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| Essay:PATH: Partnership for Advancing Technology in HousingPreviously the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing, PATH is now an online resource for homeowners and homebuyers, the homebuilding industry and federal agencies. PATH catalogs the best resources on advanced building technologies and practices to emerge from the decade-long public-private partnership, which ended in 2008. -- Update on 5/5/2009PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing at website: www.pathnet.org) is a new private/public effort to develop, demonstrate, and gain widespread market acceptance for the ˇ°Next Generationˇ± of American housing. Through the use of new or innovative technologies the goal of PATH is to improve the quality, durability, environmental efficiency, and affordability of tomorrow's homes. Initiated at the request of the White House, PATH is managed and supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In addition, all Federal Agencies that engage in housing research and technology development are PATH Partners, including the Departments of Energy and Commerce, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). State and local governments and other participants from the public sector are also partners in PATH. Product manufacturers, home builders, insurance companies, and lenders represent private industry in the PATH partnership.
PATH's primary link to academic research is through the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF-PATH Program Awards provide funding to spur innovative background research, a key component to technology development. Background research includes conducting technical investigations and creating new areas of knowledge or actual products, including innovation in housing materials, systems, construction processes, and management techniques.
Support for developing new housing related materials and processes has historically been lower than in other industrial and scientific pursuits. This lack of development in background research on homebuilding has placed a burden on product manufacturers to conduct research for which they have no resources. The shortage of funds for background research also has diminished the academic research community's interest in housing technology issues. The NSF-PATH Awards address the lack of background research in housing.
Through the NSF-PATH Award program, academic researchers can apply for research grants in a variety of housing technology areas. First given in 2000, the awards have not only led to interesting developments on a variety of technological fronts, but have brought increased attention to housing within the broader university research community.
More info of this article can be found on the web at: http://www.pathnet.org/ Web Links:
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