University of Hawaii

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Coastal beaches are vital for recreation, tourism, and ecosystem health. However, they are increasingly threatened by fecal contaminants as indicated by high concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). These bacteria can enter beach environments through human wastewater, stormwater runoff, and animal waste, accumulating in the sand and shallow groundwater. Natural coastal processes such as tides and waves can then mobilize and transport these contaminants across the land-sea boundary, posing risks to public health and marine ecosystems. This project will investigate how coastal hydrologic forces, including tidal fluctuations and wave action, influence the accumulation, movement, and discharge of FIB in beach aquifers. The research team will conduct fieldwork and groundwater sampling at two beaches in Hawaiʻi where FIB contamination is known to occur, and will develop advanced computer models to simulate how bacteria move through beach sediments. The findings will improve prediction and management of water quality risks in coastal zones. Broader benefits of the project include training two graduate students and engaging undergraduate students through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. The team also plans to involve local communities through educational outreach and citizen science activities to support long-term coastal water stewardship in Hawaiʻi. Fecal contamination is an increasing concern in coastal beach environments, posing serious risks to public health and ecosystem integrity. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) are commonly used to detect and assess the extent of such contamination. These bacteria can enter the subsurface through various sources such as treated and untreated wastewater, stormwater runoff, and animal waste, and persist in beach aquifers where they interact with dynamic coastal hydrologic forces. However, a mechanistic understanding of how tide- and wave-driven seawater-groundwater interactions influence the fate and transport of FIB in coastal beach aquifers remains lacking. The project aims to fill that knowledge gap through a comprehensive approach that integrates state-of-the-art surface water, groundwater, and reactive transport modeling, along with field measurements. There are three objectives: (1) develop a state-of-the-art modeling framework that captures both surface and subsurface flow dynamics and simulates the accumulation, transport, and discharge of FIB within and through coastal beach aquifers; (2) conduct field studies at two fecal-contaminated Hawaiian beaches subjected to high and low wave energy, respectively, to quantify FIB distribution and transport under varying hydrodynamic conditions; and (3) analyze site-specific data and extend modeling efforts across a range of hydrogeological settings to identify the key controls on FIB exchange across the beach-sea interface. The successful completion of this project will advance understanding of coastal hydrogeological processes that govern bacterial transport, not only for FIB but also for other microbial groups such as pathogenic, sulfate-reducing, and nitrifying bacteria. The knowledge generated will support development of more effective coastal water quality management strategies and inform stakeholders and communities about the resilience and vulnerability of beach aquifer systems to fecal contamination in the face of changing coastal conditions. This project is jointly funded by Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes (WaLCZ), the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Earth Sciences Division (EAR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

The majority of rocky planets that have both size and mass measured are much bigger than Earth, and studies suggest that an Earth-like composition may be common among them. However, the interior composition of truly Earth-sized planets remains largely unexplored. This proposal makes use of the newly-commissioned Keck Planet Finder (KPF) spectrograph to precisely measure the masses of 12 Earth-sized exoplanets whose size was already determined by transit measurements. These precise mass measurements are necessary in advance of more detailed characterization efforts. The project personnel will support outreach and educational activities: mentoring opportunities in Hawaii and lecture series in both English and Spanish for the general public in Southern California. Giant impact simulations predict that Earth-sized planets may exhibit greater diversity in their interior composition than super-Earths: they likely experience only a few giant impact collisions, whereas super-Earths undergo dozens. Hit-and-run collisions could make the remnant planet denser. If mass growth is mainly by pebble accretion, interior compositions could be size-independent but depend on the stellar composition. This program will test these hypotheses using one of the most advanced echelle spectrometers ever built: KPF is designed to achieve radial velocity precision of 30 cm/s. Coupled with the 10m Keck telescope, it is the most powerful and efficient system in the Northern Hemisphere for this work. Subsequent to this work, the planets may be suitable for follow-up measurements to characterize their atmospheres or the mineralogy of their bare rock surfaces. