SPP's Juniper Katz and Krista Harper are part of an interdisciplinary UMass team awarded a Large-Scale Integrative Research Award (LIRA) for their project "Center on Use-Inspired Community Based Participatory Research for Equitable Demand Response and Energy Justice." Demand Response (DR) refers to technologies and programs that can change electricity demand patterns to provide a more efficient grid; this is particularly important as we transition to a low-carbon grid with high amounts of wind and solar. The center is novel in its formulation of use-inspired Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to ensure benefits to marginalized households. DR is part of an engineered socio-technical system; as such the team will bring together disparate disciplines, utility representatives, and marginalized communities to create opportunities for change. The disciplines include industrial, computer, and civil engineering, cultural anthropology, computer science, operations management, social psychology, public policy, behavioral economics, and public health.
LIRA is a program created by the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement to team efforts around large-scale research initiatives.