A cross-collaborative team of Mississippi State and Tufts University School of Engineering faculty is receiving a $1.25 million National Science Foundation grant to promote and develop resilient and affordable housing in rural communities.
The three-year project aims to transform the way rural communities in the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast regions manage and mitigate housing risks. By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as geosensing, artificial intelligence and participatory research, the initiative looks to deepen the understanding of risk while developing a robust, multiscale decision-support platform.
“Many areas in Mississippi are vulnerable to natural disasters and these places also have residents whose quality of life is significantly affected by their housing circumstances,” said Principal Investigator Nazanin Tajik, MSU Bagley College of Engineering assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “With this grant, we can take steps to improve the lives of Mississippians, especially those in rural areas, by helping communities manage how and where they develop housing.”
At the heart of the project is the creation of an advanced platform that combines AI-driven building risk detection, agent-based modeling and insights from community members to guide strategies for housing resilience. This research will assess both structural and social vulnerabilities by integrating satellite imagery, demographic data and qualitative inputs from local residents.
The platform will deliver real-time simulations and visualizations, helping illustrate hazard impacts, housing outcomes and the potential trade-offs of various interventions. Data collection will involve focus groups, interviews and participatory mapping across six rural counties to ensure that community needs and priorities are at the forefront.
Tajik said the platform will be designed to help local leaders and public workers understand the housing challenges people face. It offers tools to investigate ways to make homes safer and more affordable, especially in rural areas.
“By using this platform, they’ll be able to make better decisions on where to invest money to protect residents’ lives and improve their living conditions,” she said. “Overall, it’s about finding real solutions that benefit the community and make it more sustainable and safer.”
Tajik is joined by MSU faculty colleagues Mehdi Ghahremani, assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations; Diego Thompson, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology; Silvina Lopez Barrera, associate professor in the School of Architecture; and Farshid Vahedifard of Tufts University School of Engineering, all coprincipal investigators.
Tajik said before launching its platforms, her cross-collaborative team needs to understand the importance of connecting with these communities. Affordable and resilient housing isn’t just about shelter, she said; it also involves ensuring a good quality of life for residents.
“People living in vulnerable areas like the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast often struggle with not only the physical aspects of their homes but also the broader implications of their living conditions,” she said. “These often include challenges related to stability, safety and health, especially in the face of natural disasters.”