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Research in Focus: July 2026 Funding Highlights

September 25, 2026
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Faculty in the College of Natural Resources are advancing innovation through cutting-edge research that addresses critical environmental and natural resources challenges.

Each month, faculty secure funding from federal and state agencies as well as nongovernmental organizations, supporting initiatives in ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation and more.

This report highlights the grants awarded in July 2026, showcasing projects that advance scientific understanding and deliver real-world solutions.

Click on the projects listed below to learn more:

Recreation Resources Service

  • PI: Lincoln Larson
  • Direct Sponsor Name: North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources 
  • Awarded Amount: $876,929 
  • Abstract: Research Focus Area 1 (RFA1) of the project aims to understand how ongoing temperature-driven changes in water-energy balance across elevations impact watershed hydrological, ecological, and biogeochemical functions. RFA1 seeks to identify mechanisms and trait-to-function relationships that explain functional responses and resilience to recent past disturbances. One focus is on the interplay between bedrock properties and forest resilience (RFA 1.2), which uses a combination of tree core sampling, remote sensing and biogeochemical and microbial sampling to understand spatial and temporal variation of forest health in response to drought. 

Electrochemical Recycling of Carbon Fiber Composite Wind Turbine Components

  • PI: Hui Li
  • Direct Sponsor Name: U.S. Department of Energy
  • Awarded Amount: $189,881 
  • Abstract: NC State University will be responsible for the following: size reduction and classification of virgin CFC procured from Zoltek or another relevant wind industry CFC manufacturer; thermogravimetric analysis of electrochemically treated carbon fiber; and fabrication of thermoplastic and thermoset composites from recycled CFC with electrochemically treated material, as well as relevant testing of the recycled CFC.

Deep Eutectic Solvent Pulping Technology to Reduce Carbon Emission in Pulp and Paper Industry

  • PI: Sunkyu Park
  • Direct Sponsor Name: U.S. Department of Energy
  • Amount Awarded: $1,065,714 
  • Abstract: We propose to advance the high-kappa (high-lignin) softwood containerboard pulping process to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by replacing the traditional kraft process using a low-GHG emission Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) pulping process. The process contains (1) low-severity DES solvent pulping, (2) low-energy pulp mechanical refining, (3) lignin recovery for aviation fuel production, and (4) solvent recovery by new anti-solvents, membrane ultrafiltration, and/or process steam with mechanical vapor recompression. By applying the DES system in pulping, we will reduce CO2 emissions by eliminating the recovery boiler and lime kiln, which are energy intensive processes in the current kraft process. DES will also produce lignin products, which can be converted to aviation fuel and biobased polymer for further CO2 reduction.

GEO OSE Track 2: Open Geospatial Accelerator: Growing Contributors and Sustainers for the Global Geospatial Commons

  • PI: Vaclav Petras
  • Direct Sponsor Name: National Science Foundation
  • Awarded Amount: $1,000,000 
  • Abstract: Sustaining open geospatial software requires investing not only in technology but also in the people who steward it. This project envisions an accelerator program designed to strengthen the Stewardship Pipeline—the progression from user to modeler, contributor, and maintainer—within open-source ecosystems such as GRASS and QGIS. Through mentorship, collaborative workshops, and structured learning pathways, participants will gain the skills and confidence to advance along this continuum of engagement. At the same time, the initiative will reinforce the underlying model and infrastructure ecosystem, helping researchers transform ad hoc workflows into reusable, well-documented, and discoverable models. By integrating community development with technical sustainability, this program aims to build long-term capacity for open, interoperable geospatial science and provide a scalable model for other research software communities.

An Improved Understanding of the Interplay Between Bedrock Properties and Forest Resilience in the Rocky Mountains

  • PI: Matthias Sprenger
  • Direct Sponsor Name: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California – Berkeley
  • Awarded Amount: $45,000 
  • Abstract: The Watershed Function SFA at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory aims to understand how ecosystems adapt to meteorological and environmental stressors based on their inherent traits, thereby simplifying the complexity of mountainous landscapes into key principles that guide ecosystem responses to disturbance. There remains a critical knowledge gap as to how disturbance-induced trait redistribution, following drought, insect infestation, or forest management, impacts ecosystem structure, hydrology and biogeochemical cycling. Research Focus Area 1 (RFA1) of the project aims to understand how ongoing temperature-driven changes in water-energy balance across elevations impact watershed hydrological, ecological, and biogeochemical functions. RFA1 seeks to identify mechanisms and trait-to-function relationships that explain functional responses and resilience to recent past disturbances. One focus is on the interplay between bedrock properties and forest resilience (RFA 1.2), which uses a combination of tree core sampling, remote sensing and biogeochemical and microbial sampling to understand spatial and temporal variation of forest health in response to drought. 

Designing and Delivering a HAB Cohort Program for Local Governments

  • PI: Rebecca Ward
  • Direct Sponsor Name: Albemarle Commission
  • Awarded Amount: $20,995 
  • Abstract: NC State University’s Climate and Sustainability Academy (CaSA) proposes to lead the development and facilitation of a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Cohort Program. Led by Dr. Rebecca Ward, the primary developer of the NC Local Government Action Toolkit for HABs, this program will bridge the gap between regional HAB science and local government planning. By leveraging existing partnerships with the North Carolina State Resilience Office, APNEP, and NC DEQ, the program will provide participating jurisdictions in the Albemarle region with the technical expertise and structured support necessary to develop actionable, locally tailored HAB response strategies.