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Research Laboratory  

by Daniel Watch and Deepa Tolat Perkins + Will

Within This Page

Building attributes, emerging issues, relevant codes and standards, additional resources.

Research Laboratories are workplaces for the conduct of scientific research. This WBDG Building Type page will summarize the key architectural, engineering, operational, safety, and sustainability considerations for the design of Research Laboratories.

The authors recognize that in the 21st century clients are pushing project design teams to create research laboratories that are responsive to current and future needs, that encourage interaction among scientists from various disciplines, that help recruit and retain qualified scientists, and that facilitates partnerships and development. As such, a separate WBDG Resource Page on Trends in Lab Design has been developed to elaborate on this emerging model of laboratory design.

A. Architectural Considerations

Over the past 30 years, architects, engineers, facility managers, and researchers have refined the design of typical wet and dry labs to a very high level. The following identifies the best solutions in designing a typical lab.

Lab Planning Module

The laboratory module is the key unit in any lab facility. When designed correctly, a lab module will fully coordinate all the architectural and engineering systems. A well-designed modular plan will provide the following benefits:

Flexibility —The lab module, as Jonas Salk explained, should "encourage change" within the building. Research is changing all the time, and buildings must allow for reasonable change. Many private research companies make physical changes to an average of 25% of their labs each year. Most academic institutions annually change the layout of 5 to 10% of their labs. See also WBDG Productive—Design for the Changing Workplace .

• Expansion —The use of lab planning modules allows the building to adapt easily to needed expansions or contractions without sacrificing facility functionality.

A common laboratory module has a width of approximately 10 ft. 6 in. but will vary in depth from 20–30 ft. The depth is based on the size necessary for the lab and the cost-effectiveness of the structural system. The 10 ft. 6 in. dimension is based on two rows of casework and equipment (each row 2 ft. 6 in. deep) on each wall, a 5 ft. aisle, and 6 in. for the wall thickness that separates one lab from another. The 5 ft. aisle width should be considered a minimum because of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) .

Two-Directional Lab Module —Another level of flexibility can be achieved by designing a lab module that works in both directions. This allows the casework to be organized in either direction. This concept is more flexible than the basic lab module concept but may require more space. The use of a two-directional grid is beneficial to accommodate different lengths of run for casework. The casework may have to be moved to create a different type or size of workstation.

Three-Dimensional Lab Module —The three-dimensional lab module planning concept combines the basic lab module or a two-directional lab module with any lab corridor arrangement for each floor of a building. This means that a three-dimensional lab module can have a single-corridor arrangement on one floor, a two-corridor layout on another, and so on. To create a three-dimensional lab module:

• A basic or two-directional lab module must be defined.
• All vertical risers must be fully coordinated. (Vertical risers include fire stairs, elevators, restrooms, and shafts for utilities.)
• The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems must be coordinated in the ceiling to work with the multiple corridor arrangements.

Lab Planning Concepts

The relationship of the labs, offices, and corridor will have a significant impact on the image and operations of the building. See also WBDG Functional—Account for Functional Needs .

Do the end users want a view from their labs to the exterior, or will the labs be located on the interior, with wall space used for casework and equipment?

Some researchers do not want or cannot have natural light in their research spaces. Special instruments and equipment, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus, electron microscopes, and lasers cannot function properly in natural light. Natural daylight is not desired in vivarium facilities or in some support spaces, so these are located in the interior of the building.

Zoning the building between lab and non-lab spaces will reduce costs. Labs require 100% outside air while non-lab spaces can be designed with re-circulated air, like an office building .

Adjacencies with corridors can be organized with a single, two corridor (racetrack), or a three corridor scheme. There are number of variations to organize each type. Illustrated below are three ways to organize a single corridor scheme:

Single corridor lab design with labs and office adjacent to each other.

Single corridor lab design with offices clustered together at the end and in the middle.

Single corridor lab design with office clusters accessing main labs directly.

• Open labs vs. closed labs. An increasing number of research institutions are creating "open" labs to support team-based work. The open lab concept is significantly different from that of the "closed" lab of the past, which was based on accommodating the individual principle investigator. In open labs, researchers share not only the space itself but also equipment, bench space, and support staff. The open lab format facilitates communication between scientists and makes the lab more easily adaptable for future needs. A wide variety of labs—from wet biology and chemistry labs, to engineering labs, to dry computer science facilities—are now being designed as open labs.

Flexibility

In today's lab, the ability to expand, reconfigure, and permit multiple uses has become a key concern. The following should be considered to achieve this:

Flexible Lab Interiors

Equipment zones—These should be created in the initial design to accommodate equipment, fixed, or movable casework at a later date.

Generic labs

Mobile casework—This can be comprised of mobile tables and mobile base cabinets. It allows researchers to configure and fit out the lab based on their needs as opposed to adjusting to pre-determined fixed casework.

Mobile casework

Mobile base cabinet Photo Credit: Kewaunee Scientific Corp.

Flexible partitions—These can be taken down and put back up in another location, allowing lab spaces to be configured in a variety of sizes.

Overhead service carriers—These are hung from the ceiling. They can have utilities like piping, electric, data, light fixtures, and snorkel exhausts. They afford maximum flexibility as services are lifted off the floor, allowing free floor space to be configured as needed.

Flexible Engineering Systems

Lab designed with overhead connects and disconnects allow for flexibility and fast hook up of equipment.

Labs should have easy connects/disconnects at walls and ceilings to allow for fast and affordable hook up of equipment. See also WBDG Productive—Integrate Technological Tools .

The Engineering systems should be designed such that fume hoods can be added or removed.

Space should be allowed in the utility corridors, ceilings, and vertical chases for future HVAC, plumbing, and electric needs.

Building Systems Distribution Concepts

Interstitial space.

An interstitial space is a separate floor located above each lab floor. All services and utilities are located here where they drop down to service the lab below. This system has a high initial cost but it allows the building to accommodate change very easily without interrupting the labs.

Conventional design vs. interstitial design Image Credit: Zimmer, Gunsul, Frasca Partnership

Service Corridor

Lab spaces adjoin a centrally located corridor where all utility services are located. Maintenance personnel are afforded constant access to main ducts, shutoff valves, and electric panel boxes without having to enter the lab. This service corridor can be doubled up as an equipment/utility corridor where common lab equipment like autoclaves, freezer rooms, etc. can be located.

