Forest Dr

TARGETED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL HOSPITALS PROGRAM

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION WORKFORCE

CHILD CARE ACCESS MEANS PARENTS IN SCHOOL (CCAMPIS) PROGRAM

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY RONALD E. MCNAIR POSTBACCAULAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

TRIO REGULAR STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES - ARMSTRONG/LIBERTY CAMPUSES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ASSESSING THE ROLE OF SEAGRASS BIOGEOCHEMISTRY AND SEDIMENTARY ALKALINITY PRODUCTION IN COASTAL CARBON CYCLING AND MARINE CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL STRATEGIES -ALKALINITY REFERS TO SEAWATER?S ABILITY TO NEUTRALIZE ACIDS, SUCH AS THOSE THAT FORM WHEN ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE REACTS WITH SEAWATER. SEAWATER ALKALINITY CONTROLS HOW MUCH CARBON DIOXIDE THE OCEAN ABSORBS FROM AND RELEASES TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND IS THUS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE. VEGETATED COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS SUCH AS MANGROVES, SEAGRASSES, AND TIDAL MARSHES COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF ALKALINITY TO THE COASTAL OCEAN BUT CURRENTLY WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH ALKALINITY IS PRODUCED IN THESE ENVIRONMENTS. SEAGRASSES ARE VEGETATED COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT EXIST ON THE COASTLINES OF EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT FOR ANTARCTICA. THIS RESEARCH WILL MEASURE HOW MUCH ALKALINITY IS BEING PRODUCED IN SEAGRASS ECOSYSTEMS AND WILL INVESTIGATE THE PROCESSES CONTROLLING ALKALINITY PRODUCTION. THE PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF EMERGING MARINE CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL (MCDR) TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE THE OCEAN CAN NATURALLY ABSORB FROM THE ATMOSPHERE BY ARTIFICIALLY INCREASING ALKALINITY IN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS. A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF ALKALINITY CYCLING IN THE COASTAL OCEAN IS NOT ONLY CRITICAL TO CONSTRAINING OCEANIC AND GLOBAL CARBON BUDGETS, BUT ALSO TO PREDICTING HOW THESE BUDGETS COULD BE PERTURBED BY ONGOING ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS AND EMERGING MCDR TECHNOLOGIES. THIS WORK WILL QUANTIFY SEDIMENT TOTAL ALKALINITY FLUXES AND INVESTIGATE THE BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES CONTROLLING THEM ACROSS TWO CONTRASTING SEAGRASS ECOSYSTEMS. A MULTI-ANALYTE APPROACH UNDER BOTH IN SITU AND LABORATORY SETTINGS USING MICROELECTRODE PROFILING, CHAMBER INCUBATIONS, AND PORE WATER ANALYSES IS PLANNED. THIS COMBINATION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION MEASUREMENTS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SEDIMENT ALKALINITY CYCLING IN SEAGRASSES ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ALKALINITY AND CARBON DYNAMICS WITHIN SEAGRASS ECOSYSTEMS. EXPERIMENTS WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF PROPOSED OCEAN ALKALINITY ENHANCEMENT STRATEGIES (ENHANCED SILICATE WEATHERING) ON SEDIMENTARY ALKALINITY PRODUCTION IN SEAGRASSES. THE PROJECT INCLUDES TRAINING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY OCEANOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS AND TECHNIQUES AND A GROUP MENTORING NETWORK FOR GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AS WELL AS PAID RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS THROUGH THE SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE-BODEGA MARINE LABORATORY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

LEAPS-MPS: INVESTIGATION OF ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER INDUCED PLASMON SWITCHING ON GOLD NANOCRYSTALS AND ITS APPLICATION FOR SMART WINDOWS -IN THIS PROJECT, FUNDED BY THE CHEMISTRY DIVISION AT NSF, PROFESSOR GANG CHEN AND HIS STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WILL PERFORM STUDIES THAT AIM TO INTEGRATE ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER WITH PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES TO BUILD A NEW TYPE OF SMART WINDOWS WITH IMPROVED PERFORMANCE. SMART WINDOWS, WHOSE TRANSMITTANCE/REFLECTION OF SUNLIGHT CAN BE SELECTIVELY ADJUSTED, CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE THE COMFORTABILITY AND SECURITY OF LIVING, AND DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE ENERGY CONSUMPTIONS OF AIR CONDITIONING IN BUILDINGS AND AUTOMOBILE VEHICLES. THE PERFORMANCE OF SMART WINDOWS MAINLY DEPENDS ON CHROMIC MATERIALS, AND POLYMER