What happened to the C.H.A.M.P. system developed by the University of Rhode Island researcher?

The C.H.A.M.P. system, which provided emergency managers with detailed information about potential storm damage to critical infrastructure, had to be halted after the researcher lost federal funding from the Department of Homeland Security's Centers of Excellence program.

Why was the C.H.A.M.P. system important for coastal communities?

The C.H.A.M.P. system was designed to help emergency managers quickly assess the potential damage from hurricanes and nor'easter storms, allowing them to better prepare and respond to the threat. It provided uniquely specific information about the infrastructure and facilities that could be damaged, such as roads, backup generators, and electrical transformers.

Home / Science / Coastal Resilience Research Halted After Federal Funding Cuts

Coastal Resilience Research Halted After Federal Funding Cuts

Q: How did the termination of the DHS program impact the researcher's work?

The termination of the DHS program forced the researcher to stop work on several projects and cancel planned trainings to show communities how the C.H.A.M.P. system could be used, even though the bulk of the work had already been completed.

13 Nov

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Summary

Marine policy researcher loses funding for storm damage prediction system
Collaboration with URI professor to create C.H.A.M.P. system stopped
Emergency managers can no longer access critical storm impact data

Coastal Resilience Research Halted After Federal Funding Cuts

In 2014, a marine policy researcher at the University of Rhode Island began developing a new system called C.H.A.M.P. (Coastal Hazards, Analysis, Modeling and Prediction) to help emergency managers quickly assess the potential damage from hurricanes and nor'easter storms. The researcher collaborated with a professor at the university's Graduate School of Oceanography to create this innovative tool.

The C.H.A.M.P. system provided emergency managers with detailed information about the specific infrastructure and facilities that could be damaged by an approaching storm, including roads, backup generators, electrical transformers, and HVAC systems. This allowed them to better prepare and respond to the threat. However, as of November 2025, this critical work has been forced to a halt.

The researcher's team had four projects funded through the Department of Homeland Security's Centers of Excellence program, but on April 8th of this year, the department terminated the entire program. This sudden loss of funding has forced the researcher to stop work on several projects and cancel planned trainings to show communities how C.H.A.M.P. could be used. Despite having completed the bulk of the work, the team was unable to deliver on their promises to provide this vital early warning and planning system to the communities that need it most.

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