B. Engineering Considerations

Typically, more than 50% of the construction cost of a laboratory building is attributed to engineering systems. Hence, the close coordination of these ensures a flexible and successfully operating lab facility. The following engineering issues are discussed here: structural systems, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and piping systems. See also WBDG Functional—Ensure Appropriate Product/Systems Integration .

Structural Systems

Once the basic lab module is determined, the structural grid should be evaluated. In most cases, the structural grid equals 2 basic lab modules. If the typical module is 10 ft. 6 in. x 30 ft., the structural grid would be 21 ft. x 30 ft. A good rule of thumb is to add the two dimensions of the structural grid; if the sum equals a number in the low 50's, then the structural grid would be efficient and cost-effective.

Typical lab structural grid.

Key design issues to consider in evaluating a structural system include:

• Framing depth and effect on floor-to-floor height;
• Ability to coordinate framing with lab modules;
• Ability to create penetrations for lab services in the initial design as well as over the life of the building;
• Potential for vertical or horizontal expansion;
• Vibration criteria; and

Mechanical Systems

The location of main vertical supply/exhaust shafts as well as horizontal ductwork is very crucial in designing a flexible lab. Key issues to consider include: efficiency and flexibility, modular design, initial costs , long-term operational costs , building height and massing , and design image .

The various design options for the mechanical systems are illustrated below:

Shafts in the middle of the building

Shafts at the end of the building

Exhaust at end and supply in the middle

Multiple internal shafts

Shafts on the exterior

See also WBDG High Performance HVAC .

Electrical Systems

Three types of power are generally used for most laboratory projects:

Normal power circuits are connected to the utility supply only, without any backup system. Loads that are typically on normal power include some HVAC equipment, general lighting, and most lab equipment.

Emergency power is created with generators that will back up equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, emergency lighting, exhaust fans, animal facilities, and environmental rooms. Examples of safe and efficient emergency power equipment include distributed energy resources (DER) , microturbines , and fuel cells .

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is used for data recording, certain computers, microprocessor-controlled equipment, and possibly the vivarium area. The UPS can be either a central unit or a portable system, such as distributed energy resources (DER) , microturbines , fuel cells , and building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) .

See also WBDG Productive—Assure Reliable Systems and Spaces .

The following should be considered:

• Load estimation
• Site distribution
• Power quality
• Management of electrical cable trays/panel boxes
• User expectations
• Illumination levels
• Lighting distribution-indirect, direct, combination
• Luminaire location and orientation-lighting parallel to casework and lighting perpendicular to casework
• Telephone and data systems

Piping Systems

There are several key design goals to strive for in designing laboratory piping systems:

• Provide a flexible design that allows for easy renovation and modifications.
• Provide appropriate plumbing systems for each laboratory based on the lab programming.
• Provide systems that minimize energy usage .
• Provide equipment arrangements that minimize downtime in the event of a failure.
• Locate shutoff valves where they are accessible and easily understood.
• Accomplish all of the preceding goals within the construction budget.

C. Operations and Maintenance

Cost savings.

The following cost saving items can be considered without compromising quality and flexibility:

• Separate lab and non-lab zones.
• Try to design with standard building components instead of customized components. See also WBDG Functional—Ensure Appropriate Product/Systems Integration .
• Identify at least three manufacturers of each material or piece of equipment specified to ensure competitive bidding for the work.
• Locate fume hoods on upper floors to minimize ductwork and the cost of moving air through the building.
• Evaluate whether process piping should be handled centrally or locally. In many cases it is more cost-effective to locate gases, in cylinders, at the source in the lab instead of centrally.
• Create equipment zones to minimize the amount of casework necessary in the initial construction.
• Provide space for equipment (e.g., ice machine) that also can be shared with other labs in the entry alcove to the lab. Shared amenities can be more efficient and cost-effective.
• Consider designating instrument rooms as cross-corridors, saving space as well as encouraging researchers to share equipment.
• Design easy-to-maintain, energy-efficient building systems. Expose mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems for easy maintenance access from the lab.
• Locate all mechanical equipment centrally, either on a lower level of the building or on the penthouse level.
• Stack vertical elements above each other without requiring transfers from floor to floor. Such elements include columns, stairs, mechanical closets, and restrooms.

D. Lab and Personnel Safety and Security

Protecting human health and life is paramount, and safety must always be the first concern in laboratory building design. Security-protecting a facility from unauthorized access-is also of critical importance. Today, research facility designers must work within the dense regulatory environment in order to create safe and productive lab spaces. The WBDG Resource Page on Security and Safety in Laboratories addresses all these related concerns, including:

• Laboratory classifications: dependent on the amount and type of chemicals in the lab;
• Containment devices: fume hoods and bio-safety cabinets;
• Levels of bio-safety containment as a design principle;
• Radiation safety;
• Employee safety: showers, eyewashes, other protective measures; and
• Emergency power.

See also WBDG Secure / Safe Branch , Threat/Vulnerability Assessments and Risk Analysis , Balancing Security/Safety and Sustainability Objectives , Air Decontamination , and Electrical Safety .

E. Sustainability Considerations

The typical laboratory uses far more energy and water per square foot than the typical office building due to intensive ventilation requirements and other health and safety concerns. Therefore, designers should strive to create sustainable , high performance, and low-energy laboratories that will:

• Minimize overall environmental impacts;
• Protect occupant safety ; and
• Optimize whole building efficiency on a life-cycle basis.

For more specific guidance, see WBDG Sustainable Laboratory Design ; EPA and DOE's Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) , a voluntary program dedicated to improving the environmental performance of U.S. laboratories; WBDG Sustainable Branch and Balancing Security/Safety and Sustainability Objectives .

F. Three Laboratory Sectors

There are three research laboratory sectors. They are academic laboratories, government laboratories, and private sector laboratories.

• Academic labs are primarily teaching facilities but also include some research labs that engage in public interest or profit generating research.
• Government labs include those run by federal agencies and those operated by state government do research in the public interest.
• Design of labs for the private sector , run by corporations, is usually driven by the need to enhance the research operation's profit making potential.

G. Example Design and Construction Criteria

For GSA, the unit costs for this building type are based on the construction quality and design features in the following table   . This information is based on GSA's benchmark interpretation and could be different for other owners.

LEED® Application Guide for Laboratory Facilities (LEED-AGL)—Because research facilities present a unique challenge for energy efficiency and sustainable design, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has formed the LEED-AGL Committee to develop a guide that helps project teams apply LEED credits in the design and construction of laboratory facilities. See also the WBDG Resource Page Using LEED on Laboratory Projects .

