Early Career: Acquisition of Shared, Basic Biogeochemistry Lab Facilities at Rice University

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0949337MasielloThis award provides NSF funding over 36 months to acquire basic biogeochemistry instrumentation for carbon and nutrient cycling studies at Rice. A CHNSO solid sample analyzer and a total carbon analyzer will be purchased and installed. Several research projects would utilize the requested instrument suite: soil black carbon (BC) pool stability and pryolysis analysis; natural aluminosilicate nanoparticles impacts on carbon and nutrient cycling in soils; paleoclimate and paleo-productivity indicators in Holocene Antarctic Peninsula (AP) sediments using carbon and nutrient distributions; and ecosystem nutrient cycling studies to evalute Gulf coast restoration and mitigation efforts. The equipment, in addition to the PIs' research projects, will support an upper level environmental chemistry lab course. Funds are requested to sponsor two high school teachers for a summer program through the Rice Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology. The instrumentation will be primarily administered by the PI but will placed under the Rice Shared Equipment Authority which will ensure long-term maintenance. Use statistics will be compiled and evaluated for setting reasonable cost-recovery user fees after the first year of the award.***