National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

Earthquake Risk and Hazard Research, Implementation, and Outreach Roadmap

Award

Contract SB134106Z0011/68330 was awarded to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Research Council (NRC). The total cost of this three phase effort is $582,065.00. Phase 1 was awarded on September 29, 2008, through June 28, 2009, for $313,250.00. Phase 2 was awarded for $211,133.00, with a performance period of June 29, 2009, through March 28, 2010. Phase 3 of this contract was awarded for $57,682.00, with a performance period of March 29, 2010, through July 28, 2010.

About NRC

NRC functions under the auspices of NAS, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The NAS, NAE, IOM, and NRC are part of a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln that was originally granted to the NAS in 1863. Under this charter, the NRC was established in 1916, the NAE in 1964, and the IOM in 1970. The four organizations are collectively referred to as the National Academies.

The mission of NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution takes this charge seriously and works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world.

NRC is committed to providing elected leaders, policy makers, and the public with expert advice based on sound scientific evidence. NRC does not receive direct federal appropriations for its work. Individual projects are funded by federal agencies, foundations, other governmental and private sources, and the institution's endowment. The work is made possible by 6,000 of the world's top scientists, engineers, and other professionals who volunteer their time without compensation to serve on committees and participate in activities. NRC is administered jointly by NAS, NAE, and IOM through the NRC Governing Board.

NRC core services involve collecting, analyzing, and sharing information and knowledge. The independence of the institution, combined with its unique ability to convene experts, allows it to be responsive to a host of requests.

Specific Tasks

A NRC committee will develop a roadmap for earthquake hazard and risk reduction in the U.S. The committee will frame the roadmap around the goals and objectives for achieving national earthquake resilience in public safety and economic security stated in the current strategic plan of NEHRP submitted to Congress in 2008. This roadmap will be based on an analysis of what will be required to realize the strategic plan's major technical goals for earthquake resilience within 20 years.

Specific tasks that the NRC team will perform include:

• Host a national workshop focused on assessing the basic and applied research, seismic monitoring, knowledge transfer, implementation, education, and outreach activities needed to achieve national earthquake resilience over a twenty year period.
• Estimate program costs, on an annual basis, that will be required to implement the roadmap.
• Describe the future sustained activities, such as earthquake monitoring (both for research and for warning), education, and public outreach, which should continue following the 20 year period.

Key Personnel

The NRC Project Director is David Feary, Senior Program Officer, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources.

NRC will employ an ad hoc project steering committee to conduct the study. The committee will have representation from the academic, practitioner, and state and local government communities, with expertise in areas such as earthquake engineering (performance-based engineering, building codes); emergency management (emergency response and recovery); social science (community resilience, risk acceptance); economics (insurance, loss estimation, business interruption); and earth sciences (seismology, earthquake monitoring, hazard assessment). Committee members will be named in early 2009.

Top of Page