Gulf Research Program

Gulf Research Program
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Gulf Research Program
The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (GRP) is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The GRP’s mission is to develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the wellbeing of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. It supports innovative science, guides data design and monitoring, and builds and sustains networks to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf region and the nation.
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News and Updates
Gulf Futures Challenge Winners Offer Bold Solutions for Offshore and Resilience Challenges
Program News
In 2024, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies asked the people of the U.S. Gulf Coast to envision bold science-based ideas to create safer and more resilient communities where people in the Gulf region can live, work, and thrive. Through its Gulf Futures Challenge, the GRP aimed to leverage the inherent talent and knowledge of the people of the Gulf by supporting ideas and solutions from those who understand the region best.
Apr 23, 2026
Gulf Research Program and NOAA Award $4 Million to Support Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience
News Release
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program (GRP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Literacy Program are partnering with $4 million in investments to support six place-based educational projects across the Gulf States — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The awarded projects aim to help people better understand the connections between science, the environment, and their communities, building resilience to environmental challenges while fostering stronger stewardship of local ecosystems.
Oct 22, 2025
Explore Our Open Funding Opportunities
Update
The Gulf Research Program supports numerous projects and activities that develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come.
Our funding opportunities align with our core themes: offshore energy safety and the future of Gulf energy; health, resilience, and compounding disasters; the environment and changing coastlines; and education and the future workforce.
Jan 21, 2026
Gulf Futures Challenge Awards $20 Million Each to Two Projects Building a Safer, More Resilient Gulf Coast
Apr 23, 2026
News Release
Gulf Research Program Awards over $7 Million to Advance Scientific Understanding of Sea-Level Variation and Rise in the Gulf Region
Jan 27, 2026
News Release
Gulf Research Program Welcomes Early-Career Research Fellows in Environmental Protection and Stewardship and Education Research
Dec 5, 2025
News Release
See all news and updates
About
Events
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Publications/Resources
News and Updates
Our mission
GRP will develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come.
Core Themes
Core Themes
The energy industry has been a powerhouse of the Gulf region’s economy. Climate change is forcing a change in the energy landscape, including a national commitment to dramatically reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. GRP is supporting work to help the region navigate this energy transition and support safer production and transportation of all offshore energy.
Examples:
Offshore Situation Room
The Use of Dispersants in Marine Oil Spill Response
(2020)
Advancing Understanding of Offshore Oil and Gas Systemic Risk in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico
(2023)
Many Gulf communities are experiencing the compounding effects of multiple disasters that have prolonged recovery periods and increased social vulnerability to future catastrophic events and other disruptions. GRP’s programming supports the health and resilience of Gulf Coast communities by working with institutions, organizations, and other stakeholders to identify health and resilience priorities, enhance and integrate the evidence base into planning and decision making, and support the implementation of innovative local projects.
Examples:
Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities, 2020-2021: Impacts, Findings, and Lessons Learned
Grant Awards: Disaster Related Mental Health
Investing in Resilient Infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico: A Workshop
The Gulf Coast is an evolving landscape at the nexus of human development, environmental restoration efforts, coastal erosion, and sea-level rise. GRP is connecting communities and decision makers with scientific knowledge to inform management practices and protect the unique environments of the Gulf region.
Examples:
An Approach for Assessing U.S. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration
(2022)
Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current
(2018)
GRP is dedicated to supporting the next generation of leaders in the Gulf region. In support of this goal, GRP is working with students and academic institutions to build the skills needed to address the major issues facing the Gulf region now and in the future.
Examples:
Gulf Futures Design Studios
Gulf Scholars Program
Workforce Development for the Energy Transition
History
April 20, 2010, will forever be marked in our nation’s history. The 87 days that followed the
Deepwater Horizon
explosion and fire brought death, injury, and environmental damage as it became the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. In 2013, with $500 million in criminal settlement funds from the companies involved in
Deepwater Horizon
, GRP was created. The studies, projects, and activities conducted by GRP will advance and apply science, engineering, and public health knowledge to reduce the risks from offshore oil spills and will enable the communities of the Gulf region to better anticipate, mitigate, and recover from future disasters.
