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Creating solutions to pressing environmental and sustainability challenges will require input and imaginative approaches from various fields, perspectives, and disciplines. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), in their report "Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges," identified five critical challenges we must address as a society: o Sustainably supply food, water, and energy o Curb climate change and adapt to its impacts o Design a future without pollution and waste o Create efficient, healthy, and resilient cities o Foster informed decisions and actions The report further states, "The challenges provide focal points for evolving environmental engineering education, research, and practice toward increased contributions and a greater impact. Implementing this new model will require modifications in educational curriculum and creative approaches to foster interdisciplinary research on complex social and environmental problems." This solicitation aims to address these grand challenges by supporting a collaborative research model that seamlessly integrates sustainability, environmental engineering, and process science and engineering. Accordingly, the Environmental Convergence Opportunities in Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (ECO-CBET) solicitation will support activities that confront vexing environmental engineering and sustainability problems by uncovering and incorporating fundamental knowledge to design new processes, materials, and devices from a systems-level perspective. Projects should be compelling and reflect sustained, coordinated efforts from interdisciplinary research teams.

The Environmental Engineering program is part of the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster together with 1) the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials program and 2) the Environmental Sustainability program. Environmental engineering is an interdisciplinary field that applies chemical, biological, and physical scientific principles to protect human and ecological health. The goal of the Environmental Engineering program is tosupport potentially transformative fundamental research that applies scientific and engineering principles to 1) prevent or minimize solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges of pollution to soil, water, and air; 2) mitigate the ecological and human-health impacts of such releases by smart/adaptive/reactive amendments or manipulation of the environment, and 3) remediate polluted environments through engineered chemical, biological, and/or geo-physical processes. Integral to achieving these goals is a fundamental understanding of the transport and biogeochemical reactivity of pollutants in the environment. Therefore, research on environmental micro/biology, environmental chemistry, and environmental geophysics may be relevant providing there is a clear connection to the application of environmental engineering to protect human and ecological health.

The Environmental Sustainability program is part of the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster together with 1) theEnvironmental Engineering program and 2) the Nanoscale Interactions program. The goal of the Environmental Sustainability program is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems. These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival. Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.

The goal of the Environmental Sustainability program is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems.  These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival.  Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.

The goal of the Environmental Sustainability program is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems.  These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival.  Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.

The Environmental Sustainability program supports engineering research with the goal of promoting sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems.  These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival.  The long-term viability of natural capital is critical for many areas of human endeavor.  Research in Environmental Sustainability typically considers long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. This program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.  There are four principal general research areas which are supported, but others can be proposed by contacting the program director by email at:  bhamilto@nsf.gov Industrial Ecology Green Engineering Ecological Engineering Earth Systems Engineering

The Environmental Engineering program is part of the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster, which also includes 1) the Nanoscale Interactions program; and 2) the Environmental Sustainability program. Environmental engineering is an interdisciplinary field that applies chemical, biological, and physical scientific principles to protect human and ecological health. The goal of the Environmental Engineering program is tosupport potentially transformative fundamental research that applies scientific and engineering principles to 1) prevent, minimize, or re-use solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges of pollution to soil, water, and air by closing resource loops or through other measures; 2) mitigate the ecological and human-health impacts of such releases by smart/adaptive/reactive amendments or manipulation of the environment, and 3) remediate polluted environments through engineered chemical, biological, and/or geo-physical processes. Integral to achieving these goals is a fundamental understanding of the transport and biogeochemical reactivity of pollutants in the environment.

The Environmental Sustainability program supports engineering research with the goal of promoting sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems. These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival. The long-term viability of natural capital is critical for many areas of human endeavor. Research in Environmental Sustainability typically considers long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics.This program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3-People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet -- people, prosperity, and the planet - the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - as part of its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award Program - is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving sustainability. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award Program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet-people, prosperity, and the planet-the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition website for more details about this program.

