This Academic Research Facilities Modernization Program (ARFMP) award from the Research Facilities Office provides funds to the University of Arizona for the renovation and repair of the Geology-Mines Building which houses the Departments of Chemical Engineering, Hydrology & Water Resources, Mining & Geological Engineering, and one-half of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. Included in the research and research training activities carried out under the auspices of these departments are characterization of pollution generated by coal combustion and hazardous waste incineration, surface and subsurface hydrology, water quality and trace contaminants, global change, geophysical subsurface imaging, rock mechanics, ceramics, and electronic materials. The Geology-Mines Building was constructed in 1940 and while it has been the object of several remodeling projects in the last decade and a half, it has not to date had any major renovations. The ARFMP grant of $400,000 and $440,000 provided by the grantee as cost sharing will be used to modernize these research and research training facilities. This project will address the need to improve the current research infrastructure by (a) providing adequate casework, fume hoods, and the plumbing necessary to convert dry labs into wet labs, (b) distributing adequate electrical power to all laboratories, and (c) adjusting, where necessary, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in order to balance fume hood draw and air supplies. This renovation is expected to increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of research output. This award contributes to the infrastructure of science and engineering by providing an improved environment for the conduct of research in numerous fields which share a common interest in research topics associated with environmental matters and for the training of undergraduate and graduate students. Students trained in these laboratories will gain experience in important areas related to national and regional needs.