How We Work
GRP has a broad portfolio of programs that spans a wide range of funding opportunities from traditional research grants to large, multi-institutional collaborations, innovation challenges, community partnerships, fellowships, strategic outreach and engagement activities, capacity building initiatives, as well as consensus studies and convenings.
GRP is committed to ensuring that data from our funded projects are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. To that end, we partner with GRIIDC, a Gulf science data repository, to manage and store data and information products produced by recipients of GRP funding. GRP-funded data sets are available to search through
GRIIDC
's website.
Learn more about the GRP program areas and several of the research projects GRP has funded through this
video series
Strategic Approaches
Strategic Approaches
GRP fosters the development of science, engineering approaches, and medical knowledge to generate new and integrated scientific information or understanding of the socioeconomic, biological, and physical systems that interact with the Gulf region.
GRP seeks science-based solutions through applied research, demonstration or pilot projects, and a range of other activities. In keeping with its funding and mandate, GRP aspires to use its remaining two decades to translate, apply, and communicate current understanding and support for new research to develop solutions to the Gulf region’s challenges related to offshore energy, the environment, and the health and resilience of its communities.
GRP prioritizes building partnerships and strengthening networks to engage the people it serves and realize the promise of the program to endure beyond the end of the GRP. Partnerships are essential to program impact as the scope of the issues and scale of assets at stake exceed the capacity of any single entity, including the GRP. The investments and efforts of each individual organization are amplified when leveraged through partnerships within the scientific community, and even more importantly with people and organizations active in the Gulf region.
GRP uses data to identify trends and describe how the Gulf region evolves over time. The GRP tracks progress and change across the region related to community disaster resilience, physical dynamics in the marine and riverine environments, and biodiversity in Gulf ecosystems.
Description
The mission of the Gulf Research Program is to enhance oil system safety and the protection of human health and the environment in the Gulf of Mexico and other U.S. outer continental shelf areas by seeking to improve understanding of the region's interconnecting human, environmental, and energy systems and fostering application of these insights to benefit Gulf communities, ecosystems, and the Nation. The program funds studies, projects, and other activities using three broad approaches specified in the legal settlements: research and development, education and training, and environmental monitoring.
The Gulf Research Program's activities are overseen by its Advisory Board and guided by its strategic plan, "The Gulf Research Program: A Strategic Vision" (2014).
This prospectus describes the program's core operations and activities for 2016, including program management, communications, operations, and four known external funding opportunities. Additional activities are anticipated to be planned and added to this base portfolio; these will be submitted as separate GBEC items during the year as they are developed.
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Lauren Alexander Augustine
Lead
Teri Thorowgood
Jim Banihashemi
Major units and sub-units
Gulf Environmental Protection and Stewardship Board
Gulf Research Program Executive Office
Gulf Health and Resilience Board
Gulf Offshore Energy Safety Board
Board on Gulf Education and Engagement
Contact
Teri Thorowgood
(202) 334-1487
tthorowg@nas.edu
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David E. Daniel
David E. Daniel
Dr. David Daniel is an engineering consultant in Dallas, Texas, is President Emeritus of The University of Texas at Dallas, and formerly served as Deputy Chancellor and Chief Operating Office of The University of Texas System. Previously, he was Dean of Engineering at the University of Illinois. Earlier, Dr. Daniel was L.B. Meaders Professor of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin where he taught for 15 years. Dr. Daniel has conducted research in the area of geoenvironmental engineering, including research on drilling fluids, containment and management of wastes and fluids, and fluid pressure control in the subsurface. Dr. Daniel served as chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ External Review Panel that evaluated the failure of the New Orleans levees from Hurricane Katrina, and served on the National Academies’ Macondo Well Deepwater Horizon Blowout study committee. He also served as a member of the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board, the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, and the Geotechnical Board. Dr. Daniel received a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2000 and served on its Council from 2013 - 2019.
