NC State University– NC State serves as the STEPS lead institution. NC State brings clusters of strength in agricultural and plant sciences, engineering, informatics and data science, and science education. The collaborative NC State-RTI International project called Water Sustainability Using Nanotechnology (WSUN), an internal “GRIP” project is one of the launching points for STEPS. NC State is home to the Plant Sciences Initiative and STEPS Headquarters will be located in the new Plant Sciences Building, which will be finished in 2021. Major research facilities are available to STEPS users in the Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN) , a site in the NSF-supported National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). As a land-grant institution, NC State is connected with and supports a Statewide Extension Program that is leveraged in STEPS. NC State also connects STEPS to one of the Triple-Bottom-Line (TBL) Scenario Sites for understanding phosphorus in Rural Farmlands, the Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth, NC, which is a collaboration between NC State and the NC Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Appalachian State University– Appalachian State is a primarily undergraduate institution located in a rural area of North Carolina. Appalachian State brings strengths in team science, integration and implementation science, and nanoinformatics.
Arizona State University– Arizona State is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area and is one of the largest public universities in the U.S. by enrollment. Arizona State brings clusters of strength in phosphorus science, sustainability, environmental science, and urban ecosystems. Arizona State was home to an NSF-funded Phosphorus Sustainability Research Coordination Network (P-RCN) project and the current Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance (SPA), which served as launching points for STEPS. Major research facilities are available to STEPS users in the Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure Southwest (NCI-SW), a site in the NSF-supported National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). Arizona State also connects STEPS to one of the Triple-Bottom-Line (TBL) Scenario Sites for understanding phosphorus in Urban Ecosystems, the NSF-funded Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP-LTER) project.
Clemson University is a public land grant institution. The College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS) is focused on improving the lives of South Carolinians through education, discovery, and outreach in the agricultural and life sciences. Clemson University manages a 17,500-acre Clemson Experimental Forest with numerous lakes that serves as a natural resource laboratory for research and education. Clemson brings strengths in sensors and decision support systems, coupled with strong expertise in community engagement related to natural resources.
Joint School of Nanoscience and Engineering– JSNN is an academic collaboration between North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), a Historically Black College and University, and the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNC Greensboro), a Minority-Serving Institution, that offers cross-disciplinary graduate programs in nanoscience and nanotechnology. JSNN brings strengths in nanotechnology, organophosphates, and advancing diversity and inclusion. Major research facilities are available to STEPS users in the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC), a site in the NSF-supported National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). NC A&T and NC State collaborate on an NSF-supported AGEP Alliance project.
Marquette University – Marquette is a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette brings strengths in phosphate removal and recovery, water quality, water policy, and water equipment. Marquette provides connectivity to an NSF I/UCRC on Water Equipment and Policy that focuses on sensors, systems, materials, and the policies that drive the water industry. The Marquette Water Quality Center addresses lake, river and groundwater quality issues.
RTI International– RTI is a non-profit research institute that works routinely with the Dept. of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. RTI partnered with NC State and the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology, and Science to create mega-seed projects with a focus on interdisciplinary graduate studies. The multi-year and multi-institutional Water Sustainability Using Nanotechnology (WSUN) resulted from this initiative. RTI brings strengths in water technologies, adsorbents, technoeconomic modeling, and project roadmapping.
University of Florida– UF is a public, land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university that brings strengths in agricultural and biological sciences and engineering. As a land-grant institution, UF is connected with and supports a Statewide Extension Program that is leveraged in STEPS. UF also connects STEPS to one of the Triple-Bottom-Line (TBL) Scenario Sites for understanding phosphorus in Aquatic Ecosystems: Lake Okeechobee, Everglades Agricultural Area, and Everglades National Park, connected through the Everglades and Indian River Research and Education Centers and through collaboration with the NSF-funded Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research (FCE-LTER) project.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – UIUC is a public, land-grant research university that brings expertise in social science, environmental governance, and law. UIUC is home to the NSF-supported virtual resource center INFEWS-ER that provides transdisciplinary educational experiences for students in the Food-Energy-Water systems field.