This Project Grant award was provided by the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) to Cornell University for a project titled "UNRAVELLING THE FORMATION AND IMPACT OF THE PLASTISPHERE IN RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES IN MICROPLASTIC CONTAMINATED SOILS." The $478,560 award, which runs from January 15, 2025 to December 31, 2027, aims to study the interactions between microplastics, soil, and microorganisms. The project will examine how microplastics,...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) provides $358,976 to Hobart & William Smith Colleges to conduct collaborative research on microplastic sources, transport, and environmental impact across the Finger Lakes watershed in New York. The 3-year project offers mentored research opportunities for college sophomores, who will learn to design research projects, collect field data, and analyze microplastic samples using advanced equipment....
This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) provides $326,499 to Washington State University to research the fate and transport of micro- and nano-plastics in terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, the award will fund work to: 1) understand the creation and properties of secondary micro- and nano-plastics during weathering; 2) determine the impact of weathering on surface and colloidal characteristics; and 3) identify mechanisms governing...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $258,210 grant under the Geosciences program to the University of Memphis to conduct research on the impacts of microplastic pollution on soil hydrology. The 5-year project, which began on March 1, 2024, aims to improve understanding of how microplastics can alter soil-water-plant interactions, soil pore structure, and desiccation crack development. The research will examine the effects of various microplastic characteristics, including size,...
This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) supports research at the University of Nebraska to uncover the key material and processing factors that control the release of micro- and nano-plastics from polymer products. The $739,205 award, effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2030, aims to obtain a fundamental understanding of the relationship between material characteristics, processing methods, and the release behavior of potentially...
This $412,318 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will fund research to improve understanding of plastic flows and develop solutions to mitigate plastic waste contamination. The Colorado School of Mines will conduct this 3-year project to create a material flow analysis (MFA) model that tracks macro, micro, and nano plastics across different geographic environments in the U.S. and Caribbean. This research aims to correlate...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) Project Grant award of $299,999.00 to Iowa State University (ISU) aims to investigate the physical processes involved in the trapping of microplastic particles in riverbeds. The research leverages synergistic pore-resolving direct numerical simulations and theoretical modeling to reveal the microscopic effects at the pore level and derive predictive models for microplastic retention rates. This research will enable a more...
The National Science Foundation awarded a two-year, $174,000 Project Grant to Princeton University under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050). The grant will fund research examining the effect of environmental conditions on the degradation pathways and sorption potential of microplastics and nanoplastics as vectors for inorganic pollution. The Geosciences program supports basic research to strengthen understanding of Earth's integrated system through atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences. This...
This National Science Foundation Project Grant of $159,763 will fund research on the surface properties and transport of micro- and nanoplastics in unsaturated soil. The University of Tennessee will receive funding through the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to better understand how micro- and nanoplastics weather and move through soils. Specifically, the researchers will characterize how four common plastics - polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and a biodegradable plastic - change at...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) Project Grant award of $231,803 to the Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RFCUNY) provides mentored undergraduate research opportunities focused on studying microplastics in the Finger Lakes watershed of New York. The 3-year project will engage college sophomores in field research to identify sources, sinks, transport, and environmental impacts of microplastics in the local water systems. Students...