Research Awards and Grants (May 2023)

June 13, 2023 CNR Web

Each month College of Natural Resources faculty receive awards and grants from various federal, state, and nongovernmental agencies in support of their research. This report recognizes the faculty who received funding in May 2023.

Membership in Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI), Full Member

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: International Paper Co.
Awarded Amount: $ 66,000.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

Techno-Economic Analysis of KRICTs Biorefinery Process

PI: Park, Sunkyu
Direct Sponsor Name: Korean Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)
Awarded Amount: $ 47,775.00
Abstract: PI Park will conduct a techno-economic analysis of biorefinery process developed by KRICT. This will involve (1) process model in simulation package, (2) detailed mass and energy balance, (3) discounted cash flow economic model, (4) minimum selling price calculation, and (5) sensitivity analysis.

Membership in Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI), Full Member

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: Essity
Amount Awarded: $ 66,000.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

Development of Genetic Resources and a Quantitative Bioassay to Assess HWA Resistance in Eastern Hemlock

PI: Jetton, Robert M
Direct Sponsor Name: Holden Forests & Gardens
Awarded Amount: $50,400.00
Abstract: Although numerous studies have reported Eastern hemlock trees that have survived and remained healthy in areas that suffered high mortality rates due to HWA, no one has demonstrated that resistance to the adelgid is a genetically heritable trait passed down from parents to progeny. We propose to generate the appropriate genetic resources necessary for genetic studies through 1) vegetative propagation (grafting and rooted cuttings) of field selected hemlock trees in PA that have remained healthy in areas long-infested with HWA where most other trees are dead or declining and 2) generation of half-sibling seedling families using seed collected from these healthy trees (OP seed collections will also be submitted to the National Tree Seed Laboratory for long-term conservation) and 3) development of methods to induce early flowering in clonal propagules of healthy surviving hemlocks to generate full-sibling seedling families through controlled cross pollinations.

Density and Movement of Coyotes on the Barrier Islands of Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores to Inform Shorebird and Sea Turtle Management

PI: Kays, Roland W.
Direct Sponsor Name: US National Park Service
Awarded Amount: $200,851.00
Abstract: We will use fecal DNA to estimate the density of coyotes in two barrier island National Seashores. We will also use GPS collars to track the movement of coyotes there. This will fund one MS student for 2.5 years and pay for field work.

Interdisciplinary Energy Data Analytics PhD Fellows Program Phase II: Training the Next Generation of Energy Data Scholars (Cameron Lisy)

PI: Kern, Jordan
Direct Sponsor Name: Duke University
Amount Awarded: $12,617.00
Abstract: Our project proposes development of a mathematical model representation of the US natural gas production and transportation market at the state level with a daily temporal resolution that can be linked with power grid model representations of the 3 major interconnections to simulate the feedback effects that spikes in demand for natural gas from extreme weather events nationwide would have on the power grid.

Transgene-Free CRISPR-Based Genome Editing in Caneberry

PI: Wang, Jack
Direct Sponsor Name: Pairwise
Awarded Amount: $800,735.00
Abstract: This project aims to develop an advanced transgene-free CRISPR-based genome editing system in caneberry to enhance agricultural traits of interests. Caneberry (blackberry and raspberry) production is an important fruit industry in North Carolina. Blackberry production is estimated to have an annual farm gate value of $14,000,000. Despite the importance of caneberry, its production has remained largely limited to undomesticated variants bred using conventional practices. There are tremendous opportunities for genetic improvement of caneberry to improve productivity, resilience, and nutritional values. However, genomic tools and technologies needed for the development of novel and improved cultivars with economically important traits lag behind most other agricultural crops. The lack of genomic tools has been a practical limitation for the genetic improvement of caneberry. Breakthrough innovations to improve caneberry will create powerful new solutions to enhance the health and prosperity of our fruit industries.

