Federal Grant Award Summary

Princeton University received a $650,000 CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031. The award supports research and development of advanced ion separation technologies for water treatment applications. The project will deliver theoretical models that treat ions as "soft spheres" rather than traditional "hard sphere" models, enabling more precise separation of ions with similar sizes based on their electronic structure properties. Additionally, the research will produce dynamically-tunable membrane designs whose ion permeability can be adjusted using external electric and/or magnetic fields, advancing industrial water treatment processes for desalination, wastewater remediation, and recovery of critical minerals and rare earth elements.

The project integrates theory development with experimental characterization of ion-permeable membranes and includes significant workforce development components. Deliverables include improved membrane designs informed by enhanced ion transport models, prototype tunable membranes using external field controls, and educational training for students and practicing engineers in innovative water treatment technology development. These research outputs are designed to address critical national priorities in freshwater production, pollution removal, and resilient supply chain development for battery, electric motor, and semiconductor manufacturing.