The following agencies and organizations have developed codes and standards affecting the design of research laboratories. Note that the codes and standards are minimum requirements. Architects, engineers, and consultants should consider exceeding the applicable requirements whenever possible.

• 29 CFR 1910.1450: OSHA "Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories"
• ANSI/ASSE/AIHA Z9.5 Laboratory Ventilation
• ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment
• Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) Standards
• Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition , Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health.
• GSA PBS-P100 Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service
• Guidelines for the Laboratory Use of Chemical Carcinogens , Pub. No. 81-2385. National Institutes of Health
• NIH Design Requirements Manual , National Institutes of Health
• NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
• NFPA 45 Fire Protection for Laboratories using Chemical
• Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) —organized by MasterFormat™ divisions, are for use in specifying construction for the military services. Several UFGS exist for safety-related topics.

Publications

• Building Type Basics for Research Laboratories , 2nd Edition by Daniel Watch. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008. ISBN# 978-0-470-16333-7.
• CRC Handbook of Laboratory Safety , 5th ed. by A. Keith Furr. CRC Press, 2000.
• Design and Planning of Research and Clinical Laboratory Facilities by Leonard Mayer. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995.
• Design for Research: Principals of Laboratory Architecture by Susan Braybrooke. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1993.
• Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health and Safety Considerations , 4th Edition by Louis J. DiBerardinis, et al. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2013.
• Guidelines for Planning and Design of Biomedical Research Laboratory Facilities by The American Institute of Architects, Center for Advanced Technology Facilities Design. Washington, DC: The American Institute of Architects, 1999.
• Handbook of Facilities Planning, Vol. 1: Laboratory Facilities by T. Ruys. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990.
• Laboratories, A Briefing and Design Guide by Walter Hain. London, UK: E & FN Spon, 1995.
• Laboratory by Earl Walls Associates, May 2000.
• Laboratory Design from the Editors of R&D Magazine.
• Laboratory Design, Construction, and Renovation: Participants, Process, and Product by National Research Council, Committee on Design, Construction, and Renovation of Laboratory Facilities. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000.
• Planning Academic Research Facilities: A Guidebook by National Science Foundation. Washington, DC: National Science Foundation, 1992.
• Research and Development in Industry: 1995-96 by National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Studies. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation, 1998.
• Science and Engineering Research Facilities at Colleges and Universities by National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Studies. Arlington, VA, 1998.
• Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) —Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, Labs21 is a voluntary program dedicated to improving the environmental performance of U.S. laboratories.

WBDG Participating Agencies

National Institute of Building Sciences Innovative Solutions for the Built Environment 1090 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005-4950 | (202) 289-7800 © 2024 National Institute of Building Sciences. All rights reserved. Disclaimer

Microbiological Laboratory | Penelas Architects

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PANNAR Sufficiency Economic & Agriculture Learning Center | Vin Varavarn Architects

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The challenges of creating a multidisciplinary research centre and how to overcome them

How to overcome the challenges of setting up a collaborative research centre designed to break down institutional silos and structures

Andrew Tobin

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We know that the challenges facing the world require multidiscipline, multi-partner, multi-sector global collaborations to develop successful and sustainable solutions. To achieve this, we must break down the barriers within our institutions – the structures we have operated in for decades – and challenge ourselves to find new ways of working and new ways of sharing.

Our challenge

About six years ago, the University of Glasgow began drawing up plans for a collaborative research building to co-locate researchers from across the university, bringing a mix of disciplines together in multi-use spaces designed to stimulate engagement and collaboration. This highly flexible building would support research, promote external engagement and catalyse collaboration.

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This has resulted in the new Advanced Research Centre (ARC), which will open officially in June 2022. Designing and bringing the ARC to life has challenged all those involved. Almost every aspect of the building has tested our normal processes and required us to rethink approaches. Here are some lessons we can share on the key challenges and how to overcome them.

Research structure

A multidisciplinary research centre is likely to sit outside of your traditional college configuration, which challenges the normal academic structure. There is no single connecting theme or focus. So how do you decide who moves in or how to arrange these research groups? How can you bring people into your research centre without leaving gaps in other university colleges? Finally, how do you ensure the new research centre is open and inviting to those in the colleges who do not have a dedicated space in the building?

You need to develop a structure to identify which researchers will move in. Based on this, labs and workspaces can be designed that are fit for purpose. We settled on five broad themes:

• Creative economies and cultural transformation
• Digital chemistry
• Global sustainable development
• Quantum and nanotechnology
• Technologies touching life.

Through these themes, academic leads, research groups and individuals could be identified and agreed as the first residents. There will be more than 500 researchers in the ARC, at all career stages, drawn from across the university. Through a curated programme of initiatives and events, researchers will be encouraged and supported to create cross-disciplinary networks and partnerships, make connections, work together to drive discovery research and deliver solutions to current and future global challenges.

Professional support

Creating a strong professional support team from within your university is key to helping you address many of the challenges you will encounter in setting up a collaborative centre. This group will also be key to ensuring there is facilitation and support to bring together research groups and individuals from across disciplines (and from outside your centre) to address challenge-led research solutions. We pulled together a multidisciplinary team from across professional services areas and colleges to provide leadership, ideas and support. Many have moved into new, permanent ARC positions, some have been seconded onto the project, while others have absorbed the new activities into their existing roles, recognising the pivotal role the centre will play in the future of research at the university.

This approach ensures the research centre is immediately integrated into the university and its networks. We’ve found that everyone involved has embraced the ARC and opportunities it presents for the wider university, looking beyond their own college or service area.

Research strategy

This will vary with every research centre, so you’ll need to develop an approach that works to meet your ambitions. In our case, we see the research centre as existing to support the key strategies of the university. This means that rather than developing a standalone centre-specific strategy, our delivery plan is focused on feeding into the institution-wide Research Strategy 2021-25. This ensures that we remain a useful asset for all the research communities within the university. This decision was vital in setting out expectations and clarifying the role of the ARC within the wider institution.

Communication of the project

It takes care to avoid a potential “us and them” environment developing within a university if a huge amount of money is being poured into a new research centre that houses a select group of researchers and staff. Ensure your communications are frank and honest from the start, acknowledging potential tensions. Make it clear the space belongs to everyone within the university community, regardless of where their desk is located.

For the past two years of development, our communications focused on taking the university community with us. The challenge now is to ensure that those working in the £116 million building also feel ownership for the centre and their role in delivering its purpose.