Establishing Tools to Measure the Relationship between Travel and Retirement Decisions in North Carolina

PI: Savage, Ann Elizabeth
Direct Sponsor Name: Visit NC
Awarded Amount: $50,444.00
Abstract: North Carolina (NC) ranks third for net migration of retirement age adults in the US meaning nearly 20,000 people 60 years or older moved to NC in 2019. In 2021, places in NC including Asheville, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham2, and Winston-Salem3 were identified as some of the best places to retire in the US, further proving the attractiveness of NC as a retirement destination. And this recognition is happening all as the rate of US retirement has been increasing due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With the considerable potential for retirees to contribute to the state’s economy and communities it is necessary to understand the factors that drive their decision to retire to NC. Furthermore, a more robust knowledge of how to assess the economic impact of retirees will provide the tools to illustrate one aspect of retirees’ contributions to the state, its counties, and local communities. This study aims to fill these gaps by creating a profile of NC retirees, their motivations to retire to NC, and the influence of travel to the state as a driver in their retirement location decision. To enable future efforts to measure the economic impact of retirees this study will also identify processes for assessing the economic impact of retirees including their travels while deciding on a retirement location and once they settle in a new community. The outcomes of this work will help inform North Carolina communities efforts to attract and support retirees.

Membership in Consortium on Sustainable Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI), Full Member

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: Rayonier Advanced Materials, Inc.
Awarded Amount: $126,000.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

SAFI Consortium Administrative Account

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: NCSU Consortium Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI)
Awarded Amount: $10,000.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) CORE Research Project

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: NCSU Consortium Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI)
Awarded Amount: $719,873.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

Membership in Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI), Associate Member

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: Valmet North America
Awarded Amount: $42,000.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

Membership in Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI), Full Member

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: Productos Familia S.A.
Awarded Amount: $60,000.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

Membership in Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI), Full Member

PI: Gonzalez, Ronalds Wilfredo
Direct Sponsor Name: Golden Gate Paper Company
Awarded Amount: $126,000.00
Abstract: The purpose of the Consortium on Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI) is to develop fundamental and applied research on the use of alternative and sustainable fibers for the manufacturing of market pulp, hygiene products and nonwovens. The idea for SAFI has grown out of societal needs for alternative yet sustainable materials. SAFI will study the potential of alternative fibers based on technical (performance), sustainable and economic principles.

Expanding Prescribed Fire Delivery to Restore Southeast Forests (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA)

PI: Bardon, Robert E.
Direct Sponsor Name: National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
Awarded Amount: $180,000.00
Abstract: The Southeast Prescribed Fire Initiative will occur in priority areas across all 13 Southern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Priority habitats will include longleaf pine, shortleaf pine and other fire adapted ecosystems in the Southern region, and priority locations include, but are not limited to, Longleaf Implementation Team (LIT) priority areas and Sentinel Landscapes. The project purpose is to implement the Comprehensive Strategy for Prescribed Fire (which is a comprehensive, regional strategy for increasing prescribed burning in the Southeast), thus ultimately helping to increase the use of prescribed fire across the Southeast. The Strategy represents a consensus among representatives of federal and state agencies (including the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Defense, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state forestry and wildlife agencies), non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector; therefore, these groups will be the primary partners for this project. Major activities will include continued coordination of the SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Working Group, and implementation of several action items within the Prescribed Fire Strategy such as Learn & Burn field days for private landowners, and support and promotion of Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) and Fire Festivals. Outcomes include increased use of and support for prescribed fire.

Assessing Climate Vulnerability in a Highly Adaptable, Wide-ranging, Harvested Species: Direct and Indirect Effects of Climate on Wild Turkeys Across the U.S.