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Cybersecurity has become the foundation for many functions of our society. The growing need for a strong cybersecurity workforce is an increasingly urgent concern, especially for defending the national interests. This project will recruit motivated scholars for government service in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. The Scholarship-for-Service (SFS) program at University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) will expand security research and training into Machine-Learning/Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI) and Space Engineering programs to address emerging needs in these areas. This project will benefit an EPSCoR jurisdiction by contributing to development of a strong research and education team, enhance existing K-12 outreach programs for high school students and teachers, and prepare new future members of the AI and security workforce for the nation. This project will partner with George Washington University and other academic organizations to enhance the AI skills of cybersecurity faculty as a capacity building initiative for higher education institutions. The SFS scholars will actively conduct advanced research on challenging issues in various areas, including AI security, big data security, cryptography, space engineering security, smart grid security, and use of AI for security. In addition, the proposer team has long-term collaborations with government agencies, which help SFS scholars gain solid experiences through internships, collaborative projects, and job placements. A newly added AI concentration at the graduate level will offer AI-related course work and research opportunities. The team emphasizes individually tailored mentorship across the entire academic experience at UHM. A growing alumni network greatly facilitates recruiting and student placements. This project is supported by the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, which funds proposals establishing or continuing scholarship programs in cybersecurity and aligns with the U.S. National Cyber Strategy to develop a superior cybersecurity workforce. Following graduation, scholarship recipients are required to work in cybersecurity for a federal, state, local, or tribal Government organization for the same duration as their scholarship support. This project is co-funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

An award is made to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo to improve the capacity of itʻs Hakalau Forest Biological Field Station to deliver services to the research community. Improvements to the off-grid electrical power system, internet connectivity, and access to the field station will contribute to important advances in forest and forest bird conservation and management in Hawaiʻi. Potential impacts beyond the research community include increased capacity to provide education, training, and outreach to K-12 students and the broader American public in conservation science. This project will facilitate bird population monitoring, improved avian disease response strategies, and habitat restoration for a community of endangered Hawaiian forest birds. It will build national capacity for basic biological research by increasing productivity, safety, and access for a large number of professional and student scientists who depend on the Hakalau Field Station as a base to conduct research in the Hakalau Refuge. The anticipated impact on the research community is that safer and more productive researchers will generate more scientific knowledge that will lead to better management of Hawaiiʻs natural resources. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The eyewall replacement cycle (ERC) in tropical cyclones consists of the formation, contraction and intensification of the outer eyewall and the weakening and dissipation of the inner eyewall. The ERC is critical for forecasting the impacts of tropical cyclones because it is usually accompanied by a short-term weakening of the tropical cyclone with an expansion of the wind field. This project will focus on the formation of the outer eyewall and the length of time that it takes to complete the cycle. The award will also provide training for a graduate student. This project will identify key factors and processes that control the duration of the ERC and the associated intensity change based on both diagnostics of idealized high-resolution numerical simulations and analysis of digitized satellite observations and tropical cyclone best-track data. The primary hypothesis guiding the work is that the timescale of the ERC is controlled primarily by the width of the moat between the primary and secondary eyewalls and the intensification and contraction rates of the outer eyewall. Four primary research tasks will be performed: 1) Examine how the structure and intensity of the initial tropical cyclone-like vortices affect the timescale of ERC and the associated intensity change in a given quiescent environment, 2) Examine how the timescale of ERC and the associated intensity change may vary with SST, environmental relative humidity, and background rotational rate, 3) Examine how the environmental asymmetric forcings may affect the timescale of ERC and the associated intensity change, such as the beta-effect, environmental flow, and vertical wind shear, and 4) Verify the above findings by analyzing a publicly available concentric eyewall dataset and a tropical cyclone database and to construct a regression model for the duration and intensity change of ERCs using identified factors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

This project explores exciting new interactions between two central areas of mathematics - algebra and geometry - and their unexpected connections through physics. Algebra and geometry are foundational tools in mathematics, widely used in numerous scientific and engineering applications, such as computer science, data analysis, robotics, and theoretical physics. Historically, the interplay between algebraic equations and geometric shapes has led to powerful methods and profound insights, shaping much of modern mathematics and technology. In recent decades, researchers discovered surprising connections linking algebraic geometry, which studies shapes defined by polynomial equations, to symplectic geometry, an area crucial to physics and engineering. This project leverages these emerging connections to develop new mathematical tools that bridge algebra and geometry. Broader impacts of this research include significant training and mentoring activities. The project supports early-career researchers and graduate students, providing extensive professional development through workshops, virtual seminars, public lectures, and the creation of publicly available computational tools. On the technical side, the project aims to advance understanding in multigraded commutative algebra, toric geometry, and symplectic geometry. It addresses long-standing gaps and open questions in commutative algebra and toric geometry by introducing methods inspired by recent advances in homological mirror symmetry into purely algebraic contexts. The P.I.’s