ELECTROCHROMIC MATERIALS ARE OF GREAT COMMERCIAL VALUE BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH COLORATION EFFICIENCY, FAST RESPONSE SPEED, AND HIGH PROCESSABILITY. HOWEVER, ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMERS WILL DETERIORATE UNDER HIGH APPLIED ELECTROCHEMICAL POTENTIALS. THE DETERIORATION WILL AFFECT THEIR LONG-TERM CYCLABILITY AND LOWER THEIR COLOR CONTRAST, WHICH PREVENTS THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE POLYMER ELECTROCHROMIC MATERIALS. PROFESSOR CHEN AND HIS STUDENTS WILL TACKLE THIS CHALLENGE BY DEVELOPING HYBRID MATERIALS CONSISTING OF PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLE AND ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER THAT CAN BE USED TO FABRICATE SMART-WINDOW DEVICES WITH IMPROVED COLOR-SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS. THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO EXPOSE SMART MATERIALS RESEARCH FOR A NEW GENERATION SO THAT THEY WILL TAKE A LEADING ROLE IN FUTURE SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION. PROF. CHEN PLANS TO INVOLVE GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS, AS WELL AS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE PROJECT TO BROADEN THE INTEGRATION OF RESEARCH AND PARTICIPATION-ORIENTED OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES, INCLUDING GOLD, SILVER, AND COPPER, HAVE STRONG LIGHT ABSORPTION AND SCATTERING AT THEIR PLASMON WAVELENGTHS, WHICH CAN BE SYNTHETICALLY TUNED FROM VISIBLE TO NEAR INFRARED. THE PLASMONIC PROPERTIES ARE STRONGLY DEPENDENT ON THEIR DIELECTRIC ENVIRONMENTS AND THEREAFTER CAN BE EASILY VARIED BY THE DIELECTRIC CHANGE BROUGHT BY THE TRANSITION BETWEEN BLEACHED AND COLORED STATES OF ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER. THE INTRODUCTION OF PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES IS EXPECTED TO LARGELY IMPROVE THE COLOR CONTRAST OF ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER UNDER DIFFERENT STATES AND THEREFORE AVOID ITS POSSIBLE ELECTROCHEMICAL DETERIORATION. THIS STUDY WILL FURTHER OUR UNDERSTANDING ON ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER-INDUCED PLASMONIC SWITCHING BEHAVIORS OF PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES. SMART-WINDOW DEVICES FABRICATED FROM PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES/ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER HYBRID NANOSTRUCTURES ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE IMPROVED COLOR-SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS STUDY WILL ALSO BE USEFUL FOR DESIGNING MANY OTHER PLASMON-BASED OPTICAL DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING AND DIRECTING LIGHT FOR A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS SUCH AS INFORMATION DISPLAYS, ANTI-COUNTERFEITING INKS, AND PHOTOTHERMAL SYSTEMS FOR CANCER THERAPY. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ERI: UNDERSTANDING POROSITY FORMATION IN DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS INDUCED BY GRAPHITE PRECIPITATION AND CASTING WALL MOVEMENT -THIS ENGINEERING RESEARCH INITIATION (ERI) GRANT ENABLES FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF POROSITY FORMATION IN DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS INDUCED BY GRAPHITE PRECIPITATION AND CASTING WALL MOVEMENT. COMPARED TO STEEL AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS, DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS ARE INEXPENSIVE TO MANUFACTURE, AND ARE EASILY RECYCLED. DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS ARE COMMONLY FOUND IN AUTOMOTIVE, AGRICULTURE, MINING, MUNICIPAL WATER/SEWERAGE, DEFENSE, AND OTHER INDUSTRIES. HOWEVER, DEFECTS SUCH AS POROSITY CAN FORM IN DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS WHEN THE PROCESSING CONDITIONS ARE NOT OPTIMAL. THIS RESEARCH IS AIMED AT UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX NATURE OF POROSITY FORMATION IN DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS BY STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF GRAPHITE FORMATION AND CASTING WALL MOVEMENT VIA SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENT. