The Center for Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Studies (CSTEPS) is collaborating on a major initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF, in collaboration with five U.S. government agencies, has invested $26.7 million into the first-ever Prototype Open Knowledge Network (Proto-OKN)—a transformative effort to create a publicly accessible, AI-driven data infrastructure that will address critical societal and economic challenges.

Among the 18 multidisciplinary, cross-sector projects awarded under the Proto-OKN program, CSTEPS Director Eric Welch is a co-principal investigator on the Water-Energy Nexus Open Knowledge Network (WEN-OKN), led by the University of Cincinnati. This project will address the growing challenges of interdependent water and energy systems in the face of climate change, extreme weather, and shifting demand.

The WEN-OKN project responds to a pressing need for integrated, systems-based solutions in managing the water-energy nexus. Recent droughts, storms, and infrastructure failures have exposed vulnerabilities in how water and energy resources are managed, with cascading effects across industries and communities.

The goal of WEN-OKN is to develop a densely interconnected knowledge graph that will:

• Break down data silos, making water-energy data more accessible and usable for researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders.
• Enable AI-driven insights to support resilient infrastructure, optimized resource management, and proactive policy-making.
• Support cross-sector collaboration to improve governance, coordination, and long-term strategic planning.

The Proto-OKN initiative is a pioneering effort to create a trustworthy and interconnected open knowledge network, unlocking new possibilities for AI applications, public policy, and scientific discovery. With projects spanning healthcare, criminal justice, environmental management, and more, Proto-OKN is set to revolutionize how data is shared and utilized across sectors.

To learn more about the Water-Energy Nexus Open Knowledge Network (WEN-OKN):
📖 Project Overview