Essential Element
Phosphorus is an essential element to life, underpinning many critical biological processes and driving the productivity and sustainability of global food systems.
The Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center is a convergence research community of diverse and leading scientists that addresses the complex challenges in phosphorus sustainability by integrating disciplinary contributions across the physical, life, social, and economic sciences. The STEPS vision is to facilitate a 25% reduction in human dependence on mined phosphates and a 25% reduction in losses of point and non-point sources of phosphorus to soils and water resources within 25 years, leading to enhanced resilience of food systems and reduced environmental damage.
A Roadmap to Phosphorus Sustainability
STEPS REU Program
STEPS will support 15 students for ten weeks during Summer 2025 through a multi-institutional Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.
Multi-institutional Research Experience
Convergence research through a collaborative cohort project.
Projects that align research and career interests.
📖 STEPS in the community! Our Director of Science Communication Dr. Meagan Kittle Autry and scholar Hector Fajardo attended a book club to discuss The Devil`s Element by Dan Egan with the Raleigh community. We had a great time learning their thoughts about the phosphorus paradox and sharing about how our research is helping to make a difference. Thanks for having us, Wake County Public Libraries!
#bookclub #reading #phosphorus
📖 STEPS in the community! Our Director of Science Communication Dr. Meagan Kittle Autry and scholar Hector Fajardo attended a book club to discuss The Devil`s Element by Dan Egan with the Raleigh community. We had a great time learning their thoughts about the phosphorus paradox and sharing about how our research is helping to make a difference. Thanks for having us, Wake County Public Libraries!
#bookclub #reading #phosphorus
Last week, several of our scholars attended the Early Career Researcher Professional Development Workshop & #AccelNet Annual Meeting, funded by the @nsfgov ! While there they...
📚 Attended networking & learning opportunities
👥 Learned about a diverse set of career pathways
#NSFfunded #NSFstories #professionalnetworking #ECR
Last week, several of our scholars attended the Early Career Researcher Professional Development Workshop & #AccelNet Annual Meeting, funded by the @nsfgov ! While there they...
📚 Attended networking & learning opportunities
👥 Learned about a diverse set of career pathways
#NSFfunded #NSFstories #professionalnetworking #ECR
Last week, STEPS faculty Khara Grieger, PhD and Paul Westerhoff attended the Nano Safety Communities of Research (COR) meeting in Zurich! They serve as co-chairs of the COR, leading discussions with members from the EU and US related to risk and governance of nano and advanced materials. Khara and Paul are pictured here with their urine diversion display, a research area close to our hearts in STEPS!
#nanotechnology
Last week, STEPS faculty Khara Grieger, PhD and Paul Westerhoff attended the Nano Safety Communities of Research (COR) meeting in Zurich! They serve as co-chairs of the COR, leading discussions with members from the EU and US related to risk and governance of nano and advanced materials. Khara and Paul are pictured here with their urine diversion display, a research area close to our hearts in STEPS!
#nanotechnology
Did our millennial faculty and scholars understand the assignment? We think so!
#genz #intern #phosphorus #script
Did our millennial faculty and scholars understand the assignment? We think so!
#genz #intern #phosphorus #script
Congratulations to our graduate scholar Barira Rashid on winning the GeoScienceWorld (GSW) Diversity and Representation Award!
💡 Barira`s work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of Earth Science is exemplary, and our STEPS team is excited to see her winning essay published in GSW`s OA Journal, Lithosphere!
🔗 Links to her essay and more about her award are in our story!
#NSFfunded #NSFstories #diversity #geoscience #graduatestudent
Congratulations to our graduate scholar Barira Rashid on winning the GeoScienceWorld (GSW) Diversity and Representation Award!
💡 Barira`s work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of Earth Science is exemplary, and our STEPS team is excited to see her winning essay published in GSW`s OA Journal, Lithosphere!
🔗 Links to her essay and more about her award are in our story!
#NSFfunded #NSFstories #diversity #geoscience #graduatestudent
The latest episode of PhosForUs, "Bridging Research & Practice: An Interview with Dr.Deanna Osmond" is out now!
Hosts Hector (@ekthor9) & Lily (@lilyandplant) interview Deanna Osmond to talk about her career, involvement in groundbreaking projects, future of phosphorus management, and her advice to young researchers.
🎧 Link in our story!
