Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) for Idaho
EPA Grant Number: R827683E01Title: Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) for Idaho
Investigators: Crawford, Ronald L.
Institution: University of Idaho
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: August 15, 1999 through August 14, 2002
Project Amount: $39,352
RFA: EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: EPSCoR (The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research)
Objective:
The objectives of this research project focused on recruiting and supporting graduate students from national pools of outstanding candidates, recruiting women and minorities for Idaho's science and engineering programs, and rewarding nationally competitive faculty with incentives to encourage them to remain in Idaho. Idaho's Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) is aimed at improving the competitiveness of Idaho researchers by identifying and developing research capabilities in areas where Idaho universities have a critical mass of talented faculty, and to give these faculty sufficient financial and infrastructure support so that they may compete successfully for federal research dollars and attain national stature in their disciplines. The chosen area for this project was drinking water quality, specifically related to contamination of water by pathogenic bacteria and arsenic. The Idaho SIP was implemented by developing researchers, paired with nationally competitive senior investigators as mentors to expand interactions with regional federal research facilities and other universities through recruitment and support of outstanding graduate students.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Nationally competitive senior investigator and overall Idaho Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program Principal Investigator, Professor Ronald L. Crawford, advised junior investigators on Idaho's two Science and Engineering Environmental Research (SEER) projects. Dr. Crawford served as the primary mentor for the faculty comprising the two research teams. Mentoring included assistance in the preparation of new grant proposals to federal agencies. SIP funds were used to bring in nationally known speakers from outside of Idaho. These speakers provided exceptional opportunities for consultations between SEER project faculty and students in their specific areas of environmental research. SIP funds and additional non-federal matching funds were used for recruitment and support of nationally competitive graduate students. This support included travel costs to bring students to Idaho for face-to-face interactions with faculty, to see Idaho's university facilities, and to experience Idaho's university community environment. In addition, non-federal matching funds were used to pay stipends, fees, and insurance of environmental science graduate students, making our total offers more competitive with institutions outside the state. SIP activities included participation of faculty in collaborations with groups outside of the university, including regional U.S. Department of Energy laboratories, and other major research universities within the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West regions.
Conclusions:
The primary objectives of the Idaho SIP were accomplished. Through mentoring of SEER project investigators and direct assistance in management of their projects, the SEER projects were completed successfully. Both projects involved research into drinking water quality problems. Specifically, SEER 1 examined methods to remove arsenic contamination from small public drinking water supplies, and SEER 2 was related to monitoring of contamination of water by the pathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli O157:H7. SEER 1 researchers investigated a large variety of media that might be used in filtration reactors to adsorb arsenic species from water. They also designed and tested reactors to remove arsenic species through co-precipitation reactions with zero-valent iron. The latter process was tested at the pilot scale in the field and is presently proceeding toward commercialization. SEER 2 investigators developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique to detect as few as six E. coli O157:H7 cells in a sample. They also developed a multiplex PCR technique to simultaneously detect animal cells (sheep, cow, human, horse) and E. coli O157:H7, a significant step toward developing methods for tracing sources of drinking water contamination by this bacterium. In addition to mentoring, the SIP program brought several nationally known speakers from outside of Idaho to interact with Idaho faculty and students. The SIP program provided financial support for 26 graduate students. Of these 26 students, one-half were women. Five of the supported students graduated in December 2001, three in May 2002, two in December 2002, and nine will graduate in May 2003. The remaining students still are pursuing their degree programs.
Supplemental Keywords:
drinking water, arsenic, pathogenic bacteria, environmental science, Idaho, EPA Region 10., RFA, Scientific Discipline, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Water, Geographic Area, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Arsenic, State, Biochemistry, Physical Processes, Environmental Monitoring, Water Pollutants, Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecology and Ecosystems, Drinking Water, Microorganisms, pathogens, Idaho (ID), bacteria, exposure, fecal contamination, community water system, environmental chemistry, strategic improvement plan, agricultrual environment, water quality, arsenic exposure, drinking water contaminantsRelevant Websites:
http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/envs/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.