Ten interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment's (IEE) 2025 Seed Grant Program. The program supports basic and applied research that lays the groundwork to pursue external funding and is guided by IEE's five research themes. This year, the program awarded seed funding to 34 Penn State researchers across seven colleges and 17 departments and units.
The 2025 projects - along with their principal investigators, co-investigators and their affiliated colleges/units - that were awarded seed grants are:
"Anthracite Nanoplatelets as Photothermal Agents for Polymer Recycling" aims to develop a new way to recycle common plastics using tiny coal-based particles that are heated with light, aiming to reduce pollution and create cleaner, more efficient and more widely applicable recycling.
Ben Lear, Eberly College of Science; Jonathan Mathews, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; James Adair, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
"Biomanufacturing Platform to Integrate Dairy Wastes into Circular Bioeconomy" looks to develop a sustainable biomanufacturing platform to transform dairy processing waste into biofuels, renewable chemicals and sustainable foods, supporting a more circular food and energy system.
Yi Zhang, College of Agricultural Sciences; Rui Shi, College of Engineering; Joshua Lambert, College of Agricultural Sciences
"Conductive Polymer + Au/TiO2 Composites for Energy Storage" will design and develop new polymer materials that can safely store and release hydrogen gas, which could help create better, cleaner energy systems in the future.
Elizabeth Elacqua, Eberly College of Science; Bert Chandler, College of Engineering
"Development of Spin-Polarized Nano-Metal Catalysts" will explore how to control the properties of tiny structures in metal materials to enhance chemical reactions, such as CO2 reduction, potentially leading to cleaner industrial processes.
Kenneth Knappenberger, Eberly College of Science; Raymond Schaak, Eberly College of Science; Joshua Robinson, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
"Dry Electrolysis for Recycling CO2 to Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuels and Chemicals" will investigate how applying electric fields to carbon materials can make carbon dioxide conversion more energy-efficient, creating a sustainable source of fuel components for cleaner energy systems.
Margaret Kowalik, College of Engineering; Adri van Duin, College of Engineering; Randy Vander Wal, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
"High-Throughput Screening of Human Gut Bacteria Response to PFAS Exposure" will investigate how PFAS chemicals influence the gut microbiome and its role in human health, aiming to reveal hidden effects of environmental exposure and improve our understanding of disease risk.
Yuan Tian, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Andrew Patterson, College of Agricultural Sciences; Jordan Bisanz, Eberly College of Science; Jeffrey Peters, College of Agricultural Sciences; Ashley Shay, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Craig Praul, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Benjamin Anderson, Eberly College of Science
"Low-Cost Smart Energy-Efficient Windows Using Temperature-Sensitive Shape-Memory Polymers" seeks to develop a smart window that automatically responds to outside temperatures using a special heat-responsive polymer, reducing energy use in buildings.
Nathan Keim, Eberly College of Science; Patrick Mather, College of Engineering; Julian Wang, College of Arts and Architecture; Sebanti Chattopadhyay, Eberly College of Science
"Preparing for Future Long-Distance Wildfire Smoke Events: Insights from Public Perception, Behavioral Responses, and Information Uncertainty in the US Northeast" will study how people in the Northeast U.S. learn about and respond to wildfire smoke from far away, and how to improve trust and preparedness by making air quality information more accurate and easier to understand.
Manzhu Yu, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; Hong Wu, College of Arts and Architecture; Sarah Rajtmajer, College of Information Sciences and Technology
"Resilient Transmission Planning Under Extreme Event Uncertainty" looks to develop new tools to help make the electric grid more reliable by identifying rare but serious events, such as extreme weather or sudden power surges, so planners can better prepare for them.
Anirudh Subramanyam, College of Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering; Mort Webster, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
"Understanding Community Participation and Decision-Making Processes for Groundwater Management in India" will study how people in different parts of India are participating in a major government program to protect groundwater, aiming to understand what's working and to help improve the program as it expands.
Mook Bangalore, College of the Liberal Arts; Kaitlyn Spangler, College of Agricultural Sciences; Praharsh Patel, College of Agricultural Sciences; Alejandra Armesto, College of Agricultural Sciences
For more than 10 years, IEE has provided critical funding for researchers to develop new interdisciplinary research teams and position them for high-impact research and substantial external funding success. Since 2016, the IEE Seed Grant Program has resulted in more than $100 million in external funding from government agencies, non-profit organizations and industry, a 19:1 return on investment.
More than funding, the IEE Seed Grant Program cultivates a collaborative learning environment. It fosters teamwork and leadership by bringing together senior and junior faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. Through these projects, participants gain valuable mentorship and expertise, ultimately developing into well-rounded researchers poised to lead future interdisciplinary teams.
