(Press-News.org) A team of researchers from the University of Chicago has been named winners of the 2024 NSF CISE Expedition Program for their part in the proposal of computational decarbonization (CoDec). This prestigious award, granted by the National Science Foundation (NSF), underscores the groundbreaking potential of CoDec in revolutionizing societal decarbonization through computational innovation.
As the largest research award within the NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate, the Expeditions in Computing program recognizes pioneering endeavors poised to make profound impacts on both scientific understanding and societal advancement. The CoDec Expedition, with a total funding of $12 million, is a collaborative effort led by UMass Amherst, in which the University of Chicago plays a pivotal role.
At the helm of the University of Chicago's team is William Eckhardt Distinguished Service Professor Andrew A. Chien from the Department of Computer Science. Chien will work alongside colleagues Hobart W. Williams Distinguished Service Professor of Operations Management John Birge from the Booth School of Business and The Ralph and Mary Otis Isham Professor Ali Hortacsu from the Department of Economics. Together, they will spearhead efforts to tackle the pressing challenge of decarbonization with a perspective that blends computing, power grids, markets, and device ecosystems.
The CoDec Expedition aims to address the urgent need for decarbonization in the face of escalating energy demands driven by rapidly expanding industries such as data centers, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles. By developing the field of computational decarbonization, the project looks to optimize and reduce the lifecycle carbon emissions of complex infrastructure systems across various domains, including computing, transportation, and the electric power grid.
The University of Chicago's contributions to the CoDec Expedition will feature a multidisciplinary research agenda spanning computing and economics in multiple dimensions. One thrust will continue a longstanding research interest of Chien and Birge: understanding the intricate interplay between data centers and the power grid, crucial for expediting grid decarbonization. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) power demands has created global concern about the stability of the power grids, and the growth’s environmental consequences.
Chien has led a series of efforts exploring opportunities presented and challenges faced by the incorporation of renewable energy in the power grid. These efforts identified the opportunity of “stranded power”– negative priced power that is increasing in quantity and frequency– and also proposed a cost-effective flexible computing approach called “Zero-carbon Cloud”, which has been taken up as large-flexible loads in numerous power grids (eg. ERCOT/Texas). His recent efforts have focused on creating synergies between datacenters (large, adaptive loads) and the power grid.
Years of combined research by Chien and Birge have shown that the deep innovations in markets, datacenter design, cloud and AI computing, and power engineering are essential to reduce operational carbon.
“The power grid is facing huge challenges to decarbonize, and data centers need new capabilities to help, not hinder, progress,” emphasized Chien. “Coupling datacenter flexibility with power grids effectively in power grid markets is a key problem.”
Another thrust explores the lifecycle carbon of consumer computing devices, exploring new economic incentives that could 1) increase the longevity of computing devices, especially cell phones, while increasing their utility and profitability, or 2) reduce the environmental impact of manufacture or circular reuse / recycling. This effort includes Professors Hortacsu and Chien.
The larger CoDec Expedition will develop novel computational techniques, algorithms, and AI methods tailored for addressing decarbonization challenges over extensive timeframes and geographic dimensions. These efforts will not only propel scientific breakthroughs but also facilitate the transition to a low-carbon future essential for societal well-being, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability.
"No sustainability gains will persist long term without consistent economic incentives,” stated Birge. “At UChicago, we are pleased to lead the CoDec research efforts to examine those incentives to ensure sustainable economic outcomes."
The CoDec project also includes faculty at MIT, CMU, UCLA, and UW-Madison. Further, the project aims to nurture a new generation of leaders equipped with the knowledge and skills to tackle complex societal challenges. Through innovative educational initiatives, the Expedition will empower the workforce of tomorrow to drive sustainable change. Central to this endeavor is the development of new educational programs and curricula that elevate computational decarbonization as a core topic in computing. By introducing activities that broaden participation in computing through undergraduate research and k-12 outreach, the Expedition will instill a deep understanding of the principles and practices of carbon-efficient computing at an earlier age.
“All technologists and technology companies must take responsibility for the sustainability impact of their invention,” said Chien. “This project is a terrific opportunity to address key environmental sustainability challenges that the extraordinary success of computing has created.”
END
UChicago partners with UMass on NSF expedition to elevate computational decarbonization as a new field in computing
2024-05-23
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Epidural linked to reduction in serious complications after childbirth
2024-05-23
Having an epidural during labour is associated with a marked reduction in serious complications in the first few weeks after giving birth, finds a study published by The BMJ today.
Doctors refer to these complications as severe maternal morbidity (SMM), which can include heart attack, heart failure, sepsis, and hysterectomy.