PI: Pacifici, Jamian
Direct Sponsor Name: US Geological Survey (USGS)
Awarded Amount: $294,171.00
Abstract: Climate-change vulnerability assessments (CCVA) provide a framework for evaluating how a species will respond to a changing climate, which can be especially critical for hunted species because of the additional stress on population dynamics. Integrating the use of CCVAs with a process that ensures the coproduction of knowledge will yield an inclusive, iterative approach between research and management to create new information. Using our well-established network with managers and other stakeholders, we propose a process of coproduction to assess the climate-change vulnerability of a wide-spread and economically important game species, wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), across the southeastern U.S. where it is exhibiting long-term declines in abundance. We will use >10 years of reproduction data for wild turkeys from six states to explore the multiplicative effects of climate and hunter harvest on wild turkeys to help guide localized harvest regimes (e.g., timing of the hunting season) across the region. We will assess the relative importance of short-term weather events, longer-term weather shifts, and extreme weather events on reproductive timing and output. Combining information on the relative contributions of weather and climate with variation in reproduction due to phenological cues will allow us to make projections about the overall influence of climate on reproduction in wild turkeys. Stakeholders in the process will include agency biologists, especially members of the Southeast Wild Turkey Technical Committee, National Wild Turkey Federation staff, and the general public with an interest in wild turkey conservation and hunting opportunities.

LSU Superfund Research Center – Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals

PI: Bryant, Jennifer Richmond
Direct Sponsor Name: Louisiana State University
Awarded Amount: $116,244.00
Abstract: Data indicates a disproportionate COVID-19 impact on Black residents of Louisiana. As of April 26, 2020, the United States (U.S.) has more confirmed coronavirus cases per capita than any other country, and Louisiana has the third highest rates of COVID-19 cases and the second highest deaths per capita in the country. Of 1,644 reported Louisiana deaths to date, 56% are of Black race. Louisiana’s industrial corridor (IC), an area along the Mississippi River densely populated with petrochemical factories, is home to 44% of Black residents and 30% of residents living below the poverty line in the state. The IC is responsible for 64% of statewide TRI emissions for 2018. The IC includes the parishes of West and East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines. Together, these parishes comprise 67% of Louisiana’s COVID-19 cases and 68% of Louisiana’s COVID-19 deaths. Our hypothesis is that elevated COVID-19 death rates among Black IC residents is associated with long-term exposure to HAPs emissions and distrust in the information about the disease received from government and media sources. Our study of racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality risk will use a mixed methods approach integrating epidemiologic and ethnographic analysis to determine impacts of HAPs exposure on COVID-19 outcomes: 1) We will examine the associations between COVID-19 case and death rates with industrial emissions of HAPs by race and concentrated disadvantage; 2) We will explore the experiences of IC residents to understand how long-standing HAPs exposures and concentrated disadvantage may undermine public trust to influence COVID-19 outcomes. Insights from this study will be synthesized into policy recommendations designed to understand special health risks stemming from long-term HAPs exposure and promote trust in information distributed by credible sources among IC residents during subsequent waves of COVID-19. All findings will be communicated to the public, with special attention to residents of the IC, and we will share our protocols with state health and environmental officials to improve health assessments for IC residents.

Integrated Multisector, Multiscale Modeling (IM3) Science Focus Area, Phase 2

PI: Kern, Jordan
Direct Sponsor Name: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Awarded Amount: $255,000.00
Abstract: The overarching goal of the proposed research tasks for the NCSU team in Phase 2 of IM3 is to help develop new, open-source operational models of the U.S. bulk electric power system, one for each of the three regional interconnections: the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC); the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT); and the Eastern Interconnection (EIC). These models will then be used by NCSU and other members of the IM3 team to address the impacts of weather and water dynamics in the simulation of grid operations in Experiment Groups B and D as described in the IM3 Phase 2 proposal.

