Research Opportunity Description
Financial resources to mitigate, prepare for, and respond to hazard events are limited across the nation. As decision-makers such as emergency managers, city and regional planners, as well as Federal, State, Tribal, Territorial, and local government officials determine where and how to allot these resources, they need information to help them evaluate where their investments will make the biggest difference. Without consistent, long-term disaster loss data it is difficult to understand: (a) the true risk of a hazard, (b) who and what is exposed to that risk, (c) how to best mitigate that risk, and (d) whether risk reduction actions have been effective.
The collection of disaster loss information has been recognized by global and national disaster risk reduction communities to be of paramount importance (UNDRR 2015). While significant progress has been made in the collection of disaster losses related to hydro-meteorological hazards (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, and other extreme weather) and wildland fire (NCEI 2024), less progress has been made in the realm of geophysical hazards (Wilkins et al. 2021).
The primary objective of this research opportunity is to advance a Hazards Ready Nation by better characterizing and collecting information on direct and indirect losses caused by geophysical hazards, such as those related to earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, geomagnetism, and coastal change. Approaches can include those related to data and information science, demography, geography, sociology, human geography, applied economics, risk analysis, or some combination thereof:
- identifying the most useful existing or potential data sources for damage and loss, and exploring how to overcome potential barriers to long-term, consistent, and replicable data collection from these sources;
- collation of existing geologic damage and loss data into a repository from which analyses can be performed;
- establishing a systematic and replicable method for estimating damage and a user-friendly framework for data storage and delivery to ensure long-term quantitative records are available in the future for geohazards where these methods have not yet been developed;
- developing empirical, conceptual, or statistical models to extrapolate between isolated case studies and reports to develop a better national-scale picture of geophysical hazard losses;
- exploring trends in past losses or methods for extrapolating losses into the future, given different scenarios for land-use and infrastructure development;
- contributing to efforts to determine long-term outcomes of populations affected by geophysical hazards using case studies, participatory research, and/or longitudinal Census data;
- establishing a replicable method of data discovery from nontraditional sources such as news articles or social media to identify and estimate indirect losses resulting from cascading hazard events.
As a part of this opportunity, it is expected that the researcher will work with relevant partners to ensure that the research and development being performed are useful and usable by those who may be incorporating this information into their decision-making processes. The researcher will also work with hazard subject matter experts. The researcher may also collaborate with the U.S. Census economic and qualitative specialists and/or USGS social scientists.
Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Research Advisor(s) early in the application process to discuss project ideas.
References
Coronese, Matteo, Francesco Lamperti, Klaus Keller, Francesca Chiaromonte, and Andrea Roventini. "Evidence for sharp increase in the economic damages of extreme natural disasters." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 43 (2019): 21450-21455.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters NOAA. (2024). https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions, doi:10.25921/stkw-7w73
Smith, Adam B. "2010–2019: A landmark decade of US. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2020).
United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. (2015)
Wilkins, Aleeza, Alice Pennaz, Monica Dix, Adam Smith, Jacob Vawter, Daniel Karlson, Sezin Tokar, and Emily Brooks. "Challenges and opportunities for Sendai framework disaster loss reporting in the United States." Progress in Disaster Science 10 (2021): 100167.
Proposed Duty Station(s)
Reston, Virginia
Golden, Colorado
Areas of PhD
Data and information science, demography, geography, sociology, human geography, applied economics, risk analysis, disaster science, or related fields (candidates holding a Ph.D. in other disciplines, but with extensive knowledge and skills relevant to the Research Opportunity may be considered)
Qualifications
Applicants must meet one of the following qualifications: Research Social Scientist, Research Economist, or Research Statistician.
(This type of research is performed by those who have backgrounds for the occupations stated above. However, other titles may be applicable depending on the applicant's background, education, and research proposal. The final classification of the position will be made by the Human Resources specialist.)