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS WORK LEADS TO EMPIRICAL MODELS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO MAKE SOUND, DEFECT-FREE DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS. THE RESEARCH OUTCOMES ARE ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL, IMPROVED CASTING QUALITY, AND REDUCED SCRAP RESULTING IN ENERGY AND MATERIAL SAVINGS AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE U.S. FOUNDRY INDUSTRY. THIS RESEARCH INVOLVES SEVERAL DISCIPLINES INCLUDING METALLURGY, MATERIALS SCIENCE, AND MANUFACTURING. THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH HELPS BROADEN PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IN RESEARCH AND POSITIVELY IMPACTS ENGINEERING EDUCATION. LIQUID METAL SHRINKS AS IT SOLIDIFIES IN A CASTING MOLD CAUSING SHRINKAGE POROSITIES IN THE LAST-TO-FREEZE REGIONS OF THE CASTING. METAL CASTING FOUNDRIES TRY TO MINIMIZE POROSITY FORMATION IN DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS THROUGH BETTER MOLD CAVITY AND RISER DESIGN AND ALLOY CHEMISTRY MODIFICATION. HOWEVER, EXCESSIVE CASTING WALL MOVEMENT DUE TO GRAPHITE PRECIPITATION AND INADEQUATE MOLD STRENGTH DURING SOLIDIFICATION AS THE ROOT CAUSE OF POROSITY IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO CORELATE POROSITY FORMATION IN DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS TO GRAPHITIZATION AND CASTING WALL MOVEMENT VIA EXPERIMENT AND SIMULATION. FOR THE EXPERIMENTS, GRAPHITIZATION IS CONTROLLED BY DIFFERENT INOCULATION TREATMENTS, AND CASTING WALL MOVEMENT IS VARIED WITH MOLDS OF DIFFERENT STRENGTHS. THIS RESEARCH PLANS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS FOR IN-SITU MULTI-AXIS MEASUREMENT OF CASTING WALL MOVEMENT DURING DUCTILE IRON SOLIDIFICATION AND COOLING USING HIGH-ACCURACY DISPLACEMENT SENSORS. COUPLING DISPLACEMENT DATA AND COOLING CURVES ACQUIRED WITH THERMOCOUPLES, THE TECHNIQUE PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO THE THERMO-MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF THE SOLIDIFYING CASTING. SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF GRAPHITE AND POROSITY IN THE FINAL CASTINGS ARE STATISTICALLY CHARACTERIZED WITH X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY AND AUTOMATED SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY. EMPIRICAL MODELS THAT CORRELATE POROSITY FORMATION AND CASTING DISTORTION WITH GRAPHITIZATION AND CASTING WALL MOVEMENT ARE DEVELOPED VIA NUMERICAL SIMULATION USING COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE METAL CASTING SIMULATION SOFTWARE. THIS FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IS GENERALIZABLE AND COULD BE APPLIED TO UNDERSTAND POROSITY FORMATION IN OTHER CAST ENGINEERING ALLOYS SUCH AS STEEL, ALUMINUM, COPPER, AND TITANIUM. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ECOLOGICAL IMMUNOLOGY OF A FLEA VECTOR (CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS) - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT FLEAS ARE OBLIGATE VECTORS OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS THAT CAUSE SEVERE DISEASES IN HUMANS, INCLUDING MURINE TYPHUS AND BUBONIC PLAGUE. TO RESIST OR LIMIT INFECTION, FLEAS POSSESS AN INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES DEFENSE AGAINST MICROBIAL INVASION AND COLONIZATION. HOWEVER, IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATS, FLEA POPULATIONS ARE MADE UP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT DIFFER NOT ONLY THEIR GENETIC BACKGROUND, BUT ALSO IN REGARD TO FACTORS SUCH AS SEX, AGE, DIET, INFECTION HISTORY, GUT MICROBIOTA, AND EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS. THESE NON-GENETIC FACTORS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES ON THE OUTCOME OF INFECTION IN OTHER DISEASE VECTORS; YET, NO STUDIES TO DATE HAVE ADDRESSED THE IMPACT OF THESE ECOLOGICAL PARAMETERS ON FLEA IMMUNE RESPONSES. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO FILL THESE KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN FLEA ECOLOGICAL IMMUNOLOGY, WITH THE PRIMARY GOALS BEING TO DETERMINE THE INTRINSIC FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE ANTIBACTERIAL RESPONSE IN ADULTS, AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF LARVAL ECOLOGY ON SUBSEQUENT INFECTIONS AS ADULTS. SPECIFICALLY, WE PROPOSE TO COMPARE THE STRENGTH OF IMMUNE DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN ADULT CAT FLEAS (CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS) BASED ON SEX, AGE, AND INFECTION HISTORY (SPECIFIC AIM 1), AS WELL AS FOLLOWING LARVAL EXPOSURE TO FOOD QUANTITY, LARVAL DENSITY, AND INSECTICIDES (SPECIFIC AIM 2). THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE VARIABILITY OF FLEA IMMUNITY UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS, WHICH CAN DIRECTLY AFFECT PATHOGEN TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS AND ALTER DISEASE PREVALENCE OUTCOMES WITHIN A VECTOR POPULATION. DATA ARISING FROM THIS PROJECT COULD AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL STRATEGIES TO CONTROL THE SPREAD OF FLEA-BORNE PATHOGENS TO HUMANS.

