Federal Project Grant Award Summary

George Mason University received a $299,886 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. This RAPID (Rapid Response Research) award supports an intensive ecological investigation of the Potomac River Estuary's response to a major raw sewage spill from the collapsed Potomac Interceptor Sewer outside Washington, D.C. in January 2026. The project will generate comprehensive environmental monitoring data spanning six months of monthly collections at eleven sites across tidal freshwater to brackish water regions, contextualized against three months of rapid-response monitoring data and baseline measurements dating to 1984.

The primary deliverables include policy-relevant, publicly accessible data documenting ecosystem response across biodiversity, community structure, and ecosystem function indicators. This research will directly inform human health advisories, recreational water use decisions, and adaptive management strategies for the Potomac River while developing a replicable framework for future sewage spill response nationally. The project engages community members and students in data collection and laboratory work, producing educational materials alongside scientific outputs that advance understanding of acute nutrient pollution impacts on estuarine systems and their long-term ecological trajectories.