Miami students receive EPA funding for research

Two Miami University student research teams have been selected to receive funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to continue research in their desired fields. The funding is provided through the EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grants program.

The P3 program awards student teams up to $15,000 each to fund their proposed research projects, each to fund the proof of concept for their projects.

“EPA’s P3 grants program supports the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Andrew Wheeler, EPA administrator. “These students are able to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real-world environmental problems that require innovative solutions.”

Students Jan Gabski, Kyle Weaver, Cashel Coughlan, Will Hogan, Jared Lyons and Jingchao Zhu received a grant for their pursuit of using a novel UV-LED photocatalytic process to reduce or eliminate evaporative fuel vapor emissions from automobiles.

Students Abby Smith, Hannah Wourms, Emily Kuehl and Rob Spilker, led by Jason Berberich, and Catherine Almquist (chemical paper & engineering) and Neil Danielson (chemistry and biochemistry), also received a grant for their proposal to design and test a continuous-flow water purification device for the removal of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFOS) from drinking water.

These P3 Phase 1 awardees can attend the TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Exposition in Boston, Massachusetts, June 17-18, 2019 to showcase their research. Then they can apply for a Phase II grant, which provides funding up to $100,000 to further their product designs.