PRL3 INHIBITORS AS MIGRASTATICS AND THE MOLECULAR DETERMINANTS OF PRL3 DRUGGABILITY - PROJECT SUMMARY MORE THAN 90% OF CANCER MORTALITIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH METASTASIS. DESPITE ADVANCES IN CANCER THERAPIES, THERE HAS NOT BEEN SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN METASTASIS-ASSOCIATED DEATHS AND THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF TARGETED TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR LATE-STAGE PATIENTS. IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING TO TARGET METASTASIS DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF UNDERLYING MECHANISMS THAT LEAD TO IT. THE PHOSPHATASE OF REGENERATING LIVER 3, PRL3, HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING CANCER TARGETS IN RECENT YEARS. IT WAS ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED AS A BIOMARKER FOR METASTASIS IN COLORECTAL CANCERS. INTERESTINGLY, IT HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN INCREASED INVASIVENESS AND METASTATIC POTENTIALS IN SEVERAL OTHER CANCERS. WHILE ITS BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS REMAIN TO BE ELUCIDATED, STUDIES IN CANCER MODELS, PATIENT DATA, AND KNOWN SUBSTRATES ALL INDICATE THAT IT HAS AN ACTIVE ROLE IN CELLULAR INVASIVENESS AND METASTASIS. PRL3, THEREFORE, PRESENTS AS A VALUABLE MOLECULAR TARGET IN METASTASIS. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP MIGRASTATICS THAT SPECIFICALLY TARGET PRL3. GIVEN INCREASING INTERESTS IN PHOSPHATASE DRUG DISCOVERY, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN LINKED TO CANCERS, SEVERAL PRL3 INHIBITORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THE PROMISCUITY, NON-SPECIFIC ACTION, AND CHEMICAL INSTABILITY OF THESE MOLECULES, HOWEVER, HAVE PREVENTED FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. MORE STRIKING, THOUGH, IS THAT NONE OF THESE INHIBITORS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO DIRECTLY BIND PRL3. THIS PROHIBITS THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH AFFINITY, SELECTIVE INHIBITORS BY RATIONAL DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION AS NO ATOMIC LEVEL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AS TO HOW PRL3 INTERACTS WITH ITS INHIBITORS. OUR GROUP RECENTLY IDENTIFIED TWO INHIBITORS THAT DIRECTLY AND SPECIFICALLY BIND PRL3, THE FIRST SUCH INHIBITORS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO UNCOVER THE MOLECULAR DETERMINANTS OF PRL3 DRUGGABILITY AND TO IDENTIFY NOVEL MOLECULES WITH POTENTIAL TO BE DEVELOPED AS MIGRASTATICS. THE RATIONALE FOR THE PROPOSAL IS THAT STRUCTURAL INFORMATION IS CRITICAL FOR RATIONAL DRUG DESIGN, AND BINDERS ARE NECESSARY TO GET SUCH STRUCTURAL INFORMATION. FURTHERMORE, THIS WILL PROVIDE MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR POTENTIAL MIGRASTATICS THAT WILL BE IDENTIFIED. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) DETERMINE THE STRUCTURE OF PRL3 IN COMPLEX WITH INHIBITORS, 2) IMPROVE THE CURRENT MOLECULES THROUGH STRUCTURE ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS, AND 3) IDENTIFY NOVEL FRAGMENTS THROUGH A BINDING-FIRST SCREENING BY NMR. THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH IS SIGNIFICANT AS IT WILL DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR TARGETED MIGRASTATICS WHICH HAS HIGH

