Planning: HBCU-UP: OPEN: Development of blockchain-based supply chain simulation

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provides support to strengthen STEM undergraduate education and research at HBCUs. To enhance its research capacity, Morgan State University will conduct planning activities to develop PI expertise in blockchain-based supply chain simulations and make improvements to the supply chain coordination mechanism.

The research approach is based on mathematical programming in which costs are modeled and tested in a simulated environment. This planning project aligns with the goals of the HBCU-UP program in its efforts to bolster institutional capacity building for the purpose of enhancing STEM Undergraduate education and research endeavors.

The objective of this project is to develop a blockchain-based supply chain simulation environment. During the project, a blockchain will be designed, set up, and deployed. Afterwards, a set of blockchain smart contracts that simulate delivery processes in a blockchain-based supply chain environment will be developed.

The created blockchain-based supply chain simulation environment will mimic processes within a supply chain and, therefore, can be used for research and educational purposes. In research, the simulation environment will be a tool that can be used to test different blockchain-based models and concepts in supply chain management and other disciplines.

In the classroom, the blockchain-based supply chain simulation environment can be used to explain to students blockchain technology and its applications in supply chain management and beyond.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.