Regina M. Benjamin
Regina M. Benjamin
Dr. Regina Benjamin, 18th U.S. Surgeon General 2009-2013 is the Founder and CEO of BayouClinic, Inc. and the Gulf States Health Policy Center. As America’s Doctor, she provided the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. Dr. Benjamin also oversaw the operational command of 6,500 uniformed public health officers who serve in locations around the world to promote, and protect the health of the American People. In addition, Dr. Benjamin served as chair of the National Prevention Council – 17 cabinet-level Federal agencies that developed the road map for the Nation’s health – the National Prevention Strategy. Dr. Benjamin specializes in prevention policies and health promotion among individuals as well as large populations, especially concerning obesity, childhood obesity, and children’s health. She has special interest in rural health care, health disparities among socio-economic groups, suicide, violence, and mental health. From her early days as the founder of a rural health clinic in Alabama to her leadership role in the worldwide advancement of preventive health, Dr. Regina Benjamin has forged a career that has been recognized by a broad spectrum of organizations and publications. In 1995, she was the first physician under the age of 40 and the first African-American woman to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. Dr. Benjamin is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. In 1998 Dr. Benjamin was the United States recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. She received the 2000 National Caring Award, which was inspired by Mother Teresa and was recognized with the Papal honor Pro Ecclesia et Ponticifice from Pope Benedict XVI. In 2008, she was honored with a MacArthur Genius Award Fellowship. In 2011, Dr. Benjamin became the recipient of the Chairman’s Award at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards. Dr. Benjamin has a B.S. in chemistry from Xavier University, New Orleans, attended Morehouse School of Medicine, earned an MD degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an MBA from Tulane University. She is the recipient of 25 honorary degrees.
Thomas P. Bostick
Thomas P. Bostick
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Thomas P. Bostick serves as a senior advisor on biotechnology, infrastructure, sustainability, HR, and DEI. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer and President, Intrexon Bioengineering (NASDAQ: XON). He Bostick serves on the public boards of CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) and Perma-Fix (NASDAQ: PESI). He also serves on the private boards of HireVue, Allonnia, and Fidelity Investments’ Equity and High-Income Fund Board of Trustees. He was the 53rd Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He serves on non-profit boards of American Corporate Partners and Resilient Cities Catalyst. He was an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at West Point. As a White House Fellow, he was a special assistant to the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Ed Derwinski. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Bostick serves on several committees of the National Academy of Sciences focused on the environment and climate change. He is a licensed professional engineer, a Forbes Contributor, and an Affiliated Scholar at Stanford University. Bostick is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, holds Master of Science Degrees in both Civil and Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, and a PhD in Systems Engineering from George Washington University. He recently published his first book, Winning After Losing: Building Resilient Teams.
Kevin Cook
Kevin Cook
Rear Admiral Cook retired in July 2015 after a wide-ranging career in the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He is working to bring his expertise to the private sector through Cook Maritime Solutions, LLC, a consultant company established to focus on maritime safety, security and environmental issues. In 2016 RADM Cook joined International Registries, Inc./The Marshall Islands Registry as a Maritime Consultant. During his career, RADM Cook continually advanced through escalating levels of responsibilities within the USCG’s national and regional headquarters, and in shipboard and maritime safety assignments culminating with command of the Eighth District, a 26 State region, headquartered in New Orleans, LA. There, he regulated maritime industries and facilitated maritime commerce within the nation’s most intense region for shipping, petrochemical production and offshore exploration and production. RADM Cook previously served as the USCG’s national Director of Prevention (Marine Safety) Policy, responsible for many of the international and domestic regulations in support of safety, security, environmental protection, mariner licensing, and waterways management. In an earlier assignment, he served as the Chief of the Hazardous Materials Division where he specialized in mitigating the risks of shipping oils, chemicals, and liquefied gases; including lead for delegations to the International Maritime Organization. In the field, he held a variety of positions including Captain of the Port for the Houston-Galveston area of operations. Additionally, he served as the National Incident Commander’s senior representative to BP headquarters for oversight of well containment activities in the Deepwater Horizon response. RADM Cook has six years of shipboard experience onboard three Coast Guard cutters: CGC MADRONA as a deck watch officer; CGC BITTERSWEET as the Executive Officer; and CGC COWSLIP as the Commanding Officer. A native of Freehold, NJ, he is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ocean Engineering. RADM Cook also earned a Master of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University. He is a graduate of the United States Army War College, and later served a one-year appointment as the Coast Guard Fellow to Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group. Additionally, he has been recognized by the National Propeller Club as the Port of Houston Maritime Person of the Year, and by the Seamen’s Church Institute for Career Distinguished Service.
