IODP scientific objectives require a heavy vessel for drilling deep sedimentary and crustal holes, a lighter vessel to provide widely distributed arrays of high resolution cores to address climate, environmental, and observatory objectives, and use of other drilling platforms, called Mission Specific Platforms (MSP's), for the Arctic and shallow water projects which can't be undertaken from the two primary IODP vessels.
Examples of fundamental research topics of interest in SusChEM include the replacement of rare, expensive, and/or toxic chemicals/materials with earth-abundant, inexpensive, and benign chemicals/materials; recycling of chemicals/materials that cannot be replaced; development of non-petroleum based sources of important raw materials; chemicals/materials for food and/or water sustainability; the elimination of waste products and enhancement in efficiencies of chemical reactions and processes; discovery of new separation science that will facilitate recycling and production of valuable chemicals/materials; and development and characterization of low cost, sustainable and scalable-manufactured materials with improved properties.
he goal of the Interfacial Processes and Thermodynamics (IPT) program is to advance fundamental molecular engineering at interfaces, especially as applied to the nano-processing of soft materials. The program views fundamental interfacial interactions, molecular transport at interfaces, and molecular thermodynamics as integral to developing new approaches for solving critical engineering needs that face society. Molecules at interfaces, with functional interfacial properties, are of special interest, as these molecules have potential use in important research areas, such as adhesion and advanced manufacturing/fabrication. These interfacial molecules may also have biomolecular functions at the micro- and nano-scale, where the biomolecular functionalities may be re-directed toward engineering solutions. One new area of interest is the adhesion between unlike materials, or adhesion in adverse environments, with particular emphasis on applying strategies arising from nature. Research supported in these fundamental areas should lead to more economical and environmentally benign processing, improved water quality, and novel functional materials for sensors, in industrial, environmental, and biomedical settings. Nanotechnology plays a critical role in most of these new areas.
The overall goal of the Structural and Architectural Engineering and Materials (SAEM) program is to enable sustainable buildings and other structures that can be continuously occupied and/or operated during the structure's useful life. The SAEM program supports fundamental research for advancing knowledge and innovation in structural and architectural engineering and materials that promotes a holistic approach to analysis and design, construction, operation, maintenance, retrofit, and repair of structures. For buildings, all components including the foundation-structure-envelope (the façade, curtain-wall and roofing) and interior systems, are of interest to the program. Research in new engineering concepts and design paradigms for buildings that have significantly reduced dependence and interdependence on municipal infrastructure through, for example, self-hydrating (closed-loop water system) and self-heating-cooling-ventilating (energy usage) is encouraged. In addition, the program targets research in the building systems that are reconfigurable for rapid construction, disassembly and disposal, are reliable and resilient, and are less complex. Research topics of interest for sustainable structures include the following: strategies for structures that over their lifecycle are cost-effective, make efficient use of resources and energy, and incorporate sustainable structural and architectural materials; mitigation of deterioration due to fatigue and corrosion; serviceability related to large deflections and vibrations; and advances in physics-based computational modeling and simulation.
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.
Complete information on this Funding Opportunity Announcement can be found on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov DOE's Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is committed to lowering the cost and build time of hydropower and pumped storage systems, further increasing their ability to provide essential reliability services and contribute to the resilience of the grid, and continuing to reduce their environmental impacts and permitting timelines. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) contains two Topic Areas. Topic Area 1: Facility Design Concepts for Standard Modular Hydropower Development Topic Area 2: New Use Cases for Pumped-Storage Hydropower Please carefully review the complete Funding Opportunity Announcement, which can be accessed on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov
The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The NRT program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary research areas, through the use of a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. For FY2018, proposals are requested in any interdisciplinary research theme of national priority, with special emphasis on two high priority areas: (1) Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) and (2) Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS). HDR is expected to continue as a priority research area for FY2019 and FY2020 competitions, along with a new priority area to be announced in 2018. The NRT program addresses workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity building needs in graduate education. Strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science centers, and academic partners are encouraged. NRT especially welcomes proposals that will pair well with the efforts of NSF INCLUDES to develop STEM talent from all sectors and groups in our society (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/nsfincludes/index.jsp). Collaborations are encouraged between NRT proposals and existing NSF INCLUDES projects, provided the collaboration strengthens both projects.
