This $351,289 National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences program Project Grant awarded to The Pennsylvania State University, doing business as Penn State, will investigate the role of uranium(V) in the global uranium cycle by characterizing uranium burial mechanisms in marine sinks. The project aims to improve understanding of uranium geochemistry, which is critical for applications ranging from dating rocks to securing new critical mineral sources. Specifically, the research will: (1) conduct experiments on uranium phases relevant to marine settings; (2) characterize the relationship between uranium speciation and geochemistry in organic-rich shales and sediments; and (3) develop an interpretive model to predict uranium geochemistry from contextual information. In addition to graduate student training, the award will support museum collections and science communication for Earth and environmental science education, as well as K-12 outreach in environmental geosciences in rural Pennsylvania and Michigan. The project period runs from May 15, 2024 to April 30, 2027.
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