Projects | Institute of Energy and the Environment

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AI-Accelerated X-ray Diagnostics for Complex Phase-Change Processes in Energy Systems

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to combine ultrafast X-ray imaging and AI to see and understand rapid phase-change processes inside energy systems that are currently impossible to observe directly.

Two people jog along a sunlit path during golden hour, silhouetted against a bright low sun.

Enhancing Human Thermal Resilience Using Thermal Physiology-Informed Radiative Cooling Textiles

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to design and test special cooling fabrics that help people stay safer and more comfortable during extreme heat.

Close-up of a rusted storm drain grate set into rough asphalt.

Establishing a Monitoring and Modeling Framework to Quantify Watershed-Scale Urban Best Management Practice Effectiveness Under Extreme Events

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to measure and model how networks of urban stormwater systems reduce flooding and pollution during extreme storms.

Clear stream flowing through a lush green forest with rocks along the creek bed.

HydroDAS: Revolutionizing Streamflow Monitoring via Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to use fiber-optic cables as large-scale sensors to continuously measure river flow and improve water monitoring.

Wide view of a broad river winding between forested hills under a bright blue sky.

Investigating Compound Hydrological Extremes and Adverse Water Quality Events in the Chesapeake Bay Region

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to use AI to predict harmful algal blooms in Chesapeake Bay rivers, especially during extreme weather events, to improve early warning and response.

A suburban street covered in thick orange-gray smoke, with houses, trees, and parked cars fading into the haze.

Modeling the Atmospheric Transport and Health Risks of Radon and Wildfire Smoke Co-Exposure in High-Risk Regions

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to determine whether short-term exposure to wildfire smoke combined with high radon levels increases long-term lung cancer risk in affected communities.

Airplane flying across a clear blue sky, leaving long white contrails behind it.

Realizing Cost-Effective Contrail Nucleation Experiments

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to develop affordable laboratory experiments and models to better understand how airplane exhaust forms contrail clouds and how cleaner fuels might reduce them.

Close-up of a periodic table highlighting rare earth elements, including lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and samarium.

Regulatory Implications for Process Design, Economics, and Sustainability of U.S. Rare-Earth Element Recovery

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project examines how environmental regulations affect the design, economics, and sustainability of rare-earth element refining in the United States.

Two workers in safety gear inspect a dimly lit underground mine tunnel.

Robotic Assessment of Post-Blast Conditions in Confined Underground Mining Environments

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to develop a small, bio-inspired robot that can safely assess air quality and structural hazards in underground mines after blasting.

Abstract blue dotted surface suggesting a microporous membrane used in advanced water filtration research.

Scalable Membranes with Intrinsic Microporosity for Critical Mineral Separations

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to develop durable, high-performance membranes to efficiently separate and recover critical minerals like lithium from challenging water sources.

Close-up of grasses growing in shallow stream water with sunlight reflecting on the surface.

Ultra-Conformal Bioelectrodes for Continuous Plant Electrophysiological Monitoring of Environmental Contaminants

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to develop soft, flexible electrodes that enable plants to serve as living sensors to detect environmental contaminants such as PFAS.

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Universalist Modification of a Transient Reactor Based on Pseudo-Random Binary Sequences for Accelerated Catalyst Discovery and Characterization

Awarded: 2026 | Project Type: IEE Seed Grant

This project aims to upgrade a rapid-testing reactor system to more quickly and accurately evaluate new catalysts for important chemical reactions, speeding up catalyst discovery.