Embracing change

Enjoy the new and ongoing challenges that setting up and running a multidisciplinary research centre will bring. It will force you to break down the barriers that exist between academic and service areas within a university and to rethink approaches and try new ways of working.

The ARC has been a fascinating project to work on during the planning and development phase and now, as we prepare to open, it is an exciting operational project. We hope it will continue to challenge us for many years to come as it changes how we do things at Glasgow.

Andrew Tobin is the inaugural director of the new Advanced Research Centre (ARC) and professor of molecular pharmacology; Laura Tyler is research communications manager at ARC, both at the University of Glasgow .

If you found this interesting and want advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week,  sign up for the THE Campus newsletter .

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October 29, 2019

Ciandra Jackson

Finding Success in Running a Research Center

Research Enterprise

Running a Research Center

It takes bravery, creativity and a plan. Long days and constant pressure. It takes a lot to launch a successful business. The same is true for starting and managing an effective research center .

A research center may not be about the bottom line, but it still has to stand out from its competitors. It still has to collaborate with colleagues in different fields and communicate with stakeholders.

Researchers from around the country offered a window into how they made the leap from running a lab to running a successful research center.

Here’s what makes them tick.

Get Creative With Your Research Center

As with any business, finding a small corner of the market can be profitable. Case in point: The Center for Research on Electronic Commerce (CREC) at The University of Texas at Austin.

“My colleagues and I always carved out a niche for ourselves and developed creative ways to answer questions and address problems,” said center director Andrew Whinston , an economist and computer scientist at UT-Austin.

Established in 1988, housed at UT’s McCombs School of Business, the center is recognized as a leader in communications infrastructure. It offers a unique blend of economics and computer science for uncovering new ideas. It aims to help improve electronic commerce processes, business productivity, customer satisfaction and market efficiency.

One of CREC’s notable endeavors is the Cybersecurity Rating Project. The project helps organizations combat the significant challenges associated with spam, phishing and malicious software. At first sight, it seems this work mainly falls into the realm of information systems research, but it’s broader than that.

“Whether it be cybersecurity or e-commerce, it is not just about computer science,” said Whinston. “Regarding improving e-commerce safety and processes, we study game theory, the science of strategy.”

Game Theory

Game theory is a branch of mathematics focused on strategies for dealing with competitive situations in which one participant’s decision-making depends on what other participants do.

You leave a data trail behind whenever you place something in an online shopping cart. In e-commerce, that means retailers can gather that data to develop ever-changing price structures to maximize profits. The growth of online shopping since CREC’s inception 30 years ago illustrates how society has changed. Whinston said CREC had to evolve along with changes in economics, technology and how people and companies conduct business online. That forward thinking has allowed CREC to secure consistent funding from the National Science Foundation to lay the foundation for the center’s innovation in online marketing, digital currency and the internet of things.

Collaborate. And Do it Well.

Finding a sweet spot in the research market is critical. Today’s research centers also require collaboration across disciplines, and often, across institutions.

The Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics (TIMES) at the University of Houston has conducted substantial research focused on education, children and how they learn since 2001. Directed by David Francis , professor of psychology at UH, TIMES’ mission is to improve the behavioral, psychological, educational and developmental outcomes of children and adults through leading-edge quantitative and qualitative research methods. And it has done that, Francis said, by involving researchers with diverse skill sets, expertise and disciplines.

The center grew from a partnership between Francis and Jack Fletcher and Barbara Foreman. Both were at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston when they partnered. “The three of us had worked together on various education and reading problem prevention projects for over a decade, and we all had expertise in different areas,” Francis said. “Barbara was a content and literacy instructional expert, Jack was the disability expert, and I brought psychometrics and statistics to the table.”

How Collaboration Helped TIMES

Over the years, their partnership evolved into TIMES. This led to multi-million dollar grant awards and contributed to shifts in the way English language learners are taught to read. It also led to new interventions for children with reading difficulties and learning disabilities. One series of studies, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, came about after then-Governor George W. Bush raised questions about how best to support English language learners in school.

“Back in the ’90s there was a movement in California and Arizona’s education systems to be English only. At the time, Gov. George Bush reached out to the science community to determine if Texas, being a bilingual state, should enact legislation to be English only as well,” said Francis. “(Former) Gov. Bush wanted to ensure English learners in Texas thrived in school, not just survived.”

Working with colleagues at UH, UT-Houston, UT-Austin and California State University at Long Beach, UH was awarded $17 million to conduct research for the Bilingual Program Project, with Francis as principal investigator. More projects dealing with English Language Learners followed, including collaborations with Harvard University and the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington D.C.

Sharing is Caring

During a conversation with Francis, a common theme became apparent. TIMES’ success and sustainability is attributed to partnerships with researchers with a variety of skills and interests. “Don’t be afraid to go outside of your discipline or own institution,” he said. “Gather the greatest expertise you can for projects, because the best ideas win the largest grant awards and produce the most impactful research.”

Francis also believes sharing space and even equipment is critical for more meaningful collaboration, better projects and bigger grant funding.

Years of experience has allowed TIMES to make this interdisciplinary collaboration look easy. However, Francis acknowledges there are challenges and risks in working across disciplines. Each researcher has to connect to the greater good.

“Everyone must align, coordinate and visualize how individual projects integrate with a larger research program,” he said. “There’s only so much funding available in a program project or center grant, and each investigator has to compromise somewhat on their individual project for the program to succeed.”

The common thread in all this work is collaboration. “Cross-discipline research groups have to see the vision, understand it, have a sense of what’s needed in the field and distill it down into operational ideas that are executable,” Francis said. “We strive to make a great impact to mankind and intellectually contribute to society.”

Promote Your Work

Collaboration is key at the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE) at Virginia Tech, too. But getting out the word about the findings from those collaborations matters, as well.

Institute scholars tackle a wide array of topics. From global extremism and hate speech to adolescent substance abuse. These topics are bound by ISCE’s focus on social science and the humanities. But institute director Karen Roberto said sharing the results of that work is important, too. It helps community leaders and decision-makers work toward ways to improve society.

“We encourage the faculty not only to publish their research but to tell their story through our communication channels such our website and the weekly ISCE news flash,” she said.

Get Engaged

Engaging in public forums seems like a natural move for researchers who deal with topics at the forefront of today’s world. Researchers in other fields are discovering the value of sharing their work with the public via online newsletters, Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, too. (Academics also have begun using social media to collect research data. A few have discovered the risks, as well as the rewards, of using social media. But that’s another story.)

