This civic-university partnership develops a low-cost approach to monitor Alaska's Qanirtuuq river, located on the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta. Rural villages are among the 75% of Alaskan communities with fewer than 1,000 people who rely primarily on subsistence, including the iconic pacific salmon. Like much of the Arctic, the Y-K Delta has grappled with unpredictable salmon escapements, and river dynamics threaten infrastructure and shipping routes.

City centers nationwide are rapidly evolving from a traditional downtown into a vibrant “Central Activity District.” Yet, city leaders, small businesses, and residents lack timely, trustworthy data on how people move through and experience these public spaces. This pilot project will convert existing security cameras into privacy-preserving “urban intelligence sensors.” Instead of transmitting recognizable faces, each camera’s video is processed on a small computer installed on-site, where people are represented only as anonymous motion heatmaps.

Electricity demand is rising rapidly across the U.S., driven by the expansion of energy-intensive facilities such as battery plants and data centers. While demand-side programs offer a flexible solution to manage peak loads, many communities are often left out due to high costs and limited access to existing energy storage systems that support participation in demand-response initiatives and reduce grid dependence during power disruptions. Our goal is to strengthen U.S. energy resilience by developing an affordable, general-purpose alternative to existing storage systems.

The objective of this Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) project is to support research on building and piloting a prototype system that uses artificial intelligence and sensor data to automatically detect unpermitted closures. It seeks to enable real-time monitoring of road closures, guide inspectors with optimized routing tools, and support permit staff with better data for future planning. Right-of-way closures—such as the blocking of streets, sidewalks, and bike lanes for construction, delivery, or special events—are an everyday reality in cities.

The objective of this NSF Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) Stage 2 project is to explore and demonstrate an alternative model of rail transit development that revitalizes underutilized—or “legacy”—rail through partnerships. Rail transit in the United States faces several challenges that drive up costs and delay implementation: technical complexity requiring expensive signaling and inspection systems, complex regulatory hurdles, rigid funding structures that limit financial innovation, and reliance on costly feasibility studies to justify demand.

Traditional Hunger Relief Organizations (HROs) have gaps in their ability to serve food-insecure households, operating from a limited number of locations and for limited hours, and often relying on purchased food that doesn’t directly reduce local food waste. Micro-pantries are small, decentralized, unattended, shared food pantries and fridges that allow local residents and businesses to donate food within their own neighborhoods.

Police traffic stops are common, complex interactions that can be a tool to improve public safety or escalate to violence. Effective communication in these situations is crucial to ensure officer and civilian safety, enforce the law, and build public trust. This project develops artificial intelligence (AI) tools that enable researchers to analyze footage from officers’ body-worn cameras, learn about officer-driver communication and refine best practices for traffic stop outcomes.

Firefighters are faced with myriad stressors from hazardous work conditions and exposure to extreme heat that place their health at significant risks. The intense heat, smoke, shift work, long working hours, and stressful work put firefighters at substantial risk for heat-related injuries, long-term chronic complications, and mental health challenges. The health risks are further compounded in the Phoenix metropolitan area, which has one of the highest heat indexes in the nation.