and Practice seek to
transcend regional and national borders to promote inclusive, transparent, interdisciplinary cooperation and intergovernmental in approaches between all stakeholders. Its philosophy would be supportive and complementary to the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals and be used to encourage scientifically enabled
policy, monitoring, assessments, and cooperation. Indeed, locally relevant work
would provide the foundation for identifying solutions to common, global problems. To achieve these ends, a FEW Nexus Community of Science Practice might
offer a global platform for the nexus debate and will bridge between science, policymaking, and the general stakeholder community by:
1. Establishing a shared data platform (with national and international components)
that serves all three sectors (water, energy, and food);
2. Identifying data needs and shortcomings through the evaluation of existing
libraries and their ability, or lack thereof, to support multi-scale, transdisciplinary
research;
B. Kinne et al.
1. Significantly advance our understanding of the food–energy–water system of systems through
quantitative, predictive and computational modeling, including support for relevant
cyberinfrastructure;
2. Develop real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces that improve understanding of the behavior of
FEW systems and increase decision support capability;
3. Enable research that will lead to innovative and integrated social, engineering, physical, and
natural systems solutions to critical FEW systems problems;
4. Grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and managing the FEW system of systems,
through education and other professional development opportunities.
NSF has also engaged other parts of the US government, like the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, in INFEWS funding opportunities. While the longevity of INFEWS
and FEWS nexus research grants that will sustain a Nexus Community of Science
is uncertain, other programs support work at the nexus from a variety of sectorbased and cross-cutting perspectives such as sustainability. Thus, the opportunity
for public and private funders around the world to sustain the emergent Nexus
Community of Science is an important one.
In Sect. 17.5, we described the example of the Sustainable Water–energy–food
Nexus Working Group of Water Future as a global nexus community of science
focused on water research in support of international scientific collaboration to
drive solutions to the world’s water problems. Many opportunities to form similar
communities exist. FEW Nexus Communities of Practice are immature at this time
but emerging and evolving. We argue that communities of practice provided with
appropriate tools can most effectively develop and apply solutions to nexus challenges. Providing communities of practice with useful decision-making tools and
platforms frame most of the specific opportunities that follow.
Establishing a global FEW Nexus Community of Science Practice (CoSiP)
would provide the foundation of a general stakeholder community that will provide
a global platform to effectively address the substantial existing knowledge gaps in
science, education, and governance. Such a community would also enable integrated research efforts and improve capacity building, outreach, and education
efforts. Proposals for a FEW Nexus Community of Science and Practice seek to
transcend regional and national borders to promote inclusive, transparent, interdisciplinary cooperation and intergovernmental in approaches between all stakeholders. Its philosophy would be supportive and complementary to the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals and be used to encourage scientifically enabled
policy, monitoring, assessments, and cooperation. Indeed, locally relevant work
would provide the foundation for identifying solutions to common, global problems. To achieve these ends, a FEW Nexus Community of Science Practice might
offer a global platform for the nexus debate and will bridge between science, policymaking, and the general stakeholder community by:
1. Establishing a shared data platform (with national and international components)
that serves all three sectors (water, energy, and food);
2. Identifying data needs and shortcomings through the evaluation of existing
libraries and their ability, or lack thereof, to support multi-scale, transdisciplinary
research;
B. Kinne et al.