NineSigma, representing a Global Consumer Coatings Company, invites proposals for materials and approaches that result in self-stratifying layers within a water-based liquid coating formulation. The client is interested in any approach that results in self-stratification of components, regardless of technical maturity. The proposed mechanism must ultimately be applicable to architectural coatings.
Overall electricity access rate in Zambia currently stands at 31%. The situation is more challenging in rural areas where the access to electricity is less than 5%. This low access impedes Zambia's economic development. Increased access to electricity can increase economic growth and spur investment and trade, thereby reducing poverty. The national electricity grid will not be extended soon to most of the areas that currently lack electricity. Therefore, the increased utilization of other technologies, such as solar, offers an immediate and more realistic solution to the electricity access challenge.
To support the increased utilization of solar technologies, there is a need to develop a cadre of trained solar professionals (installation and maintenance) throughout Zambia who can offer their services to both institutional and residential users. Furthermore, there are various projects to install solar technologies underway in support of different sector goals, such as health, education, water and sanitation. Supporting the development of expanded solar technology human capacity will ensure that solar technologies are installed, operating correctly, and well maintained.
USAID/Zambia seeks information to help inform an intervention that is aimed at supporting a Zambia-based organization to provide regular training in solar technology installation and maintenance. The goal is to increase the use of solar technologies in Zambia via the development of these trained solar professionals.
NineSigma's client seeks a no-spill dispensing solution for consumer flexible pouches for a variety of viscous products similar to food purées and water. The product is dispensed by the consumer from ages 8 months and older. Product is dispensed when the consumer sucks from the flexible package, squeezes the package, or a combination of the two.
First time young consumers (8 to 36 months), without any learned behavior, tend to grasp the flexible package causing the contents to spill unintentionally. Other accidents occur when the flexible format is dropped by accident and the contents spill. NineSigma's client seeks alternate methods to ensure controlled dispensing to avoid spills, and develop a dispensing solution that allows the pouch contents to evacuate upon sucking or by intentional and intuitive means.
Complete information, including the Request for Information (RFI), can be found on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Through this Request for Information (RFI), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) seeks input on new research to maximize the value of hydropower's contribution to grid resiliency and reliability today and into the future. This strategy includes pumped storage and traditional hydropower, and covers both new technology design as well as modeling and analysis to assess the range of value streams hydropower provides in the current and future power grid. This research will build targeted insight into economic, policy and technological barriers, inform future hydropower technology development, and improve the tools by which investment and operational decisions are made. WPTO seeks concise feedback from all relevant stakeholders. Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on April 6, 2018. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. Complete information, including the RFI, can be found on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) Advanced Building Construction with Energy-Efficient Technologies & Practices (ABC) FOA supports research and development of solutions that can be applied to many segments of the building sector, including existing and new buildings, residential and commercial, and across multiple climate zones. BTO is seeking applications aimed at developing deep energy retrofit and new construction technologies that holistically tackle a combination of envelope, heating, cooling, water heating, and ventilation issues, and hold appeal for both building owners and occupants. BTO is interested in three topic areas: Topic 1: Integrated Building Retrofits Topic 2: New Construction Technologies Topic 3: Advanced Technology Integration
The Process Separations program is part of the Chemical Process Systems cluster, which includes also 1) Catalysis; 2) Process Systems, Reaction Engineering, and Molecular Thermodynamics; and 3) Energy for Sustainability. The Process Separations program supports research focused on novel methods and materials for separation processes, such as those central to the chemical, biochemical, bioprocessing, materials, energy, and pharmaceutical industries. A fundamental understanding of the interfacial, transport, and thermodynamic behavior of multiphase chemical systems as well as quantitative descriptions of processing characteristics in the process-oriented industries is critical for efficient resource management and effective environmental protection. The program encourages proposals that address long standing challenges and emerging research areas and technologies, have a high degree of interdisciplinary work coupled with the generation of fundamental knowledge, and the integration of education and research. Research topics of particular interest include fundamental molecular-level work on: Design of scalable mass separating agents and/or a mechanistic understanding of the interfacial thermodynamics and transport phenomena that relate to purification of gases, chemicals, or water
