Awards
GRANTS
2024 United States Department of Defense (DoD) $1,850,000. PI. “Enhanced management of threatened and endangered species, wildfire risk reduction, and stormwater management improvements at Fort Carson, Colorado”. Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience in DoD Arid Landscapes - ESTCP, Resource Conservation and Resilience Program Area. Status: pre-proposal submitted on March 7, 2024
2024 NSF, $1,405,563. Senior Personnel.“Structured Composite Objects from Expanding Bacteria Communities with Synthetic Cell Features”. PI: Maria Santore, Engineering Department. Status: proposal submitted in January, 2024. In this interdisciplinary project I will examine the possible impacts of the proposed technologies (new polymers) on human health and on the environment. We will adopt risk assessments methods, cost benefit analysis techniques, and the precautionary principle in relation to the proposed technologies. Status: proposal submitted in January, 2024
2023 NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (2023). $3,000,000. PI. “Habitat restoration and coastal resilience planning for underserved communities: Rumney Marsh and surrounding municipalities”. Status: proposal submitted on December 19, 2023.
2023 NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (2023). $1,500,000. We have submitted a Letter of Intent to NOAA and we are waiting for a reply. My role: Co-PI. PI: Rob de Conto (School of Earth and Sustainability). “Northeast Collaborative for Coastal Resilience (NCCR)”.
2021 NSF, $200,000. PI. Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP). “Towards a green and inclusive post-pandemic recovery of the Blue Economy and coastal communities (RRR-Coast)” Ongoing (3/2022 to 3/2025). This grant is part of a larger T-AP award, equivalent to $2,000,000. Participating institutions: University of Costa Rica (Costa Rica), University of Glasgow (Scotland), University of Massachusetts Amherst, and United Nations University (Bonn, Germany).
2021 European Union, €5,000,000. Staff associate. Nature-based solutions, prevention and reduction of risks and the insurance sector (HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-06 ). “Naturance – Insurance for Nature, Nature for Insurance” Ongoing (3/2022 to 3/2025). Participating institutions: Cambridge University (UK), the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (Italy), IIASA (Austria), Kalsruher Institute fur Technologie (KIT) (Germany), Stockholm University (Sweden), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (UK).
2021 NSF, $19,518,064. Submitted, not awarded, invited for resubmission. Co-PI. PI: Rob de Conto, School of Earth and Sustainability. Large-scale CoPe: Northeast Center for Coastal Resilience (NCCR). “Building a Framework for a Climate-Adaptive, Just, and Thriving Coastal New England.” Participating universities: UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, UMass Lowell, and UMass Dartmouth.
2021 UMass College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Dean's Research Council, $5,000. PI. “Ecosystem-based approaches to climate-change adaptation and disaster risk reduction: a global review”
2020 NSF, Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks (20–611 SRS RN), $149,000 . Faculty Associate. PI: Elizabeth Infield, LARP UMass. “Preparing Receiving Regions for a Just and Sustainable Climate Migration – Systems and Scenarios for New England.”
2018 UMass School of Behavioral Sciences Ken Feinberg Course Development Grant $5,000. The grant supports the design and development of a new course using the Feinberg Innovation Space, a new classroom facility with cutting-edge audio and video capabilities. “PUBADMIN 697EV- Environmental Policy and Economic Analysis”.
Honors and Awards
2021 PEDRR Champion Award for research on Nature-based Solutions, United Nations Environment Programme.
2011 Best Poster Award at the Northeast Universities Development Consortium Conference 2011
“El Nino and Mexican Children: medium-term effects of early-life weather shocks on cognitive and health outcomes”
2008-2010 Founding President of the Columbia University Sustainable Development Doctoral Society (SDDS).
This organization serves as a forum for discussion on Sustainable Development and
promotes linkages between academia, the private sector and policy makers. SDDS was awarded:
- the Columbia University President’s and Provost’s Student Initiative Fund 2009, and
- the Graduate Students Advisory Board Award in 2009, and in 2010
2008 NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies, Best Publication Award
2008 Finalist, Columbia University Presidential Awards for Outstanding Teaching by Graduate Students
2007 Contributing author to the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), Nobel Peace Prize 2007
2007 Medal of Merit, conferred by the Mayor of the city of Muggio`, Italy, for science outreach and public education
2007 Award for Excellence in Research for contribution to the IPCC 2007--
Award received from the Italian Prime Minister and the Minister of the Environment
Fellowships and Scholarships
2018 University of Massachusetts - School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Ken Feinberg Innovation Course Development Grant
2009-2010 Giorgio Ruffolo Doctoral Fellow, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard University (25,000 USD)
2008 Peccei Award/Fellowship for Outstanding Research. IIASA, Austria (5,000 Euros)
2007 National Academies of Sciences, IIASA Young Scientist Fellowship (3,000 USD)
2006 Alliance Doctoral Mobility Program Fellow, Columbia University – École Polytechnique, France (4,000 USD)
2005-2011 Columbia University Doctoral Fellowship (260,000 USD)
2004-2005 Alice Stetten Fellow, SIPA, Columbia University (15,000 USD)
2003-2004 Research Fellow, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York
2000-2004 École Normale Supérieure Élève-Fonctionnaire Fellowship, French Ministry of Education (80,000 Euros)