William C. Fugate
William C. Fugate
Mr. Craig Fugate served as President Barack Obama’s FEMA Administrator from May 2009 to January 2017. Previously, he served as Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s Emergency Management Director from 2001-2007 and Governor Charlie Crist from 2007-09. Mr. Fugate led FEMA through multiple record-breaking disaster years and oversaw the Federal Government’s response to major events such as the Joplin and Moore Tornadoes, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Matthew, and the 2016 Louisiana flooding. Mr. Fugate set a clear and compelling vision, mission, and priorities for FEMA and relentlessly drove the Agency to achieve better outcomes for survivors. FEMA’s effectiveness in dealing with more than 500 Presidentially-declared major disasters and emergencies under his leadership restored the faith of the American people in the Federal Government’s ability to respond to disasters. Prior to his tenure at FEMA, he was widely praised for his management, under Governor Jeb Bush, of the devastating effects of the 2004 and 2005 Florida hurricane seasons (Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma). He currently provides senior level advice and consultation is the area of disaster management and resiliency policy through Craig Fugate Consulting LLC.
Mary L. Landrieu
Mary L. Landrieu
Senator Mary Landrieu represented the state of Louisiana in the United States Senate for three terms, first elected in 1996. As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – and then, ultimately, as Chair of that Committee – she passed several important pieces of legislation; most notably the landmark Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA); the Israel American Energy Alliance; and the RESTORE Act – the single-largest federal investment in the Gulf Coast in US history. She also served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Appropriations Committee, and chaired the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. During her time in the Senate, Landrieu was known for her bipartisan approach to addressing national challenges and for her passionate advocacy for her home state of Louisiana, particularly in the aftermaths of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Prior to serving in the Senate, she served in the Louisiana State Legislature from 1979 – 1987. For eight years, she successfully championed causes related to women and children, flood protection, and education reform. In 1987, she was elected State Treasurer and served with distinction for two terms. Strong fiscal management, pension fund diversification, debt limitation, and the creation of the first-ever municipal investment fund (now valued at over $2 billion) are some of her noteworthy accomplishments. Senator Landrieu serves on the Boards of Directors of Tyler Technologies and Evergy. In the non-profit space, she serves on the boards of Resources for the Future; the Climate Solutions Foundation; and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (which represents over 150 Members of Congress who work in a bipartisan fashion, supporting and finding families for orphan children here in the US and around the world). She graduated from Louisiana State University.
Marvin E. Odum
Marvin E. Odum
Mr. Marvin Odum is currently the CEO of TerraLithium and Chairman of All American Lithium focused on the sustainable production of Lithium for the energy transition. He was formerly the Chairman and President of Shell Oil Company from 2008 until retirement in 2016. Mr. Odum has an extensive background in nearly all aspects of global energy and associated issues. He serves on a number of global business and philanthropic boards. Honors include Distinguished Mechanical Engineer from the University of Texas Academy of Distinguished Alumni and Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Houston.
Sara N. Ortwein
Sara N. Ortwein
Sara Ortwein retired from ExxonMobil in March 2019. Prior to retiring, she was president of XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, from November 2016 through February 2019 and was responsible for ExxonMobil’s unconventional oil and gas business. Ms. Ortwein earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin before joining Exxon Company, U.S.A. in 1980 as a drilling engineer. She held numerous technical and managerial assignments throughout her career.
In 1997, she was named reservoir evaluation and planning manager for Exxon Ventures, CIS, focusing on new venture pursuit and capture in Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. In 2001, she became a corporate upstream advisor to senior management at ExxonMobil headquarters in Irving, Texas. Three years later, she was named production manager responsible for ExxonMobil’s operated U.S. production operations.
Sara was named vice president of engineering for ExxonMobil Development Company in 2006 where she was responsible for engineering design for major projects around the world. She served as president of ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, from September 2010 until November 2016, where she was responsible for research and technology development and application for ExxonMobil’s Upstream business. In 2020, Ms. Ortwein was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST). She is a member and past chair of the University of Texas Engineering Advisory Board. She is on the Board of Directors of Sanara Medtech and in January 2023 joined the Board of Directors of the Memorial Hermann Health System.