The Foundation is promoting Ray's legacy through its inspiration and funding of innovative, educational and project-based initiatives that advance the revolution in sustainable production and consumption. Through its Gray Notes Grants program, the foundation awards grants of between $2,000 and $25,000 for environmental conservation, preservation, education, and restoration initiatives; urban agriculture programs; clean water and clean air projects; environmental and economic think tanks; and grassroots initiatives that inform and inspire people to collaborate and take positive action to protect the planet. In addition, the program supports organizations and programs that are working with industry, government, and businesses to create environmentally sound planning practices to reduce the environmental footprint of urban development through energy efficiency, increased use of renewable energy, and the reduction of carbon intensity. We award grants in two categories: Grants to Environmental Initiatives and Nonprofits   Inquiries taken throughout 2013. Grants to Higher Education Research Programs (by invitation only).   Inquiries due March 28, 2013.

The goal of the Environmental Sustainability program is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems.  These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival.  Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions. 

The Nanoscale Interactions program is part of the Environmental Engineering and Sustainabilitycluster, which also includes: 1) the Environmental Engineering program; and 2) the Environmental Sustainability program. The goal of theNanoscale Interactions program is to support research toadvance fundamental and quantitative understanding of the interactions of nanomaterials and nanosystems with biological andenvironmental media. Materials of interest include one- to three-dimensional nanostructures, heterogeneous nano-bio hybrid assemblies, dendritic and micelle structures, quantum dots, and other nanoparticles.Such nanomaterials and systems frequently exhibit novel physical, chemical, photonic, electronic, and biological behavior as compared to the bulk scale. Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged. Research areas supported by the program include:

The goal of the Energy for Sustainability program is to support fundamental engineering research that will enable innovative processes and solutions for the sustainable production of electricity and fuels, and energy storage. Processes for sustainable energy production must be environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and utilize renewable resources. 

The goal of the Energy for Sustainability program is to support fundamental engineering research that will enable innovative processes for the sustainable production of electricity and fuels, and for energy storage. Processes for sustainable energy production must be environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and utilize renewable resources. Research projects that stress molecular level understanding of phenomena that directly impacts key barriers to improved system level performance (e.g. energy efficiency, product yield, process intensification) are encouraged. Proposed research should be inspired by the need for economic and impactful conversion processes. All proposals should include in the project description, how the proposed work, if successful, will improve process realization and economic feasibility and compare the proposed work against current state-of-the-art. Highly integrated multidisciplinary projects are encouraged.

AFRL Advanced Power Technology Office has a need to improve the U.S. Air Force's energy security posture through rapid assessment of energy and environmental technologies. This effort is needed to maximize the benefit of a combination of increased energy resiliency/reliability where energy resilience is defined as the agility to maintain critical mission functions even during unexpected disruptions, increased cost-effectiveness to evaluate the trade-offs between lowest price and other priorities such as sustainability and resilience, and increased environmental sustainability.

In 2010, NSF established the Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES)1 investment area to lay the research foundation for decision capabilities and technologies aimed at mitigating and adapting to environmental changes that threaten sustainability. Some SEES investments advanced a systems-based approach to understanding, predicting, and reacting to stress upon, and changes in, the linked natural, social, and built environments. In this context, the importance of understanding the interconnected and interdependent systems involving food, energy, and water (FEW) has emerged. The NSF aims to specifically focus on advancing knowledge of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; the production and use of fertilizers for food production; and the detection, separation, and reclamation/recycling of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in and from complex aqueous environments.

In 2010, NSF established the Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES)1 investment area to lay the research foundation for decision capabilities and technologies aimed at mitigating and adapting to environmental changes that threaten sustainability. Some SEES investments advanced a systems-based approach to understanding, predicting, and reacting to stress upon, and changes in, the linked natural, social, and built environments. In this context, the importance of understanding the interconnected and interdependent systems involving food, energy, and water (FEW) has emerged. The NSF aims to specifically focus on advancing knowledge of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; the production and use of fertilizers for food production; and the detection, separation, and reclamation/recycling of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in and from complex aqueous environments.

