The University of Connecticut’s CIRCA has secured a two-year, $500,000 NSF grant to create a regional network focused on coastal resilience from New Jersey to Maine. The initiative responds to growing flood costs—estimated at $32.1 billion annually and projected to reach $40.6 billion by 2050—and heavy repair burdens for Connecticut homeowners. Phase I will design a collaborative framework and community needs assessment to compete for a Phase II implementation award of up to $10 million.
UConn Lands $500K NSF Grant to Build Regional Network for Coastal Resilience
Researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) have received a two-year, $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a regional network aimed at helping coastal communities from New Jersey to Maine prepare for rising seas and more frequent intense storms.
Why This Matters
Flooding already imposes a heavy and growing cost on the U.S. economy. CIRCA cites current annual flood-related damages at about $32.1 billion, with projections rising to roughly $40.6 billion by 2050. Homeowners are bearing a disproportionate share of these costs: a recent report from the Natural Resources Defense Council found that Connecticut homeowners can face, on average, more than $283,000 in repair costs over a 30-year mortgage for homes with prior flood damage.
About the Project
The project, titled Identifying Community Need-Based Adaptation and Resilience Priorities in the U.S. Northeast, will assemble academics, policy experts, engineers, municipal leaders and other stakeholders to identify local challenges and accelerate climate-resilient planning across coastal communities. Partner institutions listed in the proposal include the University of Maine, Stevens Institute of Technology and Brooklyn College.
Planning For Significant Sea Level Rise
“We could be dealing with up to a 20-inch rise in sea level by 2050 — that’s the upper band of likely outcomes — with continued increases expected beyond midcentury,”
said CIRCA executive director James O’Donnell. On that basis, Connecticut now requires coastal municipalities to include planning for up to a 20-inch mean sea level rise by 2050. O’Donnell urged other coastal states to adopt similar long-range assumptions to ensure infrastructure and new construction anticipate worst-case scenarios.
Small, Frequent Floods Add Up
O’Donnell emphasized that while major storms attract headlines, smaller but more frequent flooding events cause substantial cumulative damage and disruption. He pointed to Mystic, Connecticut, where multiple flood days within a two-year span have driven up costs for towns and homeowners alike.
Phase I and the Road to Implementation
The NSF grant supports Phase I — a two-year effort to build the collaborative framework, refine community needs assessments and produce a competitive proposal for Phase II. That next stage could receive one of up to 16 Phase II awards nationwide, each lasting up to five years with budgets in the neighborhood of $10 million to implement resilient solutions at scale.
Goals and Next Steps
The initiative aims to bridge the gap between academic research and municipal action by delivering improved data, enhanced modeling tools and technical standards that local planners can use to shape resilient policy and infrastructure. Meetings and working groups will focus on topics such as sea level rise, coastal erosion and regulatory barriers.
About CIRCA: Founded in 2014, CIRCA fosters collaboration among researchers, policy makers and communities to address climate risks in Connecticut and the broader Northeast.
Reporter contact: Stephen Underwood — sunderwood@courant.com.
