IRES Track 1: Sources and solutions of nonpoint source pollution

尽管在管理水污染来源方面进行了长期投资，但美国和澳大利亚都难以看到切萨皮克湾和大堡礁等水体的水质改善。这项国际学生研究经验（IRES）计划将允许美国学生在澳大利亚从事水质研究。由于宾夕法尼亚州立大学和澳大利亚墨尔本莫纳什大学的合作，学生们将为治理污染提供新的解决方案。每年将从宾夕法尼亚州立大学的24个校区招收6名学生，这些校区为广泛的社区提供服务。这些学生将接受各种研究方法的培训。每个学生将开发一个独立的项目，并学习水资源管理的方法。与会者将学习使用低成本传感器和最佳管理实践识别污染源的新技术。这种独特的全球经验将为下一代工程师和科学家提供帮助解决最困难的水资源挑战的关键工具。澳大利亚墨尔本莫纳什大学和宾夕法尼亚州立大学之间的合作将为美国学生提供一个进行最先进的实地和实验室研究的机会，并了解澳大利亚在不同水文气候条件下管理流域水污染的方法。每年有6名学生（研究生和本科生）从宾夕法尼亚州立大学的24个校区招募，每三年将作为一个队列开始这个项目。该项目每年将持续十周，包括两周的远程培训和规划会议，6月和7月在澳大利亚进行七周的现场研究，最后一周在宾夕法尼亚州立大学进行总结和演讲。该研究涉及多个领域，包括养分循环、新出现的污染物、污染源跟踪、最佳管理实践和新型水质传感器应用。虽然莫纳什大学的教职员工将领导在澳大利亚的研究和实地体验，但每个学生都将由莫纳什大学和宾夕法尼亚州立大学的教职员工共同指导。让多名学生同时在流域内进行研究项目，将有助于建立一个关于污染源、汇和转化的独特而密集的综合数据集，并有助于更好地了解如何管理和改善该地区。结果将在澳大利亚和美国提出，并发展成书面产品为学术和从业者的观众。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Despite long-term investments in managing sources of water pollution, both the US and Australia struggle to see water quality improvement in water bodies like the Chesapeake Bay and Great Barrier Reef. This International Research Experience for Students (IRES) program will allow US students to engage in water quality research in Australia. Students will contribute to new solutions for managing pollution, thanks to a partnership between Pennsylvania State University and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Six students per year will be recruited from across Penn State’s 24 campuses, which serve a wide range of communities. These students will be trained in a variety of research methods. Each student will develop an independent project and learn about approaches to water management. Participants will learn new techniques to identify sources of pollutants using low-cost sensors and best management practices. This unique global experience will give the next generation of engineers and scientists critical tools for helping solve the most difficult water resource challenges.This partnership between Monash University in Melbourne, Australia and Pennsylvania State University will provide an opportunity for US students to conduct state-of-the-art field and laboratory research and learn about Australian approaches to managing water pollution in a watershed with different hydro-climatic conditions. Six total students (graduate and undergraduate) per year, recruited from across Penn State’s 24 campuses, will embark on projects as a cohort for each of three years for this project. The program will last a total of ten weeks each year, including two weeks of remote training and planning sessions, seven weeks of in-person research in Australia during June and July, and a final week of conclusion and presentations at Penn State. The research has multiple areas of interest, including nutrient cycling, emerging contaminants, contaminant source tracking, best management practices, and novel water quality sensor application. While Monash faculty and staff will lead the research and field experience in Australia, each student will be co-mentored by faculty from Monash and Penn State. Having multiple students doing research projects at the same time within the watershed will allow for a uniquely intensive and integrative dataset on pollutant sources, sinks and transformations, as well as helping to better understand how to manage and improve the area. The results will be presented in both Australia and the US, and developed into written products for both academic and practitioner audiences.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.