(The Center Square) – Four Louisiana-based projects are among the 10 finalists for a $50 million award aimed at making the Gulf Coast safer, more resilient, and sustainable, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced Tuesday.
The Gulf Futures Challenge, run by the Academies’ Gulf Research Program and Lever for Change, drew entries from all five Gulf states. Finalists proposed innovative approaches to climate resilience, energy security, and public health – and Louisiana institutions stood out.
Louisiana State University is involved in three of the finalists. The Community Co-Financed Flood and Energy Resilience initiative will partner with community groups in four Gulf communities to confront flooding and energy insecurity by planning infrastructure and financing tools.
The Community Lighthouse project, led by the Greater New Orleans Foundation and LSU’s School of Social Work, will install neighborhood solar and battery microgrids at 80 hubs, creating a “Virtual Power Plant” to keep lights on during outages.
LSU also teamed up with the University of Louisiana on the Iberia Parish Clean Energy Hub, which blends solar and carbon capture with workforce training for underserved communities.
Meanwhile, the Louisiana Public Health Institute’s Gulf Hub will transform community health centers across four states into resilience hubs, reaching 400,000 residents while strengthening research on health and disaster recovery.
“These projects exemplify the bold thinking and community-rooted innovation needed to navigate the complex transitions facing our environment, economy, and public health,” said Lauren Alexander Augustine, executive director of the Gulf Research Program.
Winners of the Gulf Futures Challenge are expected to be announced in 2026, with the $50 million prize supporting projects that apply science and engineering to real-world problems across the Gulf.
