Critical Zone Science — Federal Grants

EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP): AI-Driven Multifunctional Polymer Research

Guoqiang Li · Louisiana State University

Supporting the Success of Physical and Quantitative Sciences Scholars in Rural Appalachia

Anna Mummert · Marshall University Research Corporation

Seafloor Phosphorus Weathering and Earth System Response to Geologic Perturbations

Kimberly Lau · Pennsylvania State Univ University Park

Beyond quartz - Revisiting whole-rock in situ cosmogenic C-14

Nathaniel Lifton · Purdue University

FDT-BioTech: Trustworthy Digital Twins for Patient-Specific Evaluation of Implant Systems

Jaesung Lee · Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF: Building capacity in museomics to advance evolutionary discovery and use-inspired science

Stephanie Galla · Boise State University

Conference: Multi-disciplinary views of subduction processes

Kathleen Surpless · Trinity University

Conference: Meeting on Applied Algebraic Geometry

Julia Lindberg · Georgia Tech Research Corporation

Collaborative Research: CCSS: Semantic-Aware Collaborative Perception and Networking for Autonomous Urban Mobility

Mushu Li · Lehigh University

Collaborative Research: CCSS: Semantic-Aware Collaborative Perception and Networking for Autonomous Urban Mobility

Ren Wang · Illinois Institute of Technology

NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP): Promoting Multidisciplinary Opportunities in Discipline-Based Education Research

Eric Burkholder · Auburn University

EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP): Research, Leadership, and Service - Louisiana Tech University

Collin Wick · Louisiana Tech University

PUERTO RICO ELECTRIC POWER AUTHORITY

PUERTO RICO ELECTRIC POWER AUTHORITY (PREPA) ELECTRIC GRID RESILIENCE & STABILIZATION THE OBJECTIVE OF THE RESULTING AWARD TO PUERTO RICO ELECTRIC POWER AUTHORITY (PREPA) IS TO IMPROVE THE RESILIENCE AND STABILIZATION OF THE PUERTO RICAN ELECTRIC GRID. THE AWARD FOCUSES ON KEY EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL VULNERABILITIES ACROSS GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS.

ASCEND ELEMENTS, INC.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL)-INTEGRATED SUSTAINABLE BATTERY PRECURSOR PRODUCTION PLANT THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH INDUSTRIAL SCALE BATTERY PRECURSOR PRODUCTION CAPACITY OF SUSTAINABLE LOW-COST CATHODE ACTIVE MATERIALS IN THE UNITED STATES BY INTEGRATING THE SEPARATION OF CRITICAL CATHODE MATERIALS FROM SPENT LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES (LIBS) WITH THE PRODUCTION OF PRECURSOR ACTIVE MATERIALS (PCAM) FOR NEW LIBS.

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

THIS PROPOSAL PRESENTS THE PLANNED PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER’S LABORATORY FOR LASER ENERGETICS (LLE) FOR THE NEXT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD (FY24–FY28) AND SUMMARIZES LLE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THE CURRENT PERIOD (FY19–FY23). LLE’S RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON SUPPORTING THE MISSIONS OF THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (NNSA) IN INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION (ICF), HIGH-ENERGY-DENSITY (HED) PHYSICS, AND LASER AND OPTICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. LLE OPERATES THE OMEGA LASER FACILITY (INCLUDING THE 60-BEAM OMEGA AND THE FOUR-BEAM OMEGA EP LASER SYSTEMS) AS NNSA’S PRINCIPAL HED USER FACILITY. TOGETHER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER’S NEW HED PHYSICS CURRICULUM, LLE PROVIDES A UNIQUE, MISSION-ORIENTED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT PREPARES STUDENTS FOR A CAREER WITHIN THE NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX. BY ENHANCING THIS PIPELINE, LLE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES ENTERING THE NNSA WORKFORCE, WHICH IS HELPING TO FILL THE NEEDS OF THE STOCKPILE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.