Larry Robinson
Larry Robinson
Dr. Larry Robinson is a Distinguished Service Professor at Florida A&M University (FAMU). He served as FAMU's President from 2017 to 2024. He is the Principal Investigator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME). The CCME is a partnership among six universities committed to making major impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems and communities by conducting research and educating students in NOAA relevant science and policy. Dr. Robinson is also a member of the National Academies' Climate Crossroads Advisory Committee that is "charged to provide high-level guidance on emerging needs and opportunities for cross-Academies climate-related activities." In May 2010, Dr. Robinson took a leave of absence from FAMU to serve in a U.S. Senate-confirmed position as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Conservation and Management at NOAA. In 2007-2009, Dr. Robinson served as Senior Scientific Advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. In 2008, Dr. Robinson was selected to serve on the Oceans Research and Resources Advisory Panel (ORRAP) and as a member of the National Science Foundation’s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Science Technology Education Advisory Committee. Dr. Robinson has served as chair of the Council of Academic Vice Presidents for the State University System of Florida; chair of the Biology and Medicine Division of the American Nuclear Society; and charter member of the National Council for Science and the Environment’s Council of Environmental Deans and Directors. Dr. Robinson is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Florida Chapter of the Nature Conservancy; the National Science Foundation’s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Education Tiger Team; the International Advisory Board to Florida Center for Research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FCR-STEM); the Leon County Research and Development Authority; the Leon County Water Resources Committee; and Florida A&M University’s campus coordinator for Florida Sea Grant. Dr. Robinson served on the National Research Council (NRC) Committee on the Restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem; the NRC Committee on Mine Placement of Coal Combustion Waste; and the NRC Committee to Review the Florida Aquifer Storage and Recover Regional Study Technical Data Report.
José G. Santiesteban
José G. Santiesteban
José G. Santiesteban (NAE) is retired after a 30-year career at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. Dr. Santiesteban served in a number of technical leadership and management assignments. His responsibilities as Strategy Manager included overall coordination of strategy and competitive intelligence; research guidance and valuation; and ensuring robustness of R&D portfolio. Dr. Santiesteban has led and made significant technical contributions to the discovery, development, and commercialization of various nano-engineered catalysts for the production of clean fuels, high performing lubricants, and petrochemicals. He led the commercialization of more than 20 novel catalyst technologies that have been deployed worldwide within ExxonMobil and in 3rd parties’ refineries and petrochemicals plants. He is inventor or co-inventor on more than 85 U.S. patents, editor of two special catalysis journals and co-author of over 20 referenced publications. Dr. Santiesteban has been a plenary and invited speaker at numerous national and international conferences in catalysis, and has served on the advisory board of various academic and research institutions around the world. In 2016, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering “for development and commercialization of catalytic systems for petrochemical manufacture and cleaner fuels production.” In 2018, he was elected to The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST). Received the 2018 Innovator Award from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). In addition to his scientific and technical contributions, Dr. Santiesteban is a proactive mentor focused on developing the next generation of industrial researchers, engineers and technical leaders. He is a strong champion for junior researchers, particularly promoting diversity and women in science and engineering. José joined Mobil's Central Research Laboratory (CRL) in Princeton, NJ in 1989, after receiving his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Lehigh University. He holds a B.S. Chemical Engineering, from Instituto Tecnológico de Chihuahua, México (1979, summa cum laude), a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Cd. Madero, México.
Roy E. Wright
Roy E. Wright
Mr. Roy Wright is a disaster safety expert and recognized resiliency shaper. For two decades he’s served in roles that put him on the ground in the immediate aftermath of weather-driven and climate-related disasters, walking through damaged homes with survivors, and leading the charge for stronger construction standards, enhanced mitigation efforts, and better building codes. Mr. Wright is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Roy joined IBHS in 2018. Roy leads a team of scientists and risk communicators who deliver strategies to break the continuing cycle of human suffering that strikes families and communities in the wake of severe weather. His team uses a unique, state-of-the-art research facility to conduct realistic re-creations of severe weather hazards on full-scale structures. IBHS’s real-world impact enables the insurance industry and affected property owners to prevent avoidable losses. Roy joined IBHS from FEMA where he served as the chief executive of the National Flood Insurance Program, led the agency’s Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, and directed the resilience programs addressing earthquake, fire, flood, and wind risks. Prior to joining FEMA in 2007, Roy worked in public and private sector roles with Coray Gurnitz Strategy Consulting and the U.S. Department of the Interior. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Azusa Pacific University and a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University.