Epidural analgesia is recommended for women with known risk factors for SMM, such as obesity, certain underlying conditions, or having more than one baby. These women are said to have a ‘medical indication’ for epidural analgesia in labour. Women delivering prematurely ...
Safety fears for England’s screening services if national oversight is lost
2024-05-23
Plans to devolve responsibility for the quality of England’s 11 national screening services could result in significant safety risks, experts tell The BMJ in an exclusive report today.
Assistant news editor Gareth Iacobucci explains that NHS England is currently discussing proposals to delegate some of the functions of the national Screening Quality Assurance Service (SQAS) from NHSE to regional Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).
But concerned experts warn that devolving responsibility to local organisations will spread resources more thinly, lead to a loss of expertise and independence, and compromise ...
Preteens use dating apps, and 1 in 4 are sexual minorities
2024-05-22
Though most online dating apps have a minimum age requirement of 18 years, a new study finds a small number of 11 to 12 year-olds use them. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) preteens are 13 times more likely to report engaging in online dating compared to their heterosexual peers.
“Lesbian, gay, or bisexual adolescents, including preteens, may have limited romantic partner options in their schools, where they may also face discrimination, bullying, and stigma because of their sexual orientation,” says lead author Jason Nagata, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at ...
Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology awarded to F. William Studier for development of widely used protein- and RNA-production platform
2024-05-22
F. William Studier of Brookhaven National Laboratory has won the second annual Richard N. Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology for his development of an efficient, scalable method of producing RNA and proteins in the laboratory. His T7 expression technology can be used to make large quantities of nearly any RNA or protein and has been for decades, and continues to be, a mainstay of biomedical research and pharmaceutical production. The approach has been used to produce numerous therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines — including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines credited with extending millions of lives in recent years.
“F. William ...
Geisinger funding renewed for familial hypercholesterolemia research
2024-05-22
DANVILLE, Pa. – Geisinger has been awarded $3 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to continue its research on familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The new funding will build on Geisinger’s ongoing work to improve communication with patients with FH and their family members and increase early screening and diagnosis.
FH is an inherited condition that causes high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often referred to as “bad cholesterol.” Left untreated, high ...
Solar physicists unlock the key to how sunspots form—and much more
2024-05-22
A team of solar scientists have uncovered the possible originals of the engine that drives much of the sun’s volatile nature—generating the sunspots that move like storm clouds over the surface and causing the sun’s activity levels to rise and fall over 11-year cycles.
The secret behind this engine, also known as the “solar dynamo,” may be among the oldest “unsolved problems of physics,” said Benjamin Brown, a solar physicist at CU Boulder.
In new research, he and his colleagues used mathematical equations ...
Stroke-care metrics improve with stroke center certification and coordinators
2024-05-22
Key stroke-care metrics improve at telestroke hospitals with stroke center certification and stroke coordinators.
That’s what NORC researchers at the University of Chicago found when they conducted an external evaluation of the telestroke program at the Medical University of South Carolina. NORC, which stands for National Opinion Research Center, and MUSC researchers report their findings in the Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases.
Mithuna Srinivasan, Ph.D., principal research scientist at NORC, is the lead author of the article and MUSC telestroke and telehealth experts Christine Holmstedt. D.O., Jillian Harvey, Ph.D., ...
Young people are increasingly using Wegovy and Ozempic
2024-05-22
Public interest in weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic is surging, but national data on dispensing patterns in the United States are surprisingly scarce.
Now, a national study from Michigan Medicine shows that the use of these weight loss drugs is increasing rapidly in adolescents and young adults 12-25 years, especially females.
Using 2020 - 2023 data from a national database representing 92% of pharmacies, the study team found a 594% increase in the monthly number of adolescents and young adults using Wegovy, Ozempic, and other glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists ...
UArizona Health Sciences professor uses CT network to promote public access to open science
2024-05-22
Reading about the latest scientific discovery – such as the unearthing of a fossil representing a new species of tiny dinosaur – can be fascinating. But what if it were possible to do more than just read about it? What if you could go online, download a digital model and 3D print an exact replica of that fossil within minutes of reading the news? That is the goal of the Non-Clinical Tomography Users Research Network, or NoCTURN, an international group of researchers spearheaded by theUniversity of Arizona Health Sciences, the American ...
Designing autism-inclusive healthcare environments
2024-05-22
Autism is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in the U.S., affecting an estimated one out of 36 children. Most people with autism experience unique sensory features such as differences in reactivity to touch, sounds, and sights or difficulty managing multiple sensory inputs at the same time.
These sensory differences can make the healthcare environment — often characterized by fluorescent lights, idle waiting rooms and uncomfortable pokes and prods — difficult to navigate, preventing children with autism from getting the care they need. To change that, occupational therapists Roseann ...