Challenges at the nexus of food, energy and water systems (FEWS) are important both nationally and globally. For example, new approaches are needed to ensure adequate food supplies for increasing populations, to foster the development of sustainable and carbon-neutral sources of energy, and to improve the management of water resources. A trained and diverse workforce equipped to meet these challenges is critical and will be directly addressed in the current study. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award to the University of Kentucky will integrate an evidence-based educational model with interdisciplinary research focused on Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS). The project will combine graduate student training with cutting edge research in mine land remediation, water treatment, crop production and power generation and will help address the need for innovators in FEWS. The need for innovative leadership is particularly urgent in Appalachian states where the dependence of the economy on agricultural and energy sectors results in water management issues and where the decline of coal mining is forcing the economy to diversify. This project anticipates training forty-six (46) MS and PhD students, including twenty-one (21) funded trainees, from chemistry, biosystems and agricultural engineering, chemical engineering, forestry, plant and soil sciences, horticulture, and agricultural economics.
Trainees and their mentors will work on fundamental interdisciplinary research topics relevant to the Appalachian states. Integrated research will focus on synergizing mine land remediation, water treatment, crop production and power generation to attain sustainability in water use and in the concurrent production of energy and food. Particular topics include mine land restoration to improve hydrology and water quality; the use of greenhouses on restored mine land for year-round food production (requiring localized water treatment powered by renewable energy); the use of algae to sequester carbon dioxide emissions and provide organic fertilizer for soil improvement in reclaimed areas; and the conversion of biomass grown on reclaimed mine land to fuels and chemicals. Given the economic problems inherent to many Appalachian counties, the research will also evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of utilizing reclaimed mine lands to contribute to economic development in this region. To integrate this research with graduate student education, a series of initiatives will be undertaken, including an INFEWS certificate program, an annual INFEWS symposium, collaborative research grants, an INFEWS consortium, and an academy of FEWS innovators to be established at the University of Kentucky. This academy will leverage effective tools for training STEM professionals, such as developmental network-based mentoring and career preparation encompassing both technical and professional skillsets. Individual development plans for trainees will guide their professional development and expose them to a range of career pathways. A comprehensive evaluation plan will be utilized to assess the project components and overall training model. To ensure inclusive student cohorts, this project will partner with minority serving institutions and leverage two National Science Foundation program networks from the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES).
The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
