Rutgers to Lead $16 Million in Climate Projects Along New Jersey Coast
August 5, 2024
University researchers to lead green infrastructure, community engagement, K-12 education and planning initiatives as part of a $72.5 million federal grant
Rutgers University researchers will lead several components of a $72.5 million federal initiative to fortify New Jersey's coast against climate change and extreme weather events.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the grant to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the Building a Climate Ready New Jersey program. The five-year initiative seeks to enhance climate resilience across the state’s 16 coastal counties — all with tidal waterways — through projects ranging from flood mitigation to workforce development training and student education.
Rutgers will receive about $16 million of the total grant to lead several program components, according to Lisa Auermuller, administrative director of Rutgers' Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub.
In addition to building physical resilience, the money will develop the next generation of climate resilience experts by providing hands-on experience for Rutgers graduate and undergraduate students across these projects.