UCI Researcher Gets $12-Million Science Grant

A UC Irvine professor has received a $12.5-million National Science Foundation grant to create an emergency response system that helps agencies communicate and share information quickly.

Researcher Sharad Mehrotra received the largest of the eight information technology project grants the foundation gave this year, officials announced Wednesday.

Each of the projects melds computer science and other research disciplines to address such national priorities as weather prediction and disaster response, according to Peter Freeman, the head of the foundation’s computer and information science and engineering team.

During Mehrotra’s five-year endeavor, researchers from UC Irvine along with five other universities and an imaging company will investigate how agencies can better communicate with one another during a disaster.

“This project aims to streamline and revolutionize crisis response,” Mehrotra said. “Decision-makers will be able to assess emergencies much more accurately and pass on that information to the people who need it, saving lives and saving property.”