The goal of the Energy for Sustainability program is to support fundamental engineering research that will enable innovative processes and solutionsfor the sustainable production of electricity and fuels, and energy storage. Processes for sustainable energy production must be environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and utilize renewable resources. Current topics of interest include: Biomass Conversion, Biofuels & Bioenergy: Fundamental research on innovative approaches that lead to the intensification of biofuel and bioenergy processes is an emphasis area of this program.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement- FOA- entitled Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion and Environmental Monitoring Technology Advancement. This FOA is soliciting applications that propose projects supporting the marine and hydrokinetic MHK industry in two Topic Areas. Topic Area 1 will help advance wave and current energy- ocean, tidal, river- technologies by supporting projects that integrate advanced MHK components into system designs and then demonstrate the improved systems in full-scale open-water tests. Topic Area 2 will support the innovation, testing and validation of instrumentation for monitoring potential environmental impacts of MHK devices. The complete Notice of Intent can be viewed on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov This is a Notice of Intent only. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOI. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the near term.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement- FOA- entitled Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion and Environmental Monitoring Technology Advancement. This FOA is soliciting applications that propose projects supporting the marine and hydrokinetic MHK industry in two Topic Areas. Topic Area 1 will help advance wave and current energy- ocean, tidal, river- technologies by supporting projects that integrate advanced MHK components into system designs and then demonstrate the improved systems in full-scale open-water tests. Topic Area 2 will support the innovation, testing and validation of instrumentation for monitoring potential environmental impacts of MHK devices. The complete Notice of Intent can be viewed on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov This is a Notice of Intent only. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOI. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the near term.

ecoTech™ Grants were created to combat the notion that students needed to choose between "the screen" or "the green" and to encourage educators and students to explore the role technology can play in designing and implementing solutions to some of our most pressing environmental challenges. We believe that technology can present innovative ways to address environmental challenges - and that when dealing with digital natives, we do ourselves a disservice by asking them to unplug. Originally developed in partnership with the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and now funded with ongoing support from Voya Financial Foundation, ecoTech™ Grants are specifically offered to engage children in inquiry-based, STEM-related projects that leverage technology and/or use nature-based design to address environmental problems in local communities. Examples of previous ecoTech™ Grant funded projects have involved: the integration of robotics and sensors to explore water bodies, collect data, and organize clean-ups; the development of aquaponic and hydroponic systems using arduinos and remote sensing; renewable energy design challenges; biotechnology research; nature-based design applications; and many others.

The goal of the Particulate and Multiphase Processes (PMP) program is to support fundamental research on physico-chemical phenomena that govern particulate and multiphase systems, including flow of suspensions, drops and bubbles, granular and granular-fluid flows, behavior of micro- and nanostructured fluids, and self-assembly/directed-assembly processes that involve particulates.  The program encourages transformative research to improve our basic understanding of particulate and multiphase processes with emphasis on research that demonstrates how particle-scale phenomena affect the behavior and dynamics of larger-scale systems.  Although proposed research should focus on fundamentals, a clear vision is required that anticipates how results could benefit important applications in advanced manufacturing, energy harvesting, transport in biological systems, biotechnology, or environmental sustainability.  Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged, especially those that involve a combination of experiment with theory or modeling.  Proposals whose main focus is on the synthesis of particles are not encouraged.

The goal of the Particulate and Multiphase Processes (PMP) program is to support fundamental research on physico-chemical phenomena that govern particulate and multiphase systems, including flow of suspensions, drops and bubbles, granular and granular-fluid flows, behavior of micro- and nanostructured fluids, and self-assembly/directed-assembly processes that involve particulates.  The program encourages transformative research to improve our basic understanding of particulate and multiphase processes with emphasis on research that demonstrates how particle-scale phenomena affect the behavior and dynamics of larger-scale systems.  Although proposed research should focus on fundamentals, a clear vision is required that anticipates how results could benefit important applications in advanced manufacturing, energy harvesting, transport in biological systems, biotechnology, or environmental sustainability.  Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged, especially those that involve a combination of experiment with theory or modeling.  Proposals whose main focus is on the synthesis of particles are not encouraged.