ISCE brings together faculty from across Virginia Tech, incorporating social and behavioral sciences and the humanities. “Our goal is to support faculty members in establishing their research agendas and strong relationships that result in interdisciplinary teams of faculty working together long-term,” Roberto said. That ranges from helping younger faculty connect with more experienced researchers to help navigate the grant process.

Whether they pursue new types of collaborations or new ways of reporting scientific discoveries, academic researchers are drawing upon traditional business tools to ensure the success of these larger research enterprises. Running a center or institute, they have discovered, is different from managing your own work.

And that’s OK.

“We’re risk takers,” Whinston said of his colleagues. “We look toward the future. The world changes every day.”

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The Integrated Research and Innovation center is UI’s world-class facility for interdisciplinary research and discovery. Located in the heart of campus, it is home to projects that transcend traditional academic boundaries, allowing researchers to take on key questions in new ways.

As the university’s premier research facility, the IRIC offers space for teams of faculty researchers, as well as their undergraduate and graduate students who are gaining hands-on experience. When the IRIC opened in January 2017, more than 20 teams had secured space in the building, representing every UI college.

The IRIC Facility Committee reviews applications for space and helps determine the location and length of projects. Teams will rotate in and out of the IRIC based on the lifespan of their project: Short-term projects may only use space for a few months, while other projects could spend years establishing and expanding their work.

The IRIC features flexible laboratories, office and collaboration spaces that can be customized to fit the needs of their occupants. The building also includes core research facilities available to researchers across campus, as well as outside partnership; a state-of-the-art visualization laboratory; indoor and outdoor auditoriums; and space for events.

The IRIC stands as evidence of the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary research that makes a difference to our students, our state and our world.

For questions about IRIC, contact facility manager Russell McClanahan at  [email protected]  or 208-885-1527.

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How to write a research plan: Step-by-step guide

Last updated

30 January 2024

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Today’s businesses and institutions rely on data and analytics to inform their product and service decisions. These metrics influence how organizations stay competitive and inspire innovation. However, gathering data and insights requires carefully constructed research, and every research project needs a roadmap. This is where a research plan comes into play.

Read this step-by-step guide for writing a detailed research plan that can apply to any project, whether it’s scientific, educational, or business-related.

• What is a research plan?

A research plan is a documented overview of a project in its entirety, from end to end. It details the research efforts, participants, and methods needed, along with any anticipated results. It also outlines the project’s goals and mission, creating layers of steps to achieve those goals within a specified timeline.

Without a research plan, you and your team are flying blind, potentially wasting time and resources to pursue research without structured guidance.

The principal investigator, or PI, is responsible for facilitating the research oversight. They will create the research plan and inform team members and stakeholders of every detail relating to the project. The PI will also use the research plan to inform decision-making throughout the project.

• Why do you need a research plan?

Create a research plan before starting any official research to maximize every effort in pursuing and collecting the research data. Crucially, the plan will model the activities needed at each phase of the research project .

Like any roadmap, a research plan serves as a valuable tool providing direction for those involved in the project—both internally and externally. It will keep you and your immediate team organized and task-focused while also providing necessary definitions and timelines so you can execute your project initiatives with full understanding and transparency.

External stakeholders appreciate a working research plan because it’s a great communication tool, documenting progress and changing dynamics as they arise. Any participants of your planned research sessions will be informed about the purpose of your study, while the exercises will be based on the key messaging outlined in the official plan.

Here are some of the benefits of creating a research plan document for every project:

Project organization and structure

Well-informed participants

All stakeholders and teams align in support of the project

Clearly defined project definitions and purposes

Distractions are eliminated, prioritizing task focus

Timely management of individual task schedules and roles

Costly reworks are avoided

• What should a research plan include?

The different aspects of your research plan will depend on the nature of the project. However, most official research plan documents will include the core elements below. Each aims to define the problem statement , devising an official plan for seeking a solution.

Specific project goals and individual objectives

Ideal strategies or methods for reaching those goals

Required resources

Descriptions of the target audience, sample sizes , demographics, and scopes

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Project background

Research and testing support

Preliminary studies and progress reporting mechanisms

Cost estimates and change order processes

Depending on the research project’s size and scope, your research plan could be brief—perhaps only a few pages of documented plans. Alternatively, it could be a fully comprehensive report. Either way, it’s an essential first step in dictating your project’s facilitation in the most efficient and effective way.

• How to write a research plan for your project

When you start writing your research plan, aim to be detailed about each step, requirement, and idea. The more time you spend curating your research plan, the more precise your research execution efforts will be.

Account for every potential scenario, and be sure to address each and every aspect of the research.

Consider following this flow to develop a great research plan for your project:

Define your project’s purpose

Start by defining your project’s purpose. Identify what your project aims to accomplish and what you are researching. Remember to use clear language.

Thinking about the project’s purpose will help you set realistic goals and inform how you divide tasks and assign responsibilities. These individual tasks will be your stepping stones to reach your overarching goal.

Additionally, you’ll want to identify the specific problem, the usability metrics needed, and the intended solutions.

Know the following three things about your project’s purpose before you outline anything else:

What you’re doing

Why you’re doing it

What you expect from it

Identify individual objectives

With your overarching project objectives in place, you can identify any individual goals or steps needed to reach those objectives. Break them down into phases or steps. You can work backward from the project goal and identify every process required to facilitate it.

Be mindful to identify each unique task so that you can assign responsibilities to various team members. At this point in your research plan development, you’ll also want to assign priority to those smaller, more manageable steps and phases that require more immediate or dedicated attention.

Select research methods

Once you have outlined your goals, objectives, steps, and tasks, it’s time to drill down on selecting research methods . You’ll want to leverage specific research strategies and processes. When you know what methods will help you reach your goals, you and your teams will have direction to perform and execute your assigned tasks.

Research methods might include any of the following:

User interviews : this is a qualitative research method where researchers engage with participants in one-on-one or group conversations. The aim is to gather insights into their experiences, preferences, and opinions to uncover patterns, trends, and data.

Field studies : this approach allows for a contextual understanding of behaviors, interactions, and processes in real-world settings. It involves the researcher immersing themselves in the field, conducting observations, interviews, or experiments to gather in-depth insights.

