Project Grant 2608867

The National Science Foundation's Division of Mathematical Sciences awarded a $166,327 Project Grant (CFDA 47.049: Mathematical and Physical Sciences) to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York, operating as Farmingdale State College, effective September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. This Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) grant supports the development, analysis, and implementation of advanced computational models for multiphysics problems involving coupled fluid-porous flow with solute transport. The primary deliverables include multi-method numerical algorithms that integrate finite element methods with boundary integral methods to effectively model heterogeneous flow systems in which fluid moves freely in one region while simultaneously filtering through porous media in another, with accurate treatment of free/porous interface transitions and consideration of solute transport and porous structure elasticity.

The research addresses fundamental computational challenges relevant to multiple sectors of national interest, including biotechnology applications such as groundwater remediation, arterial filtration in tumor treatment contexts, and biofilm behavior in wastewater and infectious disease contexts, as well as advanced manufacturing applications including improved filter design. The project incorporates undergraduate research experiences as an educational component, supporting the institution's capacity to train the next generation of computational scientists while advancing the state-of-the-art in solving coupled multiphysics systems governed by the Stokes equations and Darcy's law.