Award Data

Human exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to cancer, elevated cholesterol, obesity, immune suppression and endocrine disruption. The EPA has set a PFOA health advisory of 70 parts-per-trillion. Due to widespread use of PFAS in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) to fight fuel fires, millions of gallons of PFASs have been used at oil refineries, military bases, civil aviation ...

Because C&D materials constitute a significant waste stream, increasing the diversion of C&D materials, through recycling and reuse, is identified as an area of need in EPA’s Sustainable materials management (SMM) Program Strategic Plan.Due to lack of technologies to quickly identify constituents, C&D-materials recyclers often dispose of potentially usable materials as a matter of precaution. Th ...

Paint stripping products are a $360 million per year business in the United States.Currently, the most effective ones rely on Methylene Chloride (MeCl).MeCl is an aggressive solvent that can loosen a coating and make it easily removed in as little as 30 minutes.Unfortunately, MeCl is toxic and dangerous to handle, especially without respiratory protection.MeCl is also harmful to the environment.Th ...

This proposed Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop, prototype and commercialize a Green Rooftop Technology with superior building energy efficiency to significantly reduce energy consumption of our nation’s industrial and commercial buildings. Besides, this proposed technology can significantly extend the lifespan of current building rooftop materials to ...

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are a dangerous and effective weapon system that today’s military warfighters and innocent civilians regularly experience. IEDs are created with randomly assembled materials and their payloads may include projectiles, biological toxins, and other dangerous items that can cause injury or death to personnel and equipment. Detection and neutralization of these we ...

To fully understand the combustion dynamics when chemical warfare agents are detonated, fast time-scale diagnostics are needed. While computational modeling may provide insight into the different processes, experimental measurements are needed to verify and validate these models. Since the detonation or combustion of chemical agents can result in optically thick fireballs, innovative techniques mu ...

Terrorist use of radioactive nuclear materials via nuclear and/or radiological dispersion devices (dirty bombs) is a serious threat. Therefore, it is crucial to detect proliferation of nuclear material. Critical challenges include: (a) high sensitivity detection of signature emissions from radioactive isotopes, and (b) cost-effectiveness for deployment of sensor networks across large storage facil ...

TDA Research, Inc. (TDA), designed, built, and tested a dense array of 100 very low cost infrasonic sensors. Due to their low cost (1/100x-1/10x the cost of other infrasound sensors), they can be economically deployed in very large numbers; such large arrays can gather more information than a few expensive sensors. They are sensitive from 0.1 Hz - 100 Hz down to 0.08 Pa. We tested the sensors in s ...

With this Phase I funding, the project team will develop and test a prototype of Fate and Fortune, a simulated learning environment aligned for grade 8 algebra. The prototype will include story-based adventure set in the era of the spice trade of the 1600s. In the multi-player game, the class of students must apply algebraic equations to advance and learn academic content. At the end of Phase I, i ...

With this Phase I funding, the project team will develop and test a prototype of D-TECH, a system to determine students' level of academic engagement while completing computer-based learning activities and assessments. The prototype will integrate within existing third party computer-based programs (e.g., online courseware, educational games, simulations, intelligent tutors) and will consist of a ...