Sowtime: Climate Adaptive Agriculture in the Eastern Gangetic Plains

PI: Gray, Joshua Michael
Direct Sponsor Name: National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Awarded Amount: $725,457.00
Abstract: Agricultural transformations have increased food production five-fold in South Asia, but that progress has not been realized in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EGP), a region spanning India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Meeting future food demand while coping with climate change will require substantial adaptation by EGP farmers. But we know little about the nature or outcomes of agricultural adaptations by EGP farmers, and even less about future possibilities. Our proposed research will answer the question: What is the adaptive potential of smallholder agriculture in the EGP? Our central hypotheses are: 1) Smallholder farmers have already adapted to a changing climate by planting earlier, adopting faster maturing varieties, and switching crop types. 2) These adaptive practices have mitigated the effect of climate change on crop yields. And 3) additional transformations will further increase crop yields and resilience but socioeconomic barriers prevent widespread adoption. We will test these hypotheses by combining innovative remote sensing analyses, statistical and biophysical crop yield modeling, in-region field data collection, and causal analyses of fused household survey and remote sensing datasets. We will quantify contemporary cropping patterns and practices, and the extent and spatiotemporal variation of adaptive strategy adoption with remotely sensed assets and available ground and administrative data from regional partners. The effect of future climate change under various scenarios of agricultural adaptation will be quantified using climate projections and yield models. These analyses are integrated with a household survey and choice experiments that will reveal farmer attitudes towards climate change, adaptive agricultural practices, and the barriers to further transformation. Our effort will produce annual cadence, finely resolved maps of crop types, including the characterization of multicropping rotations, the timing and duration of critical crop growth stages, and changes in these variables over the period 2001-present. No existing products map these variables at the scale of individual smallholder fields, and for the time period and temporal cadence necessary to evaluate the adaptive potential of the EGP. We will create these products using a newly developed approach to data fusion capable of assimilating a wide variety of heterogeneous satellite imagery, including newly available high resolution commercial assets. We will use phenology algorithms to extract the timing of growth stages, and emerging approaches to classification that use a Bayesian framework to assimilate existing heterogeneous crop type maps and ancillary data. Statistical and biophysical crop yield models will be fit, driven by historical weather and downscaled climate projections, and used to quantify the climate mitigating effects of adaptive practices. Our household surveys and analysis of map products will guide the design of realistic future scenarios of agricultural adaptation. By characterizing and quantifying the adaptive potential of smallholder agriculture in the EGP, our study will support decision makers, regional food and water security, efforts to alleviate rural poverty, and the adoption of feasible climate adaptive strategies. Our project will further develop and apply innovative remote sensing methodologies such as data fusion and classification approaches and will thus be useful to the broader remote sensing science community. Additionally, because the goals of our project are well-aligned with those of several large initiatives like SARIN, CIMMYT, and GEOGLAM, we expect our results to find a broad audience with the means and impetus to ensure they support on-the-ground change, and ultimately, a more sustainable and resilient food future for the EGP.

I/UCRC Phase III North Carolina State University Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS)

PI: Cook, Rachel
Direct Sponsor Name: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Amount Awarded: $509,834.00
Abstract: The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) is a multi-university collaborative in Year 2 of Phase III of support under the NSF IUCRC program. The universities in CAFS, including North Carolina State University (NCSU), partner with forest business sector members to coordinate research relevant to forest management across the nation’s major timber producing regions. CAFS has the opportunity to further its educational scope with partners at two-year Institutions of Higher Education (2-yr IHE) through Skills Training in Advanced Research & Technology (START). Internships to build forestry-related professional skills will be developed in conjunction with Montgomery Community College, which offers a technical curriculum in Forest Management and Technology in an important timber producing region of North Carolina.

