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Gulf Research Program
ACT Initiative
Launched in 2025, ACT Houston brought together individuals from local nonprofits, foundations, academia, and government to co-create a vision and co-plan for solutions that could advance the capacity of local stakeholders to better collaborate in adapting to disasters that affect the health and resilience of their communities. 
Our Project
From Silos to Community-Centered Systems: Transforming Disaster Data and Communications Regionwide (TDDC)
Working group members are aiming to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in the Greater Houston region by convening cross-sector partners to reimagine community-centered disaster data and communications systems. The project will operate through two complementary subgroups that work in parallel and then reunite to produce a shared regional strategy.
- The disaster data subgroup, led by Connective, will develop a collective data strategy and governance framework that integrates information on disaster impacts, community needs, and available recovery resources across partners.
- The disaster communications subgroup, with research led by UTHealth School of Public Health, will focus on strengthening preparedness and resilience by designing clear, multilingual, and accessible communication strategies to create trusted, community-informed channels for sharing information before, during, and after disasters.
By aligning data integration with coordinated communications, the project will deliver centralized systems, shared protocols, and a unified approach that improves decision-making, enhances community trust, supports organized local networks, and increases the region’s overall disaster readiness and resilience.
Working Group Members
Air Alliance Houston
American Red Cross
City of Houston, Office of Emergency Management
Connective
East End Communities
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
Houston Public Media, University of Houston
Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University
Texas A&M University
Texas Gulf Coast Regional VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster)
UTHealth School of Public Health
Questions? Email us at info@disasteralliance.org.
Research reported on this site and/or through this project was supported by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under award number SCON-10001815. United Way of Greater Houston’s grant establishes a 15% indirect cost rate. In the absence of a federally negotiated rate (NICRA), this requirement applies to all subgrants, which are therefore capped at 15% to ensure compliance with the grant terms.
