Project Grant R43ES017200

This SBIR Phase I project, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program, is developing a portable contaminant field screening device for the rapid measurement of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. The $305,000 award, granted on May 15, 2025, with an ultimate completion date of April 30, 2026, aims to address the urgent need for affordable, real-time detection of PFAS in environmental, industrial, and...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $174,049 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program (CFDA 10.212) grant to Cache Environmental Laboratories, P.C. to develop a low-cost, biochar-based electrochemical device for rapid and accurate detection of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in rural water supplies. The portable pollutant detection device utilizes inexpensive lignin-based...

This SBIR Phase I project grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA), will focus on developing and evaluating the technical feasibility of a novel Lead Rapid Response Analyzer (Lead-RR) device for the detection and quantification of lead in drinking water. The project, with a total funding of $124,971, aims to create an affordable, automated, and rapid testing analyzer to enable more frequent and reliable testing to support...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through its Research and Data Collection program (CFDA 15.808), has awarded a $200,000 cooperative agreement to Purdue University to further optimize molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensors for detecting and monitoring per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in complex environmental water matrices. Over the 2-year period of performance from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027, the project will focus on in-field deployment and evaluation of...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $200,000 to Rowan University to develop a portable, low-cost sensor system that can detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals," in water in real-time. The sensor integrates a specially designed fluorous electrochromic polyaniline material with an extended gate field-effect transistor to achieve high accuracy and reliability in detecting...

The Department of Energy Office of Science awarded Giner Inc. a $199,996 project grant under the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049) to develop total residual oxidant (TRO) sensor technology. The technology will enable continuous monitoring and control of chlorination throughout water treatment systems, including pre-treatment, post-treatment, and maintenance. By June 2022, Giner Inc. will deliver TRO sensors and the associated control systems to optimize chlorine dosing...

Ionicscale LLC was awarded a $175,000 Project Grant from the Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program to develop membrane-based inlet systems for compact mass spectrometry-based chemical sensors. The goal of the seven-month project ending February 2024 is to enable risk reduction in deploying low-cost sensors for soil or liquid sampling. Work will focus on designing membrane inlets compatible with...

The National Science Foundation awarded Aqua Science LLC a $255,751 Project Grant under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program to develop new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil and water. The grant period runs from April 15, 2022 through March 31, 2023. Under this award, Aqua Science will develop novel ELISAs to detect perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), two prevalent...

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), through its Environmental Health federal grant program (CFDA 93.113), awarded a $309,285 Project Grant to Foundation Instruments Inc., a small business located in Tennessee. The grant supports the evaluation of the technical feasibility for an affordable, on-site "HAA-meter" device that can provide real-time monitoring of haloacetic acids (HAAs) in drinking water treatment plants. The proposed technology aims to integrate...

This federal Project Grant award of $175,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, awarded on Aug 15, 2025, aims to develop an advanced solid-state nanopore chip for rapid and cost-effective detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are emerging environmental contaminants. The awardee, Goeppert LLC, a small disadvantaged business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will...