Card sorting : participants categorize information by sorting content cards into groups based on their perceived similarities. You might use this process to gain insights into participants’ mental models and preferences when navigating or organizing information on websites, apps, or other systems.

Focus groups : use organized discussions among select groups of participants to provide relevant views and experiences about a particular topic.

Diary studies : ask participants to record their experiences, thoughts, and activities in a diary over a specified period. This method provides a deeper understanding of user experiences, uncovers patterns, and identifies areas for improvement.

Five-second testing: participants are shown a design, such as a web page or interface, for just five seconds. They then answer questions about their initial impressions and recall, allowing you to evaluate the design’s effectiveness.

Surveys : get feedback from participant groups with structured surveys. You can use online forms, telephone interviews, or paper questionnaires to reveal trends, patterns, and correlations.

Tree testing : tree testing involves researching web assets through the lens of findability and navigability. Participants are given a textual representation of the site’s hierarchy (the “tree”) and asked to locate specific information or complete tasks by selecting paths.

Usability testing : ask participants to interact with a product, website, or application to evaluate its ease of use. This method enables you to uncover areas for improvement in digital key feature functionality by observing participants using the product.

Live website testing: research and collect analytics that outlines the design, usability, and performance efficiencies of a website in real time.

There are no limits to the number of research methods you could use within your project. Just make sure your research methods help you determine the following:

What do you plan to do with the research findings?

What decisions will this research inform? How can your stakeholders leverage the research data and results?

Recruit participants and allocate tasks

Next, identify the participants needed to complete the research and the resources required to complete the tasks. Different people will be proficient at different tasks, and having a task allocation plan will allow everything to run smoothly.

Prepare a thorough project summary

Every well-designed research plan will feature a project summary. This official summary will guide your research alongside its communications or messaging. You’ll use the summary while recruiting participants and during stakeholder meetings. It can also be useful when conducting field studies.

Ensure this summary includes all the elements of your research project . Separate the steps into an easily explainable piece of text that includes the following:

An introduction: the message you’ll deliver to participants about the interview, pre-planned questioning, and testing tasks.

Interview questions: prepare questions you intend to ask participants as part of your research study, guiding the sessions from start to finish.

An exit message: draft messaging your teams will use to conclude testing or survey sessions. These should include the next steps and express gratitude for the participant’s time.

Create a realistic timeline

While your project might already have a deadline or a results timeline in place, you’ll need to consider the time needed to execute it effectively.

Realistically outline the time needed to properly execute each supporting phase of research and implementation. And, as you evaluate the necessary schedules, be sure to include additional time for achieving each milestone in case any changes or unexpected delays arise.

For this part of your research plan, you might find it helpful to create visuals to ensure your research team and stakeholders fully understand the information.

Determine how to present your results

A research plan must also describe how you intend to present your results. Depending on the nature of your project and its goals, you might dedicate one team member (the PI) or assume responsibility for communicating the findings yourself.

In this part of the research plan, you’ll articulate how you’ll share the results. Detail any materials you’ll use, such as:

Presentations and slides

A project report booklet

A project findings pamphlet

Documents with key takeaways and statistics

Graphic visuals to support your findings

• Format your research plan

As you create your research plan, you can enjoy a little creative freedom. A plan can assume many forms, so format it how you see fit. Determine the best layout based on your specific project, intended communications, and the preferences of your teams and stakeholders.

Find format inspiration among the following layouts:

Written outlines

Narrative storytelling

Visual mapping

Graphic timelines

Remember, the research plan format you choose will be subject to change and adaptation as your research and findings unfold. However, your final format should ideally outline questions, problems, opportunities, and expectations.

• Research plan example

Imagine you’ve been tasked with finding out how to get more customers to order takeout from an online food delivery platform. The goal is to improve satisfaction and retain existing customers. You set out to discover why more people aren’t ordering and what it is they do want to order or experience. 

You identify the need for a research project that helps you understand what drives customer loyalty . But before you jump in and start calling past customers, you need to develop a research plan—the roadmap that provides focus, clarity, and realistic details to the project.

Here’s an example outline of a research plan you might put together:

Project title

Project members involved in the research plan

Purpose of the project (provide a summary of the research plan’s intent)

Objective 1 (provide a short description for each objective)

Objective 2

Objective 3

Proposed timeline

Audience (detail the group you want to research, such as customers or non-customers)

Budget (how much you think it might cost to do the research)

Risk factors/contingencies (any potential risk factors that may impact the project’s success)

Remember, your research plan doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel—it just needs to fit your project’s unique needs and aims.

Customizing a research plan template

Some companies offer research plan templates to help get you started. However, it may make more sense to develop your own customized plan template. Be sure to include the core elements of a great research plan with your template layout, including the following:

Introductions to participants and stakeholders

Background problems and needs statement

Significance, ethics, and purpose

Research methods, questions, and designs

Preliminary beliefs and expectations

Implications and intended outcomes

Realistic timelines for each phase

Conclusion and presentations

How many pages should a research plan be?

Generally, a research plan can vary in length between 500 to 1,500 words. This is roughly three pages of content. More substantial projects will be 2,000 to 3,500 words, taking up four to seven pages of planning documents.

What is the difference between a research plan and a research proposal?

A research plan is a roadmap to success for research teams. A research proposal, on the other hand, is a dissertation aimed at convincing or earning the support of others. Both are relevant in creating a guide to follow to complete a project goal.

What are the seven steps to developing a research plan?

While each research project is different, it’s best to follow these seven general steps to create your research plan:

Defining the problem

Identifying goals

Choosing research methods

Recruiting participants

Preparing the brief or summary

Establishing task timelines

Defining how you will present the findings

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How Pew Research Center will report on generations moving forward

Journalists, researchers and the public often look at society through the lens of generation, using terms like Millennial or Gen Z to describe groups of similarly aged people. This approach can help readers see themselves in the data and assess where we are and where we’re headed as a country.

Pew Research Center has been at the forefront of generational research over the years, telling the story of Millennials as they came of age politically and as they moved more firmly into adult life . In recent years, we’ve also been eager to learn about Gen Z as the leading edge of this generation moves into adulthood.

But generational research has become a crowded arena. The field has been flooded with content that’s often sold as research but is more like clickbait or marketing mythology. There’s also been a growing chorus of criticism about generational research and generational labels in particular.

Recently, as we were preparing to embark on a major research project related to Gen Z, we decided to take a step back and consider how we can study generations in a way that aligns with our values of accuracy, rigor and providing a foundation of facts that enriches the public dialogue.