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for various research and development topic areas. The ERDC consists of the Coastal and Hydraulics Lab (CHL), the Geotechnical and Structures Lab (GSL), the Reachback Operations Center (UROC), the Environmental Lab (EL) and the Information Technology Lab (ITL) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire, the Construction Engineering Research Lab (CERL) in Champaign, Illinois, and the Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL) in Alexandria, Virginia. The ERDC is responsible for conducting research in the broad fields of hydraulics, dredging, coastal engineering, instrumentation, oceanography, remote sensing, geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, soil effects, vehicle mobility, self-contained munitions, military engineering, geophysics, pavements, protective structures, aquatic plants, water quality, dredged material, treatment of hazardous waste, wetlands, physical/mechanical/ chemical properties of snow and other frozen precipitation, infrastructure and environmental issues for installations, computer science, telecommunications management, energy, facilities maintenance, materials and structures, engineering processes, environmental processes, land and heritage conservation, and ecological processes.
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 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 NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The NRT program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers.
The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary research areas, through the use of a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. For FY2018, proposals are requested in any interdisciplinary research theme of national priority, with special emphasis on two high priority areas: (1) Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) and (2) Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS). HDR is expected to continue as a priority research area for FY2019 and FY2020 competitions, along with a new priority area to be announced in 2018.
We are seeking proposals for new research that will support and enhance the activities of the Consortium for the Valuation of Applications Benefits Linked to Earth Science (VALUABLES), a new consortium at RFF made possible through a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). VALUABLES is focused on advancing innovative uses of existing methods and developing new techniques for valuing the information provided by Earth observations, especially those derived from satellites and aircraft.
Any area in which Earth observations play a role may be addressed, including applications relating to human health, air quality, water resources, ecosystem services, natural disasters, food security and agriculture, wildland fires, energy, urban development, and transportation and infrastructure. However, the use of remotely sensed data must be a key component of the analysis. In addition, we especially welcome proposals that focus on evaluating the socioeconomic impacts of applications of Earth observations for solving pressing societal problems and that quantify, in monetary terms, the value of Earth observations in specific applications. In so doing, proposals should clearly describe how information from Earth observations makes improvements to decision making and the value of those improvements. Applicants may propose to quantify the private and/or social benefits of applications of Earth observations, including nonmarket benefits.
The Macauley Award is open to researchers at US-based universities and nonprofit research institutions. Interdisciplinary research teams are preferred, and teams that involve both economists and Earth scientists are particularly encouraged.
Mine Drainage Technology Initiative (MDTI) study provides a forum for collaboration and information exchange with the following goals: Mine Drainage Technology Initiative (MDTI) (formally known as the Acid Mine Drainage Initiative ) studies provide a forum for collaboration and information exchange with the following goals: (1) Develop an understanding of mine drainage (MD) so as to better predict, avoid, monitor, and remediate mine drainage; (2) Develop innovative solutions to MD water-quality problems; (3) Identify, evaluate, and develop "best science" practices to predict MD prior to mining; and (4) Identify successful remediation practices for existing sources of MD and describe the best technology for MD prevention. OSMRE is looking for MDTI studies that address the specific goals listed above that have the potential for improving the effectiveness of both the coal industry and the regulatory authority to conducts surface coal mining and reclamation activities and regulate coal mining activities, respectively, by gaining a better understanding of mine drainage effects on the environment.
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.
