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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">Dear Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">As you know, having a defined Science Plan is critical for the National Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI). The plan
will enable our community work together toward the technical breakthroughs that will improve the resilience and sustainability of our civil infrastructure, existing and future. Working with the Task Group, the Network Coordination Office (NCO) is overseeing
the development of NHERI’s Science Plan and guiding its path.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">Using the proposed Science Plans from each of the eleven NHERI awardees as the starting point, the Task Group has drafted a five-year plan that will assist researchers in addressing the
Grand Challenges and Key Research Questions of the day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">The Science Plan is ready for review by all community stakeholders and researchers — including faculty, staff, students, practitioners and policy-makers.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:.5in;background:white">
<b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333"><a href="https://www.designsafe-ci.org/facilities/nco/science-plan/">https://www.designsafe-ci.org/facilities/nco/science-plan/</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">The Science Plan describes Grand Challenges, Key Research Questions and examples of needed research to mitigate damage from earthquakes, wind, storm surge and waves. It includes an appendix
with descriptions of NHERI experimental facilities and examples of research that can be conducted at each EF. The appendix incorporates descriptions of the CyberInfrastructure and SimCenter, as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">The NHERI NCO and the Task Group encourage everyone to review the Plan — especially the Grand Challenges, Key Research Questions and example research topics.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">A finalized version of the Science Plan will be published mid-July 2017 following the community review period. The NHERI Science Plan will be assessed and updated in the future as needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">We look forward to hearing from you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#333333">Tom Smith<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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