A typical generation spans 15 to 18 years. As many critics of generational research point out, there is great diversity of thought, experience and behavior within generations.

We set out on a yearlong process of assessing the landscape of generational research. We spoke with experts from outside Pew Research Center, including those who have been publicly critical of our generational analysis, to get their take on the pros and cons of this type of work. We invested in methodological testing to determine whether we could compare findings from our earlier telephone surveys to the online ones we’re conducting now. And we experimented with higher-level statistical analyses that would allow us to isolate the effect of generation.

What emerged from this process was a set of clear guidelines that will help frame our approach going forward. Many of these are principles we’ve always adhered to , but others will require us to change the way we’ve been doing things in recent years.

Here’s a short overview of how we’ll approach generational research in the future:

We’ll only do generational analysis when we have historical data that allows us to compare generations at similar stages of life. When comparing generations, it’s crucial to control for age. In other words, researchers need to look at each generation or age cohort at a similar point in the life cycle. (“Age cohort” is a fancy way of referring to a group of people who were born around the same time.)

When doing this kind of research, the question isn’t whether young adults today are different from middle-aged or older adults today. The question is whether young adults today are different from young adults at some specific point in the past.

To answer this question, it’s necessary to have data that’s been collected over a considerable amount of time – think decades. Standard surveys don’t allow for this type of analysis. We can look at differences across age groups, but we can’t compare age groups over time.

Another complication is that the surveys we conducted 20 or 30 years ago aren’t usually comparable enough to the surveys we’re doing today. Our earlier surveys were done over the phone, and we’ve since transitioned to our nationally representative online survey panel , the American Trends Panel . Our internal testing showed that on many topics, respondents answer questions differently depending on the way they’re being interviewed. So we can’t use most of our surveys from the late 1980s and early 2000s to compare Gen Z with Millennials and Gen Xers at a similar stage of life.

This means that most generational analysis we do will use datasets that have employed similar methodologies over a long period of time, such as surveys from the U.S. Census Bureau. A good example is our 2020 report on Millennial families , which used census data going back to the late 1960s. The report showed that Millennials are marrying and forming families at a much different pace than the generations that came before them.

Even when we have historical data, we will attempt to control for other factors beyond age in making generational comparisons. If we accept that there are real differences across generations, we’re basically saying that people who were born around the same time share certain attitudes or beliefs – and that their views have been influenced by external forces that uniquely shaped them during their formative years. Those forces may have been social changes, economic circumstances, technological advances or political movements.

When we see that younger adults have different views than their older counterparts, it may be driven by their demographic traits rather than the fact that they belong to a particular generation.

The tricky part is isolating those forces from events or circumstances that have affected all age groups, not just one generation. These are often called “period effects.” An example of a period effect is the Watergate scandal, which drove down trust in government among all age groups. Differences in trust across age groups in the wake of Watergate shouldn’t be attributed to the outsize impact that event had on one age group or another, because the change occurred across the board.

Changing demographics also may play a role in patterns that might at first seem like generational differences. We know that the United States has become more racially and ethnically diverse in recent decades, and that race and ethnicity are linked with certain key social and political views. When we see that younger adults have different views than their older counterparts, it may be driven by their demographic traits rather than the fact that they belong to a particular generation.

Controlling for these factors can involve complicated statistical analysis that helps determine whether the differences we see across age groups are indeed due to generation or not. This additional step adds rigor to the process. Unfortunately, it’s often absent from current discussions about Gen Z, Millennials and other generations.

When we can’t do generational analysis, we still see value in looking at differences by age and will do so where it makes sense. Age is one of the most common predictors of differences in attitudes and behaviors. And even if age gaps aren’t rooted in generational differences, they can still be illuminating. They help us understand how people across the age spectrum are responding to key trends, technological breakthroughs and historical events.

Each stage of life comes with a unique set of experiences. Young adults are often at the leading edge of changing attitudes on emerging social trends. Take views on same-sex marriage , for example, or attitudes about gender identity .

Many middle-aged adults, in turn, face the challenge of raising children while also providing care and support to their aging parents. And older adults have their own obstacles and opportunities. All of these stories – rooted in the life cycle, not in generations – are important and compelling, and we can tell them by analyzing our surveys at any given point in time.

When we do have the data to study groups of similarly aged people over time, we won’t always default to using the standard generational definitions and labels. While generational labels are simple and catchy, there are other ways to analyze age cohorts. For example, some observers have suggested grouping people by the decade in which they were born. This would create narrower cohorts in which the members may share more in common. People could also be grouped relative to their age during key historical events (such as the Great Recession or the COVID-19 pandemic) or technological innovations (like the invention of the iPhone).

By choosing not to use the standard generational labels when they’re not appropriate, we can avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes or oversimplifying people’s complex lived experiences.

Existing generational definitions also may be too broad and arbitrary to capture differences that exist among narrower cohorts. A typical generation spans 15 to 18 years. As many critics of generational research point out, there is great diversity of thought, experience and behavior within generations. The key is to pick a lens that’s most appropriate for the research question that’s being studied. If we’re looking at political views and how they’ve shifted over time, for example, we might group people together according to the first presidential election in which they were eligible to vote.

With these considerations in mind, our audiences should not expect to see a lot of new research coming out of Pew Research Center that uses the generational lens. We’ll only talk about generations when it adds value, advances important national debates and highlights meaningful societal trends.

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Kim Parker is director of social trends research at Pew Research Center .

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The Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology of the Russian Ministry of Health is the largest oncological clinic in Russia and Europe, one of the largest oncological clinics in the world, which has the latest equipment and all advanced methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

We see our goal as continuous improvement of the quality and availability of cancer care. To achieve this goal, we are working on improving the system of organizing medical care and introducing the latest technologies.

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• Frank Cerabino
• Nation & World
• Fort Lauderdale

'Moving forward:' Gannon says water research center at Blasco Library to open in spring 2025

Gannon University anticipates construction of a new water research and education center at Blasco Memorial Library to begin in late fall, with a projected opening in early 2025.

Gannon leaders joined Erie County Executive Brenton Davis at a news conference Wednesday to announce the dates and assure the community that they’ll be able to provide feedback on the center’s design.

“Our updated timeline will call for public presentations on a possible design to happen in late June and July,” Sarah Ewing, provost and vice president for student experience at Gannon, told reporters at the Erie County Courthouse.

“The comments and feedback will be factored into the final plan," she added.

