REU Site: Plastic Recycling and Advanced Chemical-physical Transformations for Improved Circular Economy (PRACTICE-REU)

REU 网站：塑料回收和先进的化学物理转化以改善循环经济 (PRACTICE-REU)

• 批准号: 2150424
• 负责人: Marina Tsianou
• 金额: $ 39.52万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Buffalo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-10-15 至 2025-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2150424&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Plastic; Recycling; Advanced

Only 5% of the 44 million tons of plastic waste was recycled in the US in 2019, with 86% ending up in landfills. Opportunities abound in recovering useful plastic from waste however, great challenges remain. With a focus on plastic recycling, the REU Site: Plastic Recycling and Advanced Chemical-physical Transformations for Improved Circular Economy (PRACTICE-REU) at SUNY Buffalo will engage undergraduate researchers to tackle the global plastic pollution problem. PRACTICE-REU participants will carry out research that advances plastic waste identification, facilitates plastic recycling and upcycling, and addresses environment and health impacts of plastic waste. The PRACTICE-REU program is structured to introduce undergraduate students to research and prepare them for fulfilling careers in science and engineering. The research experience will be complemented by training workshops and professional networking opportunities. A community service project will provide concrete evidence of societal impact. The PRACTICE-REU program will make a concerted effort to recruit non-traditional research students, including underrepresented minorities, students from universities with limited research opportunities, and female students. In addition to the development of human resources, the PRACTICE-REU program pursues fundamental research that promotes the reduction and valorization of plastic waste. These are topics important to the United States and the globe. Inherent with the main theme of plastic waste reduction is the potential for societal benefits through improvements to the environment, health, and economy. The REU Site: Plastic Recycling and Advanced Chemical-physical Transformations for Improved Circular Economy (PRACTICE-REU) at SUNY Buffalo will train undergraduate researchers to address global plastic pollution concerns within three themes: plastic waste identification, plastic recycling and upcycling, and environment and health impacts of plastic waste. Laboratory-focused projects will provide students with confidence, creativity, and independence. Weekly group meetings of the REU cohort will foster student-student communication in conjunction with training workshops and professional or social networking opportunities. A concluding Research Symposium, as well as support for post-REU conference presentations and publications, will help students hone their communication skills. A portfolio of assessment activities will support the continuous improvement of the PRACTICE-REU site. The PRACTICE-REU program is structured to both introduce students to research and prepare them for careers in science and engineering fields. PRACTICE-REU students will be paired with experienced researcher mentors to conduct transformative plastic recycling research. Research projects in the highly interdisciplinary PRACTICE-REU integrate engineering and science to solve plastic recycling issues such as the identification of various types of plastic to facilitate their sortation, recovery of specific types of plastic from a heterogeneous mixture, or quantification of human exposure and health risks of microplastics. Students and faculty participants will disseminate research results through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications, expanding opportunities for knowledge advancement.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.

2019 年，美国 4400 万吨塑料垃圾中只有 5% 得到回收，其中 86% 最终进入垃圾填埋场。从废物中回收有用塑料的机会很多，但仍然存在巨大的挑战。 REU 网站：纽约州立大学布法罗分校的塑料回收和先进化学物理转化促进循环经济 (PRACTICE-REU) 以塑料回收为重点，将吸引本科生研究人员解决全球塑料污染问题。 PRACTICE-REU 参与者将开展研究，以推进塑料废物识别、促进塑料回收和升级改造，并解决塑料废物对环境和健康的影响。 PRACTICE-REU 项目旨在向本科生介绍研究，并为他们在科学和工程领域的职业生涯做好准备。研究经验将通过培训研讨会和专业交流机会得到补充。社区服务项目将提供社会影响的具体证据。 PRACTICE-REU项目将共同努力招收非传统研究型学生，包括代表性不足的少数族裔、来自研究机会有限的大学的学生以及女学生。 除了人力资源开发之外，PRACTICE-REU 项目还致力于促进塑料废物的减少和增值的基础研究。这些都是对美国和全球都很重要的话题。减少塑料废物的主题固有的是通过改善环境、健康和经济而带来社会效益的潜力。 REU 网站：纽约州立大学布法罗分校的塑料回收和先进化学物理转化以改善循环经济 (PRACTICE-REU) 将培训本科生研究人员解决三个主题内的全球塑料污染问题：塑料废物识别、塑料回收和升级再造以及环境和塑料废物对健康的影响。以实验室为中心的项目将为学生提供自信、创造力和独立性。 REU 队列的每周小组会议将结合培训研讨会和专业或社交网络机会促进学生与学生之间的沟通。总结性的研究研讨会以及对 REU 后会议演讲和出版物的支持将帮助学生磨练他们的沟通技巧。一系列评估活动将支持 PRACTICE-REU 网站的持续改进。 PRACTICE-REU 项目旨在向学生介绍研究并为他们在科学和工程领域的职业生涯做好准备。 PRACTICE-REU 的学生将与经验丰富的研究导师配对，进行变革性的塑料回收研究。高度跨学科的 PRACTICE-REU 的研究项目将工程和科学相结合，以解决塑料回收问题，例如识别各种类型的塑料以促进其分类、从异质混合物中回收特定类型的塑料或量化人类接触和健康微塑料的风险。学生和教师参与者将通过会议演讲和同行评审出版物传播研究成果，扩大知识进步的机会。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。