REU SITE: RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL PLAIN ECOSYSTEMS (RESCOPE) -THIS REU SITE AWARD TO GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (GSU), LOCATED IN STATESBORO, GEORGIA, WILL SUPPORT THE TRAINING OF 10 STUDENTS FOR 10 WEEKS DURING THE SUMMERS OF 2023-2025. HOUSED AT GSU'S DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, THE UNIFYING THEME INVOLVES THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE STRESSORS ON ORGANISMS AND ECOSYSTEMS OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN. THE GOAL IS TO ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATES IN RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OCCURRING IN THIS GEOGRAPHIC REGION AS WELL AS THEIR SUSTAINABLE USE AND MANAGEMENT. STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN HANDS-ON RESEARCH GUIDED BY FACULTY MENTORS, AS WELL AS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS TARGETING GENERAL AND CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE ECOLOGY OF THE COASTAL PLAIN, SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS (ORAL AND WRITTEN), TECHNIQUES FOR LOCATING AND EVALUATING PRIMARY LITERATURE, AND ETHICAL PRACTICES IN SCIENCE. STUDENT RECRUITMENT IS TARGETED AT 1ST AND 2ND YEAR (FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE) STUDENTS ATTENDING INSTITUTIONS WHERE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES MAY BE MORE LIMITED, SUCH AS AT 2-YEAR COLLEGES AND PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS. STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REGISTER IN THE NSF ETAP SYSTEM (ETAP.NSF.GOV) AND TRACKED AFTER THE PROGRAM TO DETERMINE THEIR CAREER PATHS. STUDENTS WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH ON HOW STRESSORS IMPACT ORGANISMS AND ECOSYSTEMS OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN WHILE LEARNING FIELD AND LABORATORY SKILLS THAT ARE BROADLY RELEVANT TO ECOSYSTEM-LEVEL SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. MANY WILL PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THEIR WORK AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES. THE GOAL IS TO FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT LEADS TO OPPORTUNITIES IN GRADUATE STUDIES AND CAREERS IN SCIENCE. ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE DONE THROUGH THE ONLINE SALG URSSA TOOL. STUDENTS WILL BE TRACKED AFTER THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THEIR CAREER PATHS. STUDENTS WILL BE ASKED TO RESPOND TO AN AUTOMATIC EMAIL SENT VIA THE NSF REPORTING SYSTEM. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE BY VISITING HTTPS://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/GEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU/ICPS-REU/, OR BY CONTACTING THE PI (DR. J. CHECO COLON-GAUD AT JCCOLONGAUD@GEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU). 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.

DESCRIPTION:THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO OPTIMIZE AND TEST THE BIOFILTRATION MODULE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS CONTROLLING THE ENHANCED NUTRIENT REMOVAL IN RUNOFF FROM URBAN AND AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS. ACTIVITIES:THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) OPTIMIZE THE BIOFILTER MEDIA TOPOLOGY WITH MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES (E.G., MAX SSA AND VOID RATIO); 2) CHARACTERIZE THE MICROBIAL BIOFILM; AND 3) DEPLOY THE OPTIMIZED BIOFILTERS IN SITU IN SMALL-SCALED WATERSHEDS. SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:DELIVERABLES INCLUDE ANNUAL AND FINAL REPORTS. THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES INCLUDE A SET OF ULTRA-HIGH SURFACE AREA DESIGNS, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIOFILM STRUCTURE, AN INCREASED CAPACITY OF STORMWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS, AND A SET OF SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINES FOR ADVANCED MEDIA DESIGNS BASED ON LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT. DIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE RURAL MUNICIPALITIES, COMMUNITIES, AND INDIVIDUALS IN AREAS AFFECTED BY PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES CONTAMINATION, HUMAN HEALTH, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EAGER: STEPS TOWARD ESTABLISHING A TAXONOMY OF OPTIMAL AND AUTOMATED CONTROL ARCHITECTURES AND DESIGNS FOR INVERTER-BASED RESOURCES -THIS NSF EAGER PROJECT AIMS TO EXPLORE THE FOUNDATION, AND TO TAKE THE GUIDING STEPS TOWARD ESTABLISHING A TAXONOMY OF OPTIMAL CONTROL ARCHITECTURES AND DESIGN ALGORITHMS FOR POWER ELECTRONIC CONVERTERS THAT ARE EMPLOYED TO INTEGRATE DIVERSE ENERGY SYSTEMS (SUCH AS SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS, WIND, AND BATTERY ENERGY SYSTEMS) INTO THE ELECTRICITY NETWORK. THE PROJECT WILL BRING TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGES TO THE EXISTING CONTROL SYSTEMS AND DESIGN ALGORITHMS UTILIZED TO INTERFACE ENERGY SYSTEMS WITH THE UTILITY GRID. THIS MILESTONE WILL BE ACHIEVED BY EMPLOYING ROBUST STRUCTURES BASED ON THE STATE FEEDBACK APPROACH AND EXTENDED QUADRATIC DESIGNS OF OPTIMAL CONTROL THEORY. THE INTELLECTUAL MERITS OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROL STRUCTURES, STEP-BY-STEP OPTIMAL CONTROL DESIGN ALGORITHMS, AND MODULAR SIMULATION TESTING MODELS FOR FOUR SPECIFIED CASES, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATED CONTROLLER SYNTHESIS AND DESIGN. THE BROADER IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE INCENTIVES FOR THE INVERTER MANUFACTURERS TOWARD MORE CONSISTENT ADOPTION OF THESE CONTROLLERS, THEREBY ENABLING ENGINEERS TO PERFORM MORE ACCURATE AND RELIABLE POWER SYSTEM STABILITY ANALYSIS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROMOTE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR K-12 STUDENTS. INVERTER-BASED RESOURCES (IBRS) ARE INCREASINGLY BEING USED TO ADDRESS ISSUES WITH THE EXISTING POWER GRID FOR INTEGRATING MORE RENEWABLES AND BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. THE PROJECT WILL CONSIDER FOUR TYPES OF IBRS, INCLUDING SINGLE-PHASE, THREE-PHASE, GRID-FOLLOWING (GFL) AND GRID-FORMING (GFM) SYSTEMS. DIVERSE RESOURCE DYNAMICS, SUBSTANTIALLY FAST RESPONSES, AND LOW OVER-CURRENT LIMITS, COMBINED WITH THE LACK OF A STANDARD FRAMEWORK OF CONTROLLERS AND DESIGNS, HAVE POSED SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF SUCH TECHNOLOGIES. SPECIFICALLY, THE LACK OF SUCH FRAMEWORKS HAS SERIOUSLY IMPEDED STABILITY ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE CHARACTERIZATION OF A POWER SYSTEM WITH HIGH PENETRATION OF IBRS. THIS PROJECT WILL TAKE INITIAL GUIDING STEPS TOWARD ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES BY DEVELOPING THE FIRST GENERATION OF SYSTEMATIC CONTROLLERS REGARDING THEIR STRUCTURE AND DESIGN ALGORITHMS, WITH AUTOMATED CONTROLLER DESIGNS. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

OLD WOMAN CREEK NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE PROJECT DESCRIPTION THE OLD WOMAN CREEK NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE (OWC NERR) WAS DESIGNATED IN 1980 AND IS IN HURON, OHIO, ADJACENT TO LAKE ERIE. THE RESERVE IS ADMINISTERED UNDER THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (ODNR) OFFICE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT (OCM), WHICH IS SUBMITTING THIS APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS, RESEARCH AND MONITORING, EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES FROM JULY 1, 2024, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2026. ODNR IS REQUESTING $880,967 IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR FFY 2024 (YEAR 1) AND $969,064 IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR FFY 2024 (YEAR 2) TOTALING $1,850,031. FEDERAL FUNDS WILL BE MATCHED WITH A TOTAL OF $792,872 IN NON-FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE LAKE ERIE SHORELINE 5140 FUND.