The 3,280-square-foot center ― a part of Gannon’s multi-phased $24 million water quality initiative called Project NePTWNE ― will be located on the eastern wing of the library’s first floor and comprise of hands-on exhibits, a NOAA Science on a Sphere and a research lab, all of which will be accessible to the public at no cost, according to Ewing.

Ewing said the center will enhance the research done on Gannon’s research vessel, the Env i ronaut , and also “complement the educational programming and services offered by the library.”

“We will bring programming to the library through the center, and we’ve already begun discussing possible partnerships with library staff,” she said. “These ideas and discussions will continue in the weeks and months ahead.”

Gannon, Davis 'moving forward' from controversy surrounding center

The center’s proposed location inside the county’s main public library has been the source of several protests and demonstrations since the center’s lease was approved by Erie County Council in October.

Opponents have argued the lease is an affront to the library, contending it gives away space from a vital public asset to a private, religiously affiliated university that already has several dozen tax-exempt properties throughout the city.

They’ve also criticized the lease as a “sweetheart deal” brokered by the Davis administration and fast-tracked by council with no public engagement. The lease has Gannon paying a flat rent of $7 a square foot for an initial 25-year period.

Speaking at Wednesday’s news conference, Gannon President Walter Iwanenko sought to reassure the public of the center’s value, both to the library and the community overall.

“We acknowledge there’s been a lot said about this effort, both for it and against it,” he said. “Our expectation is that, in time, this will not only be a destination for our community but also an attraction for visitors to come to our beautiful waterfront ― this location remaining a vital resource for generations to come.”

He added, “This will be a source of pride, enhancing a public asset. Our community will be a leader in research and education through these evolving public and private partnerships.”

Wednesday's news conference comes just days after Erie County Council sought to override a Davis veto that blocked council's attempt to rescind the center's lease. The override failed in a 4-3 vote, falling short of a necessary five-vote supermajority.

Davis on Wednesday said it's been a "tumultuous road" but that the research laboratory in partnership with the county is "moving forward."

Ewing: Gannon “not looking to take over” library services

Among the concerns of community members has been the potential environmental impact of a research laboratory on a library ― and the lack of a thorough impact study.

Ewing said there’s been some “misunderstanding” around the scope of the center’s research lab, which she said will have a very “straightforward design.”

“It will be focused more on water quality,” she said. “We have the labs we need to control chemicals and the large pieces of equipment on campus. This space is going to be controlled and more so for community engagement and the research process.”

Ewing said the contractors hired to design and construct the center ― Indovina Associates Architects of Pittsburgh and Building Systems Inc. ― will work with library staff to limit disruptions to the library patrons.

She further dismissed concerns that Gannon might expand to other parts of the library.

“We have a very clear design in mind of what we want to achieve,” she said. “We want to partner with the library. The library provides a lot of services to the community and we’re not looking to take over any of that.”

She added that the center aims to complement programs and services in the community, including those at the Regional Science Consortium, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and the Children’s Museum.

The construction is being funded by $1.5 million from the county's share of American Rescue Plan funds.

A.J. Rao can be reached at  [email protected] . Follow him on X @ETNRao .

Design Strategy & Research Center / THE_SYSTEM LAB

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How ai can reveal new understandings of the past — and the future.

The ancient city of Dura-Europos in present-day Syria has long fascinated archaeologists and historians with its wealth of cultural and linguistic diversity. But much of the valuable information about the city, which was founded in 300 B.C.E. and abandoned in the third century C.E., has been lost.

With the use of artificial intelligence (AI), though, Holly Rushmeier, the John C. Malone Professor of Computer Science at the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science, is “reconstructing” city buildings as 3D models based on surviving evidence as well as helping to build an easily accessible body of knowledge about the ancient city.

In a completely different application, her lab is also using AI to better assess the state of land that has been damaged by Algerian forest fires — work that could benefit governments around the world in land recovery efforts.

In an interview, Rushmeier discusses her work on these two far-ranging projects. It is the latest in a series of conversations about AI with Yale researchers.

How is AI helping with your Dura-Europos research?

Holly Rushmeier: We’ve been experimenting with training networks to extract key contours from historic photos to use as a starting point for geometric modeling. There’s also a major undertaking of gathering facts about all of the artifacts at Dura-Europos and putting them into “linked open data” [a virtual data cloud] to be part of a knowledge graph to form something that can be efficiently used for question-answering in the future through Wikidata.

I think it’s really important to lay a foundation for future, better methods [of information gathering] that rely on specific, reliable data rather than just roaming around the Internet learning who knows what. So those are the two places I would say that AI, and in particular machine learning, intersect with that project.

Because right now, the information about Dura-Europos that’s available is all very scattered?

Rushmeier: Well, it’s in things like excavation reports and traditional books. But then the collections are fragmented. We have a certain number of artifacts here about Dura-Europos [at the Yale University Art Gallery ]. Other museums have their data. The idea of putting everything into this linked open data — and Wikidata is one instance of linked open data — is a way that they can all be connected from across different sources.

Moving forward a couple millennia, in a separate project you’re also working on present-day forest fires.

Rushmeier: In northern Algeria and many other places, information about forest fires is difficult to get. But you can get satellite information from the European and U.S. satellites that cover the whole world.

Nadia Zikiou, a Ph.D. student from Algeria, is working on this to assess damage to natural resources. It’s very difficult to get a lot of on-the-ground information, but you can get hyperspectral data from satellites over time to track how things have been damaged, for example, by wildfires. In a project she’s looking at the best way to use that satellite data — which wavelength bands and what methods work best. You can take values that are detected at each pixel in a satellite image and combine them in a certain way to compute, for example, an index for the type of vegetation.

So the work she is doing compares convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and support vector machines (SVMs) — two kinds of machine learning — in how they predict the kind of damage from wildfires that you can get. It’s looking at what the damage is and how things are recovering .

And that could give the Algerian government a better way to plan the future of that land?

Rushmeier: Yes — to understand how to manage their resources.

How does machine learning figure into all of this?

Rushmeier: Say you’re using it to identify crops in a remote sensing image: you need lots and lots of examples of the things that might appear in these images labeled — “this is a certain kind of grass” and “this is a certain kind of tree,” for instance. If you have loads and loads of those labeled images, you can train the machine learning model so that when you get a new image, you can assign the labels with the model. It’s a great tool if you have enough and appropriate training data. So what this system will do, among other things, is enable people to train machine-learning models to understand this data.

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