RII-Track 2 FEC: Advancing Social and Environmental Equity through Plastics Research: Education, Innovation, and Inclusion (ASPIRE)

塑料改变了现代社会，并使其广泛受益；然而，全球累计产量超过90亿吨，塑料和塑料废物的产生和管理与环境污染和气候变化有着根本的联系。管理不善的塑料生命周期不可恢复地将不可再生资源投入热解过程或垃圾填埋场，从而产生大量温室气体排放并产生微塑料污染。这些后果加剧了全球气候变化，使环境生态系统和人类健康面临风险，沿海和服务不足的社区以及健康状况脆弱的个人承受着不成比例的负担。这项研究基础设施改善轨道2重点EPSCoR合作奖将使来自两个EPSCoR管辖区（MS和AL）的机构的研究人员，包括南密西西比大学（USM）和奥本大学（AU），建立一个跨学科项目，以解决塑料废物的挑战及其对气候和健康的影响，同时在密西西比州和阿拉巴马州建立社区气候适应能力，推进社会和环境正义。项目团队将与区域研究和卫生机构、当地社区、小企业和回收服务提供商合作，评估微塑料对海洋、水产养殖和社区健康的影响，开发混合增容剂以改善混合聚烯烃的回收，并创造下一代生物源聚合物。该项目以全面的劳动力发展和培训计划为特色，重点是提高研究人员、学生和行业专业人士的技能和能力，特别注重推进STEM的多样性和包容性。项目内容包括对早期职业研究人员的指导和晋升、虚拟专业发展研讨会、以学生为主导的研讨会，以培养网络和领导技能、面向本科生的夏季研究项目，以及为建筑、农业和海洋部门的工人提供更好地管理塑料废物的专门培训课程。一项强有力的外展计划将通过在沿海地区设立研究展览、领导从海滩上清除塑料碎片的实地考察以及加强服务不足地区的回收基础设施来促进社区参与。这些计划具有战略意义，旨在促进可持续做法和知识转移，从而对参与的司法管辖区产生长期影响。总的来说，该项目将成为塑料气候健康研究的区域中心，促进经济发展、环境和社会公平以及劳动力多样性。通过塑料研究促进社会和环境公平：教育、创新和包容（ASPIRE）跨学科项目旨在减轻塑料污染对AL和MS脆弱沿海社区的负面影响，利用创新和包容性的研究、教育和外展。ASPIRE将通过整合聚合物科学、化学、（生物）工程、社会/健康科学和海洋生态学等领域的整体方法，促进社会和环境公平。具体而言，USM和AU的项目团队将：1)开发先进的检测方法来分析田间和水产养殖样品中的微塑料污染，将这些发现与社区健康和行为调查相结合，以确定微塑料对人体的暴露途径；2)合成含动态交联剂的共混增容剂，提高混合聚烯烃的回收利用率，延长回收产品的使用寿命，提高回收产品的性能，使其能够持续使用；3)设计由动态交联组成的固有可回收聚合物热固性材料，使用可持续的、生物衍生的构建块，同时建立基本的化学-结构-性能关系。这些项目中的技术开发将根据技术经济和生命周期分析来确定，以确保最大限度的可持续性和经济可行性。ASPIRE旨在通过积极招募代表性不足的群体，通过全面的指导计划和种子资助机会培养早期职业研究人员，以及参与针对K-12学生的外展活动，培养多元化的劳动力。该项目将吸引沿海社区的利益相关者，为当地小企业提供有针对性的培训，并重点关注有效的塑料废物管理。墨西哥湾地区的沿海社区、健康状况脆弱的人群以及来自代表性不足人口的种族和族裔群体首当其冲地受到塑料污染和相关气候变化的影响。ASPIRE致力于为密西西比州和阿拉巴马州这些历史上被边缘化的人口增加机会和提高生活质量。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。

Plastics have transformed and broadly benefited modern society; however, with a cumulative global production exceeding 9 billion metric tons, the generation and management of plastic and plastic waste are fundamentally intertwined with environmental pollution and climate change. Mismanaged plastic lifecycles irrecoverably commit non-renewable resources to either pyrolysis processes or to landfills, which generates substantial greenhouse gas emissions and produces microplastic pollution. These consequences exacerbate global climate change, putting both environmental ecosystems and human health at risk, with coastal and underserved communities, as well as individuals with vulnerable health conditions, bearing a disproportionate burden. This Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations award will enable researchers from institutions in two EPSCoR jurisdictions (MS and AL), including the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and Auburn University (AU), to establish a transdisciplinary program to address plastic waste challenges and their climate and health impacts, while building community climate resilience and advancing social and environmental justice in Mississippi and Alabama. In partnership with regional research and health institutions, local communities, small businesses, and recycling service providers, the project team will assess the impact of microplastics on marine, aquaculture, and community health, develop blend compatibilizers to improve mixed polyolefin recycling, and create next-generation bio-sourced polymers. The project features a comprehensive workforce development and training plan that focuses on enhancing the skills and competencies of researchers, students, and industry professionals with a particular focus on advancing STEM diversity and inclusivity. Program elements include mentorship and advancement for early-career researchers, virtual professional development workshops, student-led symposia to foster networking and leadership skills, summer research programs for undergraduates, and specialized training sessions for workers in construction, agriculture, and marine sectors to better manage plastic waste. A robust outreach program will foster community engagement through setting up research exhibits along the coast, leading hands-on expeditions for plastic debris removal from beaches, and enhancing recycling infrastructure in underserved areas. These plans are strategically designed to promote sustainable practices and knowledge transfer for long-term impact on participating jurisdictions. Collectively, the project will serve as a regional hub for plastic-climate-health research, advancing economic development, environmental and social equity, and workforce diversity.The transdisciplinary Advancing Social and Environmental Equity through Plastics Research: Education, Innovation, and Inclusion (ASPIRE) project seeks to mitigate the negative impacts of plastic pollution on vulnerable coastal communities in AL and MS, leveraging innovative and inclusive research, education, and outreach. ASPIRE will foster social and environmental equity through a holistic approach, integrating the fields of polymer science, chemistry, (bio)engineering, social/health science, and marine ecology. Specifically, project teams at the USM and AU will: 1) develop advanced detection methods to analyze microplastic contamination in field and aquaculture samples, pairing these findings with community health and behavior surveys to identify microplastic-to-human exposure pathways; 2) synthesize blend compatibilizers containing dynamic crosslinkers to enhance mixed polyolefin recycling, extending the lifespan and improving the performance of recycled products for sustained use; and 3) design inherently recyclable polymer thermosets comprised of dynamic crosslinks using sustainable, bio-derived building blocks, concurrently establishing fundamental chemistry-structure-property relationships. Technology development within these projects will be informed by technoeconomic and life cycle analysis to ensure maximized sustainability and economic feasibility. ASPIRE aims to foster a diverse workforce by actively recruiting underrepresented groups, nurturing early career researchers through comprehensive mentoring programs and seed grant opportunities, and partaking in outreach activities aimed at K-12 students. The program will engage coastal community stakeholders, providing targeted training to local small businesses and focusing on effective plastic waste management. Coastal communities in the Gulf of Mexico region, people with vulnerable health conditions, and racial and ethnic groups from underrepresented populations bear the brunt of plastic pollution and associated climate change. ASPIRE strives to enhance opportunities and elevate the quality of life for these historically marginalized populations in Mississippi and Alabama.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.