NCORR Workshop on Risk Analytics and Insurance Innovation: RESILE co-hosted a full-day workshop with the Nicholas Institute and NCORR focused on supporting climate-exposed communities through improved risk analytics and innovative insurance models. Held at the East Carolina Heart Institute, the event brought together ~70 participants—including planners, insurers, modelers, and researchers—to identify rural communities’ data and modeling needs and explore new strategies for risk management. The workshop directly informed RESILE’s follow-on work with Creswell and exemplifies the type of multi-stakeholder engagement that RESILE is designed to support and scale.
Technical Assistance for Creswell, NC: RESILE is providing ongoing support to the town of Creswell, located in one of FEMA’s designated Community Disaster Resilience Zones. Building on a prior Climate+ project, the team continues to collect data, run flood risk simulations, and advise local leaders on mitigation options. In 2024, RESILE helped Creswell and NCORR secure a $500,000 state grant for flood mitigation planning and is now supporting consultant selection and project design. This partnership illustrates how RESILE can help deliver scientific and technical capacity to under-resourced communities through place-based engagement.
NSF EAGER Grant on Ecosystem Innovation and Regional Resilience: RESILE, in collaboration with East Carolina University, secured a $300K NSF EAGER grant to explore how nature-based climate solutions can generate long-term social and economic benefits for rural communities. The project aims to develop lab-to-market frameworks that link environmental innovation with place-based development and workforce opportunity. Emerging outputs, including research on aquaculture technology and coastal workforce targeting, demonstrate how RESILE could support equitable adaptation through cross-sector data integration and economic modeling.
Guidelines for Contractor Engagement in Coastal Resilience Projects: RESILE is developing guidance for NCORR to support the contracting of private-sector consultants for flood mitigation planning in coastal North Carolina. The effort includes recommendations for a statewide Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract paired with a modular Statement of Work (SOW) that can be adapted to local needs. Aimed at improving consistency, quality control, and administrative efficiency, this work advances RESILE’s goal of supporting effective governance frameworks for community-scale climate resilience.
NC EcoTech Collaboration on Regional Innovation: RESILE contributed to the NC EcoTech initiative, led by UNC Wilmington, which aimed to establish a future NSF Innovation Engine focused on advancing eco-technologies for regional resilience, innovation, and workforce development in eastern North Carolina. While the team was not selected for the next phase of NSF funding, the collaboration laid the groundwork for a successful NSF EAGER grant and continues to explore future opportunities. This interinstitutional effort reflects the kind of applied, cross-sector innovation ecosystem that RESILE is positioned to support.