David W. Yoskowitz
David W. Yoskowitz
David Yoskowitz, Ph.D., serves as the Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), a position he has held since November 14, 2022. At TPWD, he is responsible for overseeing an agency of 3,300 professionals in 13 different divisions, including Wildlife, Law Enforcement, State Parks, Coastal Fisheries, and Inland Fisheries. Yoskowitz has been actively engaged in the areas of private lands conservation, the acquisition of additional state parkland and wildlife management areas, securing state funding for state parks, children in nature initiatives, coastal conservation and mitigation initiatives stemming from the Deepwater Horizon incident, and the state’s management response to chronic wasting disease. Prior to joining TPWD, Yoskowitz was the Senior Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where he was also HRI’s founding Endowed Chair for Socioeconomics and held positions in both faculty and administration over the past 20 years. As an economist, Dr. Yoskowitz came to HRI with interest and experience in applying a unique skillset to coastal, ocean, and watershed issues. HRI gave him the opportunity to integrate his work with his natural science colleagues to examine critical environmental and resilience issues of the greater Gulf of Mexico region. His work has focused on elucidating the link between environmental well-being and human well-being and moving practice into policy. He has worked to inventory and value ecosystem services and quantify the impact of sea-level rise on coastal community resiliency. His research has taken him through much of North and Central America including Cuba, Nicaragua, Belize, El Salvador, and Mexico. Dr. Yoskowitz also held the position of Chief Economist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (2014-2015), where he co-chaired an interagency task force under the auspices of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy that developed a research agenda around coastal green infrastructure and ecosystem services. Working with the NOAA Social Science Committee, he helped develop the agency’s first Social Science Vision and Strategy.
Alongside his professional roles, Dr. Yoskowitz serves on the board of directors of Indifly, which is dedicated to using recreational fisheries to create sustainable livelihoods for indigenous peoples around the world, and the division committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine – Gulf Research Program. Yoskowitz also served on the National Research Council Committee on the Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Mississippi Canyon-252 Oil Spill on Ecosystem Services in the Gulf of Mexico. He previously sat on the Socioeconomic Scientific and Statistical Committee for the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.
Lauren Alexander Augustine
Lauren Alexander Augustine
Lauren Alexander Augustine is the Executive Director for the GRP Division. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of management and use of the criminal settlement funds from the Deepwater Horizon disaster that were entrusted with the National Academies by the federal government. This includes fulfilling the vision, defining the strategic direction, and leading the development and implementation of this multi-dimensional, science-based program. Since her tenure at the National Academies began in 2002, Dr. Alexander Augustine has gained experience working in a variety of roles on a broad range of topics pertaining to water, natural disasters, and resilience. Prior to joining the GRP Division in 2018, she served as Director of the Resilient America Program, which supports communities’ efforts to build resilience to extreme events using science and diverse stakeholder engagement. In addition, she has formerly served as Country Director for the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI), a decadal program that built scientific capacity in national academies across Africa; as Director of the Disasters Roundtable; and as a study director for the Water Science and Technology Board. Outside of her work at the National Academies, Lauren has served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Risk and Resilience; was a member of the Advisory Board for the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange program; and was a juror for two resilience competitions, Rebuild by Design for recovery after Hurricane Sandy and Resilience by Design in San Francisco. She is also a NATO Expert for the Civil Protection Group. Dr. Alexander Augustine earned her B.S. in applied mathematics and systems engineering and her M.S. in environmental planning and policy from the University of Virginia, and her Ph.D. in an interdisciplinary program that combined physical hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology from Harvard University.
Explore Our Open Funding Opportunities
Explore Our Open Funding Opportunities
The Gulf Research Program supports numerous projects and activities that develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. Our funding opportunities align with our core themes: offshore energy safety and the future of Gulf energy; health, resilience, and compounding disasters; the environment and changing coastlines; and education and the future workforce. To view our open funding opportunities, please click
here
The GRP also hosts several fellowship programs designed to support emerging scientific leaders. To view our open fellowship opportunities, please click
here
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