WIELAND NORTH AMERICA RECYCLING LLC

THIS PROJECT, “FACILITY TO REDUCE EMISSIONS FOR SOURCING PURE CRITICAL MINERALS AND METALS,” INTENDS TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY AND CAPABILITIES OF A MODERN, FIRST-OF-A-KIND (FOAK) COPPER RECYCLING FACILITY IN SHELBYVILLE, KY THAT WOULD ENABLE PRODUCTION OF COPPER-CATHODE EQUIVALENT MATERIAL (I.E., A COPPER CATHODE SUBSTITUTE) FOR USE IN ADVANCED APPLICATIONS (E.G., ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BATTERIES, AND SEMICONDUCTORS) WITH LOWER EMISSIONS THAN CONVENTIONAL COPPER RECYCLING. THE PROJECT IS ALSO EXPECTED TO SUPPORT ELECTRIFICATION WITHIN THE UNITED STATES BY PRODUCING COPPER-DERIVED WIRE AND BUS BARS, WHICH ARE CRITICAL MATERIALS FOR ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION. BY RECYCLING COPPER SCRAP DOMESTICALLY, UNDER THIS PROJECT, WIELAND EXPECTS TO PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 35K METRIC TONS PER ANNUM (MTPA) OF 99.99% PURITY REFINED COPPER INGOT, 35K MTPA OF COPPER WIRE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES, AND OVER 20K MTPA OF COPPER CATHODE, THEREBY REDUCING THE NEED FOR COPPER DERIVED FROM ORE FROM COPPER MINES. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THE SHELBYVILLE COMMUNITY WITH GREATER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND IMPROVED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE CREATION OF APPROXIMATELY 130 PERMANENT JOBS AND PRIORITIZE HIRING FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO JOBS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED WORKERS AND WORKERS FROM DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON ONSHORING KEY AMERICAN MANUFACTURING WITH HIGH-PAYING, HIGH-SKILL JOBS. WIELAND COMMITS TO TWO-WAY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE CREATION OF A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD AND SUBSEQUENT COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT.

SOUTH DAKOTA SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY

SANFORD UNDERGROUND RESEARCH FACILITY (SURF) - OPERATIONS

TRUSTEES OF THE COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARYTHE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) FEDERALLY OWNED ENERGY AND MINERALS RESEARCH FACILITY (EMRF) IN GOLDEN, CO COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THEUNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) AND COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES.THE USGS GEOLOGY, GEOPHYSICS, AND GEOCHEMISTRY (G3) AND CENTRAL ENERGY RESOURCES (CER), SCIENCE CENTERS PROVIDE UNIQUE RESEARCH AND OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES IN CRITICAL MINERALS, ENERGY RESOURCE EVALUATION, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL ENERGY AND MINERAL PROGRAM PRIORITIES FOR THE USGS AND DOI.THROUGH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL), THE USGS WILL VASTLY EXPAND INVESTMENTS IN CRITICAL MINERALS RESEARCH, ADVANCE THE DATA PRESERVATION OF GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL DATA, AND SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW USGS RESEARCH FACILITY TO SUPPORT ENERGY AND MINERALS RESEARCH. THE USGS IS COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN OUR NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADVANCING THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLEAN ENERGY SUPPLY CHAIN. A NEW FACILITY WILL ENABLE COOPERATIVE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNOLOGICAL COLLABORATION TO MAXIMIZE CONTRIBUTIONS TO BASIC AND APPLIED EARTH SCIENCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF SOLVING NATURAL RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, AND BENEFITTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES, GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF COLORADO AND THE NATION.THE BIL PROVIDES $167 MILLION DIRECTLY TO THE USGS TO SUPPORT THE NEW ENERGY AND MINERALS RESEARCH FACILITY (EMRF). FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A USGS-OWNED FACILITY TO SUPPORT ENERGY AND MINERALS RESEARCH AND APPURTENANT ASSOCIATE STRUCTURES, THROUGH A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH AN ACADEMIC PARTNER. FUNDING IS PLANNED TO BE AVAILABLE IN FY 2022 UNTIL EXPENDED.ADDITIONAL FY 2023 AND FY 2024 FUNDING IS ANTICIPATED BY THE USGS INFRASTRUCTURE FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. ADDITIONAL FUNDING AMOUNTS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE PROGRAM VALIDATION AND SCHEMATIC DESIGN TASK EFFORTS. USGS ENERGY AND MINERALS SCIENCE CAPABILITIES AND SPACE REQUIREMENTS WILL BE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.THE U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY INTENDS TO ESTABLISH A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES (MINES) FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW FEDERALLY OWNED ENERGY AND MINERALS RESEARCH FACILITY (EMRF) TO BE LOCATED ON LAND OWNED BY MINES. THE NEW LABORATORY AND OFFICE FACILITY WILL SUPPORT USGS AND MINES ENERGY AND MINERAL SCIENCE OPERATIONS.PHASE 1 OF THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WILL FOCUS ON THE PROGRAM VALIDATION AND SCHEMATIC DESIGN ACTIVITIES OF THE PROJECT. PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, USGS WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY INVOLVED THROUGHOUT PHASE 1 AND THE ENTIRE PROJECT ENSURING FEDERAL BUILDING REQUIREMENTS ARE INTEGRATED IN THE DESIGN AND THE NEW SPACE SUPPORTS USGS SCIENCE IN FURTHERANCE OF PROGRAMMATIC MISSION REQUIREMENTS.THE PROJECT SHALL BE LOCATED ON THE MINES CAMPUS WITH THE NEW FACILITY BEING ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING USGS GEOLOGIC HAZARDS SCIENCE CENTER.