CONFERENCE: HOMOLOGICAL COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA AND RELATED TOPICS -THIS AWARD SUPPORTS PARTICIPATION IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HOMOLOGICAL COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA AND RELATED TOPICS AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, ARMSTRONG CAMPUS IN SAVANNAH IN SUMMER OF 2025. THIS GOALS OF THIS CONFERENCE ARE: (1) TO SUPPORT RESEARCH IN ALGEBRA AND RELATED TOPICS IN OUR REGION; (2) TO PROMOTE EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP AMONG FACULTY FROM A DIVERSE MATHEMATICAL BACKGROUND RELATED TO COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA AT THE INSTITUTIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST OF THE UNITED STATES; (3) TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO ATTEND A WORLD CLASS CONFERENCE IN ORDER TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH EXPERTS AND BUILD A SUCCESSFUL CAREER; (4) TO BRING TOGETHER SPEAKERS FROM DIVERSE MATHEMATICAL FIELDS THAT ARE CONNECTED THROUGH HOMOLOGICAL COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA; AND (5) TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION BY WORKING TO ENSURE SIGNIFICANT PARTICIPATION OF RESEARCHERS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS. THE CONFERENCE WILL CONSIST OF A SERIES OF TALKS GIVEN BY SENIOR FACULTY, JUNIOR FACULTY, POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS, AND STUDENTS. ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY, NUMBER THEORY, AND INVARIANT THEORY ARE THE PRIMARY FIELDS OF APPLICATIONS OF COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA. IN ITS MODERN SHAPE, COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA ORIGINATED IN THE WORKS OF SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN MATHEMATICIANS, ESPECIALLY DEDEKIND, HILBERT, KRONECKER, KRULL, KUMMER, AND NOETHER, DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND WAS VASTLY DEVELOPED LATER IN THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF GROTHENDIECK ON MODERN ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY AND ALGEBRAIC TOPOLOGY. IN THE 1950'S, HOMOLOGICAL ALGEBRA (THAT ORIGINATES FROM ALGEBRAIC TOPOLOGY) MADE ITS WAY INTO THE COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA TOOLBOX IN THE WORKS OF AUSLANDER-BUCHBAUM AND SERRE TO HELP WITH SOLVING OPEN PROBLEMS IN COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA. CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA, REPRESENTATION THEORY, COMBINATORICS, AND DEFORMATION THEORY APPEARED IN THE PAST CENTURY IN NUMEROUS PLACES AS WELL. THIS CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON TOPICS IN THE ABOVE-MENTIONED FIELDS THAT ARE TIGHTLY CONNECTED (AND CAN BE APPLIED) TO FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS IN HOMOLOGICAL COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA SUCH AS PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE BETTI NUMBERS AND MINIMAL FREE RESOLUTIONS, RELATIVE HOMOLOGICAL ALGEBRA, PROPERTIES OF SUBCATEGORIES OF THE MODULE CATEGORY, AND VANISHING OF HOMOLOGY AND COHOMOLOGY MODULES. THE URL OF THE EVENT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. HOWEVER, A PRIMARY VERSION OF IT CAN BE FOUND AT HTTPS://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/GEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU/COMMUTATIVE-ALGEBRA-2025?USP=SHARING 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (GRFP) -THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (GRFP) IS A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE, FEDERAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. GRFP HELPS ENSURE THE VITALITY AND DIVERSITY OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING WORKFORCE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES AND SUPPORTS OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING RESEARCH-BASED MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL DEGREES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) AND IN STEM EDUCATION. THE GRFP PROVIDES THREE YEARS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE GRADUATE EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN STEM AND STEM EDUCATION. THIS AWARD SUPPORTS THE NSF GRADUATE FELLOWS PURSUING GRADUATE EDUCATION AT THIS GRFP INSTITUTION. 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.

