This National Science Foundation Project Grant award of $207,000 provides funding for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology from March 1, 2023 through February 28, 2026. The grant is awarded under the Biological Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.074), which aims to promote progress in the biological sciences.
The fellowship will support research examining spatial and temporal variation in heavy metal and salt content accumulated by plant species across urban-rural gradients in North and South America. The fellow will analyze plant samples collected along urbanization gradients as well as from herbarium specimens representing historical urban changes. A common garden experiment will also assess accumulation, regulation and tolerance strategies for heavy metals and salts between annual and perennial plant varieties. In addition to advancing understanding of plant chemistry responses to urban pollutants, this study seeks to broaden participation in biology from underrepresented groups through workshops, classes and recruitment efforts. It will provide the foundation for linking plant chemistry to other ecological levels, including impacts on human health.
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