NSF CAREER: Bolstering Food System Resilience to Reduce the Human Impacts of Disaster
The focus of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award is to advance the science of food environments and enhance the mitigation and adaptation of social and built environment systems to disasters by bolstering food security and the resilience of food systems. Food is a basic need for human survival and the ability of social systems to meet this need in disaster situations is compromised when our homes, businesses and other structures are damaged and lifelines disrupted. While elements of the various social and built environmental systems that make up the broader food environment as well as food security issues have been studied by various disciplines, a comprehensive, systematic approach has yet to be applied and tested in disaster settings. The overall objectives of this research are to develop a model of the Food Environment in Disasters (FED) along with theory-based tools to support food system resilience. The development of this model and associated tools facilitates a clearer understanding and monitoring of food availability, acceptability, and accessibility to enhance our understanding of the causes, consequences, and health effects of food environment disruption in disasters. This work contributes to NSF’s mission to promote the process of science by developing and validating a new theoretical model and associated metrics on food environment disruption and food security following disasters. The products of this research will advance national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting improved food security and food system functioning following disasters.
Funder: National Science Foundation, Award #2225665
Project Team: Lauren Clay (PI); Kerstin Schreiber, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Photo credit: Lauren Clay
Developing and Validating a Disaster Food Security Scale
Disaster and environmental disruptions are increasing in frequency and severity due to global climate change. While much is known about food systems and food security in non-disaster times, much less is understood about the impacts of disasters on the local food environment and how people navigate getting food when their homes and communities are severely disrupted.
Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitor food security – whether households have enough food to eat – they primarily monitor whether people have enough money for food. After a disaster, if your home is damaged and you don’t have a working kitchen to store and prepare food, having enough money is not the only challenge to getting enough food to eat.
This study looks at how we can better measure food insecurity following disasters – when you experience other barriers to food security besides not having enough money. Some examples of barriers we are looking at include physical barriers to food sources such as damaged roads, food availability such as store closures, and appropriate foods that you can eat without extensive kitchen facilities to prepare.
Learn about the study results: Presentation at USDA Conference
Funder: Natural Hazards Center
Project Team: Lauren Clay (PI); Nadia Koyratty, Anna Josephson, Carmen Byker-Shanks
Previous funding
Funder: Tufts University/USDA
Project Team: Lauren Clay (PI); Stephanie Rogus, NMSU; Meredith Niles, University of Vermont; Nadia Koyratty, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, UMBC
Science Advisory Group: Anna Josephson, University of Arizona; Roni Neff & Erin Biehl, Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University; Rachel Zack, Greater Boston Food Bank; Uriyoan Cólon-Rámos, George Washington University; Azmal Hossan, Colorado State University
Contribution of Longitudinal Neighborhood Determinants to Cognitive Health and Dementia Disparities within a Multi-Ethnic Cohort
This research leverages the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) to address major gaps in the understanding of how disasters influence neighborhoods and disparities in cognitive health. We are augmenting data available in MESA with another cohort, the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, providing similar health outcomes, adding age, race, and regional variability. Our main objective is to identify key neighborhood components of community disaster resilience related to incidence and disparities in cognitive impairment in older adults. Our long-range goal is to identify and develop strategies for improving the resilience of older adults to disaster events and reduce disaster-related cognitive decline.
Funder: National Institute of Aging (NIA); award # 3R01AG072634-03S1
Project Team: Jana Hirsch (PI), Drexel University; Yvonne Michael, Drexel University; Lauren Clay, UMBC; Kevin Smiley, LSU; Kerstin Schreiber, UMBC
The Impact of Policies on Refugee Resettlement Agencies: Navigating Regulatory Challenges and Nonprofit Capacity
Political polarization in the United States has significantly shaped immigration and refugee resettlement policies, creating a volatile environment for nonprofit organizations that serve refugees. This research examines how polarized political climates impact the operational capacity, service delivery, and advocacy roles of refugee resettlement agencies, particularly in the context of disasters and emergencies. These agencies are vital in supporting refugee integration and fostering social equity, yet they operate under complex and often inconsistent federal, state, and local policy frameworks. This study focuses on how political polarization either enables or constrains these agencies’ ability to respond to crisis situations, deliver essential services, and promote social justice. By analyzing policy frameworks and conducting interviews with nonprofit stakeholders across these regions, the research will provide insights into how political polarization influences disaster preparedness, service continuity, and health-related advocacy efforts for vulnerable refugee populations. The findings will contribute to disaster health research by exploring the intersection of political dynamics, nonprofit capacity, and the resilience of refugee communities in times of crisis.
Funder: UMBC CAHSS Dean’s Research Award
Project Team: Ming Xie (PI)