CNH-L: Land-Climate-Water Feedbacks and Farmer Decision-Making in an Agricultural System (previous title: The Sociohydrological System of a Tropical Forest Frontier: Land-Climate-Water Feedbacks and Farmer Adaptation)

PI: Sills, Erin O.
Direct Sponsor Name: University of Montana
Amount Awarded: $195,622.00
Abstract: The hydro-climatic system in the Amazon is affected by and affects land use in agricultural colonization settlements. We assess whether this is a reinforcing or balancing feedback loop operating through availability of green (soil moisture) and/or blue (surface water) water. Specifically, we test how spatio-temporal variation in green and blue water affects choices about farm production systems including land use intensity, and how the aggregation of those choices in turn affects the hydro-climatic system. We employ models that account for the effects of climate change on the hydro-climatic system, and for interactions among farmers and processors in the evolution of land use. We draw on panel data that allow us to model the dynamics of choices about production systems. Our two endpoints are the availability of green and blue water, and the welfare of farm households in the Amazon.

Preparing Diverse and Rural Students and Teachers to Meet the Challenges in the Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry

PI: Venditti, Richard A.
Direct Sponsor Name: US Dept. of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA)
Amount Awarded: $2,750,000.00
Abstract: The project will prepare a diverse group of college students and high school teachers with the knowledge and interdisciplinary tools necessary to advance the future of America bioenergy, bioproducts, and the bioeconomy. Distance courses will be developed and taught by faculty in the Departments of Forest Biomaterials & Environmental Resources, with guidance from the College of Education, undergraduate students are recruited from historically underserved institutions (HBCU, women college, community college), as are teachers from rural, high poverty NC high schools. Undergraduates will complete three of the five online courses in bioenergy & bioproducts, and complete an industry internship, and earn a certificate. Bioproducts and bioenergy industrial and research organization partners provide hands-on internship projects in the industry or in a research setting. Rural high school science teachers will complete three of the five online courses, earn a certificate, participate in professional development workshops, carry out lessons with their students during the school year, and conduct a career fair in bioproducts and bioenergy.

SOFAC Administrative Account

PI: Baker, Justin Scott
Direct Sponsor Name: Southern Forest Resource Assessment Consortium (SOFAC)
Amount Awarded: $195,580.00
Abstract: The Southern Forest Resource Assessment Consortium (SOFAC) will develop forest sector market models for application to forest resource assessments in the South, U.S., and the World. SOFAC will integrate currently available forest resource data from the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and economic theory to model timber supply and demand in the South by local area. SOFAC economic models will allow use of exogenous or endogenous inputs about supply, demand, land use change, and landowner behavior in the analysis of timber and forest land markets and management. SOFAC modelers and members will be able to use the SOFAC suite of models and research to simultaneously project timber inventory, supply, and prices for a variety of regions and a variety of timber products across the South, the U.S., and the World. SOFAC will foster discussion among modelers and members about the appropriate inputs and assumptions in forest projection models and employ these in building timber supply models and timber supply scenarios that represent likely conditions. SOFAC will continue cooperative university-industry-public agency cooperation in southern and national forest sector economic modeling. SOFAC will enhance graduate instruction in forest economics and modeling in the South.

Energy, Biomass and Carbon Project, SOFAC Core research project

PI: Baker, Justin Scott
Direct Sponsor Name: Southern Forest Resource Assessment Consortium (SOFAC)
Amount Awarded: $1,659,802.00
Abstract: The Southern Forest Resource Assessment Consortium (SOFAC) will develop forest sector market models for application to forest resource assessments in the South, U.S., and the World. SOFAC will integrate currently available forest resource data from the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and economic theory to model timber supply and demand in the South by local area. SOFAC economic models will allow use of exogenous or endogenous inputs about supply, demand, land use change, and landowner behavior in the analysis of timber and forest land markets and management. SOFAC modelers and members will be able to use the SOFAC suite of models and research to simultaneously project timber inventory, supply, and prices for a variety of regions and a variety of timber products across the South, the U.S., and the World. SOFAC will foster discussion among modelers and members about the appropriate inputs and assumptions in forest projection models and employ these in building timber supply models and timber supply scenarios that represent likely conditions. SOFAC will continue cooperative university-industry-public agency cooperation in southern and national forest sector economic modeling. SOFAC will enhance graduate instruction in forest economics and modeling in the South.

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