#podcast #NSFstories #NSFfunded
The latest episode of PhosForUs, "Bridging Research & Practice: An Interview with Dr.Deanna Osmond" is out now!
Hosts Hector (@ekthor9) & Lily (@lilyandplant) interview Deanna Osmond to talk about her career, involvement in groundbreaking projects, future of phosphorus management, and her advice to young researchers.
🎧 Link in our story!
#podcast #NSFstories #NSFfunded
Scholar Md Shakil Uddin presented his research proposal titled "Biofertilizer: A Sustainable Alternative for Enhancing Phosphorus Use Efficiency" at the Gulf Coast Research & Education Center!
@ufifas_solutions
💡This experience allowed him to make connections & gain new insights to incorporate into his research.
#phosphorus #universityofflorida #fertilizer #NSFfunded #NSFstories
Scholar Md Shakil Uddin presented his research proposal titled "Biofertilizer: A Sustainable Alternative for Enhancing Phosphorus Use Efficiency" at the Gulf Coast Research & Education Center!
@ufifas_solutions
💡This experience allowed him to make connections & gain new insights to incorporate into his research.
#phosphorus #universityofflorida #fertilizer #NSFfunded #NSFstories
📣 Publication Alert 📣
Drs Duckworth, Obenour, Nelson and team recently published "Relationships between soil test phosphorus and county-level agricultural surplus phosphorus"!
📈 Using several statistical tests, they looked at the relationship between STP and surplus phosphorus in 3 states.
💡Results suggest surplus P moderately correlations with STP concentrations, but aggregation periods and location specific factors influence the relationship
#phosphorus #publication #agriculture #soil
📣 Publication Alert 📣
Drs Duckworth, Obenour, Nelson and team recently published "Relationships between soil test phosphorus and county-level agricultural surplus phosphorus"!
📈 Using several statistical tests, they looked at the relationship between STP and surplus phosphorus in 3 states.
💡Results suggest surplus P moderately correlations with STP concentrations, but aggregation periods and location specific factors influence the relationship
#phosphorus #publication #agriculture #soil
Happy Global Fertilizer Day! Why you should celebrate:
🌽 Progress toward food security goals
🌿Improving practices & guidelines
💡New practices & technologies to ensure the best stewardship of resources.
@thefertilizerinstitute
#madepossiblebyfertilizer #fertilizer
Happy Global Fertilizer Day! Why you should celebrate:
🌽 Progress toward food security goals
🌿Improving practices & guidelines
💡New practices & technologies to ensure the best stewardship of resources.
@thefertilizerinstitute
#madepossiblebyfertilizer #fertilizer
💡Positioning Nanotechnology to Address Climate Change 💡
👩🔬 STEPS` faculty are national leaders in #nanotechnology research. Their latest perspectives article explores necessary avenues for nanotechnology research processes and structures to help the field address the pressing issue of climate change.
➡️ Read the open access article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10669-024-09991-w
#climatechange #research #nsffunded #nsfstories #convergence
💡Positioning Nanotechnology to Address Climate Change 💡
👩🔬 STEPS` faculty are national leaders in #nanotechnology research. Their latest perspectives article explores necessary avenues for nanotechnology research processes and structures to help the field address the pressing issue of climate change.
➡️ Read the open access article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10669-024-09991-w
#climatechange #research #nsffunded #nsfstories #convergence
STEPS was well-represented at the 5th annual European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference this week in Spain. Our knowledge transfer co-director Dr. Matt Scholz shared about our mission and research. Thank you to the hosts for the opportunity to collaborate, share insights, and shape the future of sustainable #phosphorus management!
STEPS was well-represented at the 5th annual European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference this week in Spain. Our knowledge transfer co-director Dr. Matt Scholz shared about our mission and research. Thank you to the hosts for the opportunity to collaborate, share insights, and shape the future of sustainable #phosphorus management!
STEPS is also in Pittsburgh, PA this week at the Materials Science and Technology conference #MST24. Dr. Khara Grieger, our co-director of Knowledge Transfer, presented our research on lanthanum materials for P capture, as well as our extensive work on stakeholder engagement. Be sure to say hi if you see her there!
STEPS is also in Pittsburgh, PA this week at the Materials Science and Technology conference #MST24. Dr. Khara Grieger, our co-director of Knowledge Transfer, presented our research on lanthanum materials for P capture, as well as our extensive work on stakeholder engagement. Be sure to say hi if you see her there!
