Convergence Science
The Rising Voices, Changing Coasts Hub (RVCC) takes a convergence science approach, which brings together people from across disciplines to solve the most challenging and complex issues facing society. Each of those individuals brings their own understanding, methodologies, techniques, and expertise to contribute to the solution. RVCC’s diverse team is weaving together Indigenous knowledges, climate and geospatial modeling capabilities, archeological records, socio-economic analysis, and hazards research. Together, the team will co-create data, analyses, and findings that coastal communities need for making decisions about hazard mitigation, adaptation, and strategies that protect their (our) ways of being.
“Today's grand challenges will not be solved by one discipline alone… but [through] the
integration of knowledge, methods and expertise from across science and engineering…”
- US National Science Foundation
Where We Work
We are focused on impacts to four coastal regions in Indigenous territories:
Alaska (Arctic)
Louisiana (Gulf of Mexico)
Hawai’i (Pacific Islands)
Puerto Rico (Caribbean Islands)
Our Goals
Goal #1: Develop a successful cross-cultural research framework that can be adapted by future research collaborators
RVCC introduces a model of transdisciplinary collaboration across Indigenous and non-Indigenous, intellectually-diverse researchers and knowledge-holders, centering strong relationships, mutual benefit, and trust. This relational approach enables us to co-create both the research outputs and the framework in which the research is conducted. We are developing a complex adaptive model for collaboration centered in Indigenous methodological and ethical frameworks, and including elements of Earth systems science, intercultural communications strategies, data management practices, conflict resolution techniques, cultural protocol(s), accountability mechanisms, and more.
Goal #2: Improve Earth system modeling and prediction of coastal processes to provide highly-usable and culturally-relevant information for coastal communities
We want to fundamentally improve the way predictive information is utilized by coastal communities, while significantly enhancing the accessibility and functionality of climate, risk, and geospatial information. We aim to do this through frameworks and scientific language that are relevant to communities and respectful of Tribal, cultural, and data sovereignty interests. It is imperative that the results of our climate models, as informed by intercultural research frameworks, accurately and precisely reflect the knowledge-systems that communities have developed over centuries of observation to formulate effective mitigation and adaptation strategies and that the exchange of this information is accessible and readily usable.
Goal #3: Broaden participation and support leadership of Indigenous students and researchers in Earth system science
We are building pathways into the field of Earth system science that do not require students to choose between their identities and their careers. We will support their exploration of the intricate dynamics of coastal systems and the interactions with coastal hazards through scientific research and respectful community engagement. These skills are critical for accurately understanding, responding to, and mitigating potential threats in coastal areas. The RVCC hub provides educational and professional advancement opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as early career researchers, with interdisciplinary training in Indigenous, Earth, social, ecological, and data sciences.
Goal #4: Strengthen infrastructure for future collaborations between academic institutions and Indigenous communities
We are lighting the way for future research endeavors by establishing a scalable infrastructure and promoting the principles of ethical and respectful collaboration. To accomplish this, we are enhancing the administrative and professional capacities of the Haskell Foundation to more effectively support ongoing and future research initiatives at Haskell Indian Nations University, conducted by and in collaboration with Indigenous scientists and communities. Additionally, we are strengthening the technological and communication infrastructure in the participating coastal communities to support the hub's objectives.
Our Research Topics
The RVCC team is exploring a variety of research topics defined by Indigenous leaders and community members, which may change and be refined over the course of the project. Broadly, the first phase of research, which emerged from nearly a decade of annual workshops held by The Rising Voices Center for Indigenous and Earth Sciences, is focusing on three topics – storms and weather, flooding and erosion, and ecosystems – with research questions focused on large-scale climate drivers of coastal change over multiple decades. Phase One includes a focus on building relationships and coordination between team members. In Phase Two, the science questions will be refined to reflect the knowledge that is co-created during Phase One and may include new, emergent research topics and questions in response to our partnering Indigenous communities.
Our Funding
RVCC is funded by a five-year $20-million grant from the National Science Foundation Coastlines and People Hubs for Research and Broadening Participation (CoPe) program with Haskell Foundation serving as the pass-through entity. Award Number 2103843.