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $200,000 TO GEORGIA SOUTHERN RESEARCH AND SERVICE FOUNDATION. THE PROJECT WILL ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW EXISTING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION (AD) CAPACITY AT PULP AND PAPER MILLS CAN BE SUSTAINABLY LEVERAGED FOR THE TREATMENT OF FOOD WASTE FROM UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES. THIS RESEARCH WILL INTEGRATE EXPERIMENTATION, QUANTITATIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, AND COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH. THIS FRAMEWORK WILL BE USED TO DEMONSTRATE HOW FOOD WASTE CAN BE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS, WHILE POTENTIALLY PROVIDING PAPER MILLS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENRICH THEIR SLUDGE FOR BETTER DIGESTION AND INCREASED BIOGAS PRODUCTION.ACTIVITIES:THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW EXISTING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION (AD) CAPACITY AT PULP AND PAPER MILLS CAN BE SUSTAINABLY LEVERAGED FOR THE TREATMENT OF FOOD WASTE FROM UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES. THIS RESEARCH WILL INTEGRATE EXPERIMENTATION, QUANTITATIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN (QSD), AND COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH. THIS FRAMEWORK WILL BE USED TO DEMONSTRATE HOW FOOD WASTE CAN BE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS, WHILE PROVIDING PAPER MILLS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENRICH THEIR SLUDGE FOR BETTER DIGESTION AND INCREASED BIOGAS PRODUCTION. THIS APPROACH ALSO COULD POTENTIALLY SUPPORT PAPER MILLS WITH COST-EFFECTIVE ENERGY PRODUCTION BY ADVANCING THEIR EXISTING AD CAPACITY WITH INCREASED BIOGAS PRODUCTION. FIRST, BENCH-TOP AD STUDIES WILL ASSESS FEASIBILITY (CONSIDERING CO-DIGESTION RATIOS) BY TRACKING TREATMENT EFFICIENCIES, BIOGAS PRODUCTION, AND MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES. COLLEGE STUDENTS, PRIMARILY FROM LOW SOCIOECONOMIC HOUSEHOLDS, WILL CONTRIBUTE TO DATA COLLECTION ON TYPES OF FOOD WASTE CREATED ON CAMPUS AND LOCAL RESTAURANTS. NEXT, DATA FROM EXPERIMENTAL AND COMMUNITY ENGAGED RESEARCH WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO A QSD METHODOLOGY (INCLUDING TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (TEA) AND LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) PAIRED WITH UNCERTAINTY AND SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS) ACROSS A LANDSCAPE OF SCENARIOS (COLLECTION, TRANSPORT, TREATMENT) TO ASSESS SUSTAINABILITY. THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL CHART A PATH FORWARD FOR SUPPORTING AND IMPROVING AD IN COMMUNITIES AND DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD WASTE FROM COLLEGE TOWNS THAT IS DISPOSED OF IN LANDFILLS.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES FOR CO-DIGESTION OF FOOD WASTE AND PAPER MILL SLUDGE LEVERAGING EXISTING AD INFRASTRUCTURE. RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE (I) A FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT OF AD FEEDSTOCK MIXTURE RATIOS (FOOD WASTE AND PAPER MILL SLUDGE) TO DEVELOP OPERATING PROCEDURE INFORMED BY DATA ON MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES, BIOGAS PRODUCTION, AND REDUCTION OF VOLATILE SOLIDS; (II) COST AND GHG EMISSIONS OF AD ACROSS THREE COMPARATIVE SCENARIOS AS WELL AS MODELING OF SPECIFIC OUTPUTS (E.G., BIOGAS PRODUCTION, DOLLARS SAVED, POUNDS OF SOIL AMENDMENT PRODUCED); AND (III) DATA ON THE TYPE OF FOOD WASTE GENERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY AND LOCAL BUSINESSES (I.E., POUNDS OF FOOD WASTE THAT CAN BE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS). THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS OF THIS WORK CAN BE USED TO FACILITATE THE ADOPTION OF THIS NOVEL APPROACH IN THE CASE STUDY AREA WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION ACROSS THE U.S. DEVELOPING A SYNERGY BETWEEN INDUSTRY (PAPER MILLS) AND COMMUNITIES (UNIVERSITIES AND BUSINESSES) PROVIDES AN OPTION TO THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF FOOD WASTE THAT WILL BE DIRECTLY LINKED TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT. THE OUTPUTS INCLUDE OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR AD FEEDSTOCK MIXTURE RATIOS AND DETAILED EVALUATION OF THIS DEMONSTRATION WITH BIOGAS PRODUCED AND ITS POTENTIAL AS HEAT AND ENERGY, DOLLARS SAVED BY ENRICHING PAPER MILL SLUDGE WITH FOOD WASTE, AND POUNDS OF SOIL AMENDMENT PRODUCED. THE OUTPUT OF THE COMMUNITY-ENGAGED WORK WILL BE THE POTENTIAL POUNDS OF FOOD WASTE DIVERTED TO AD FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND BUSINESSES. OVERALL, THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE GENERATING NEW KNOWLEDGE THROUGH EXPLORING THE FEAS