CLEANcarolinas Survey


CLEANcarolinas NSF Type One ENGINES Grant Survey

Two years ago, the National Science Foundation grant awarded a Type 1 grant to a group of researchers and energy experts in North and South Carolina to explore regional transformation through the development of new energy technologies.

Dr. Helena Feder, Professor of Environmental Humanities at ECU, and Dr. Peter Francia, of the ECU Center for Survey Research, conducted surveys of both the public and community-based organizations in North and South Carolina. Our aim was to explore the ways in which energy transformation may promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to sustainable food, affordable housing, public transportation, and living wages, and amplify the voices of the people in the region of service.

We surveyed people in the region of service about their vital needs and views on community, development, and energy. The results from this survey can be downloaded here .

We surveyed nonprofits working to promote DEIA in the region of service (and/or environmental health and justice), about the vital needs of the people they serve and their views on community, development, and energy. We also invited these groups to become community partners, to help shape the work of the grant. The results from this survey can be downloaded here .

More about the NSF grant

A Regional Innovation Engine, as part of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, is a funded initiative designed to foster innovation within a specific geographical region in the United States. Driven by a coalition of regional partners including academic institutions, non-profits, for-profits, and government entities, each Engine aims to boost use-inspired research and development, translate innovations into practical applications, and develop the workforce. The program particularly targets regions that currently lack well-established innovation ecosystems, with the ultimate goals of enhancing the country’s economic and industrial competitiveness and national security.

As a Type-1 development awardee, CLEANcarolinas serves as a development engine in the broader context of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program. This passionate team is focused on establishing the Carolinas as a hub for clean energy innovation, accelerating use-inspired research, and advancing groundbreaking technologies. The Type-1 development award provides the crucial seed funding to lay the groundwork for this ambitious initiative. Through a blend of research and development, investment, education, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, CLEANcarolinas aims to catalyze an innovation ecosystem specific to clean energy, thereby fostering innovation, driving economic growth, and enhancing the region’s competitiveness. For more information, please visit the grant site: https://www.cleancarolinas.io/.