NSF ASCEND Engine to support the Colorado Whole-of-State Homeland Defense and Resilience Working Group 

Fort Collins, CO – August 20, 2025 — The NSF ASCEND Engine in Colorado and Wyoming (the Engine), led by Innosphere will collaborate with the Colorado National Guard to co-lead the Environmental Resilience Pillar of a forthcoming, nationally unique Whole-of-State Homeland Defense and Resilience Strategy. This strategy, which is composed of a total of four pillars (Environmental Resilience; Resilient Critical Infrastructure; Resilient Populations; and Transportation Resilience), is a product of the Colorado Whole-of-State Homeland Defense and Resilience Working Group intended to longitudinally inform a wide policies and practices for the state.  

“The NSF ASCEND Engine is proud to support the Environmental Resilience pillar of Colorado’s Whole-of-State Homeland Defense and Resilience Strategy,” said Dr. Sam Malloy, the Engine’s Use-Inspired R&D Director. “By harnessing key assets within our partner institutions of higher education, federal research laboratories, and the entrepreneurial community, we are helping create a nationally unique model for collaborative, multi-sectoral resilience to natural hazards.” 

Overview of Collaborative Activities 

The role of the NSF ASCEND Engine in the Colorado Whole-of-State Homeland Defense and Resilience Working Group will be to: 

  • Co-Chair the Environmental Resilience Pillar of the Working Group, contributing subject matter expertise from the Engine and its partners to the development, refinement, and ultimately adoption of the framework strategy in Colorado. 
  • Host an annual leadership roundtable on behalf of the Environmental Resilience Pillar. 
  • Represent the Environmental Resilience Pillar in an annual Colorado Whole of State Homeland Defense and Resilience summit that brings together the four Pillars of the strategy’s framework. 
  • Explore the expansion of the strategy to the broader Mountain West region through an observational period with collaborating States to examine pilot activities in Colorado and assess opportunities for refinement and adoption. 
  • Support joint promotion of activities listed above at the local, state, and federal levels. 

 About the NSF ASCEND Engine: 

Led by Innosphere and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), with support from the State of Colorado and the State of Wyoming, the NSF ASCEND Engine is a collaborative initiative focused on driving innovation in climate resiliency across the Colorado-Wyoming region. The NSF ASCEND Engine brings together a diverse network of partners to develop and commercialize technologies that address critical community resiliency challenges, foster economic growth and enhance community well-being.  

Visit www.co-wyengine.org for more information.