About: What We Do

The Natural Hazard and Disaster Reconnaissance Facility, known as the RAPID, is part of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) network supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). 

Based at the University of Washington (UW), the RAPID is a collaboration between UW, Oregon State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Florida. The facility enables the natural hazards and disaster research communities to conduct next-generation rapid response investigations to characterize civil infrastructure performance and community response to natural hazards, evaluate the effectiveness of design methodologies, calibrate simulation models, and develop solutions for resilient communities. The RAPID serves the interdisciplinary natural hazards and disaster research communities. Its resources have been used effectively by researchers across various engineering, geosciences, and social science disciplines.

The facility provides investigators with the hardware, software, and support services needed to collect, process, and assess perishable interdisciplinary data following extreme natural hazard events. Support for the natural hazards and disaster research community is provided through training and educational activities, field deployment services, and by promoting public engagement with science and engineering. 

Specifically, the RAPID Facility conducts the following strategic activities: 

  1. acquires, maintains, and operates state-of-the-art data collection equipment

  2. develops and supports mobile applications to enable interdisciplinary field reconnaissance

  3. provides advisory services and basic logistics support for research missions

  4. facilitates the systematic archiving, processing and visualization of acquired data in DesignSafe (see below)

  5. trains a broad user base through workshops and other activities

  6. supports public engagement by the natural hazard and disaster community by enabling citizen science research in natural hazards as well as through community outreach and education

The RAPID Facility is part of the National Science Foundation’s Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Network

The RAPID Facility works closely with the CONVERGE to facilitate and advance the work of the natural hazards reconnaissance and research communities.