will explore new approaches to studying multigraded polynomial rings, aiming to uncover deeper structural properties that parallel classical results for standard graded polynomial rings. The project will develop algebraic analogues of effective symplectic geometry techniques, such as "stop manipulation," adapting these symplectic methods to algebraic settings. The project will also extend foundational results, including Orlov’s Theorem, to multigraded and toric settings, construct novel categorical structures that unify algebraic and geometric perspectives, explore applications to virtual resolutions and other questions involving shortest resolutions, and investigate extensions to broader classes of geometric objects through toric degenerations and natural generalizations from toric varieties. Furthermore, by establishing explicit links between algebraic constructions and Fukaya categories, the project will introduce new computational tools and theoretical approaches in symplectic geometry. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The planning grant supports the conceptualization of a large-scale, multi-institution Center for Resilient by Design Software and Systems (RDSS). In an era where cyber threats evolve faster than our defenses, resilience—defined as a system’s ability to withstand, recover, and continue to function amid cyberattacks—has become an urgent design priority. Traditional reactive security methods have proven inadequate, as evidenced by major incidents on national critical infrastructure. There is a critical need to advance proactive, resilience-focused software and system engineering approaches that assume breach as a given. However, the field lacks validated models, empirical research, and integration of hardware/software co-design strategies that are necessary to make resilience a default property of systems. A SaTC Frontier-scale effort is essential to shift the paradigm and catalyze innovation, policy reform, and workforce development in this emerging domain. This planning grant will enable a coordinated set of activities to lay the groundwork for RDSS, including two multi-stakeholder workshops, cross-sector collaboration, research agenda setting, and the establishment of governance structures. The activities are designed to catalyze new collaborations across EPSCoR jurisdictions, engage underrepresented communities, and define mission-critical research thrusts. Through stakeholder meetings, working groups, and public dissemination, the project will identify infrastructure needs, form an advisory board, and engage federal and industrial partners. The planning period will culminate in a strategic roadmap, a shared vision, and actionable research priorities that will support a future SaTC Frontier proposal. By uniting academia, government, and industry around the goal of resilient-by-design computing, this effort aims to redefine the way we engineer software assurance—making security scalable, economical, and integral from the ground up. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Microbiomes are communities of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that are vital to nearly every ecosystem on Earth, influencing everything from soil health to human well-being. These communities often contain thousands of interacting species, forming complex webs of relationships that are difficult to observe directly. A key challenge in microbiome research is identifying keystone species—organisms that play a disproportionately important role in maintaining community stability and function. Traditional methods to detect these keystone species rely on constructing detailed microbial interaction networks, a process that is both time- and computation-intensive. This project introduces a new interdisciplinary framework that uses tools from algebra and geometry to develop new tools for analyzing microbiome data. By applying this approach to microbial communities across stream, land, and sea environments, the researchers will identify keystone species and test their influence through laboratory experiments. This project will enhance interdisciplinary education, student research, and workforce preparation in mathematical biology. This project develops algebraic approaches to analyze microbial co-occurrence and ecological structure using tools from computational algebraic geometry and algebraic statistics. The research focuses on three core aims: (1) developing a low-rank method for identifying keystone taxa using algebraic conditions on sample covariance matrices, circumventing the need for full network inference; (2) using pseudo-monomial and toric ideals to study species niche space geometry and distribution continuity based on presence/absence data; and (3) constructing statistical tools for comparing microbial networks via exponential random graph models, enabling rigorous assessment of network structure across environmental conditions. These methods will be applied to a large microbiome dataset collected across an environmental gradient in Hawai'i, and predictions of keystone species will be validated through co-culturing experiments that test community responses to species removal. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Water significantly influences Earth's evolution and habitability, yet the total amount and distribution of water deep inside our planet remain uncertain. Determining the water content in deep regions of the planet is essential, as it impacts processes governing Earth's internal convection, thermal evolution, and long-term stability. Earth's lower mantle, comprising more than half of Earth's volume, largely consists of the mineral bridgmanite. This mineral can store dissolved water, which affects the electrical conductivity of the material. This project will measure the electrical conductivity of bridgmanite with dissolved water under lower mantle conditions to determine the impact of water on conductivity. Such constraints will critically enhance our understanding of Earth's initial formation, internal distribution of water, and deep-water cycling over geological time. Additionally, the research outcomes will broadly benefit computational modeling studies on Earth's interior, advance interdisciplinary knowledge, and provide valuable research and mentoring opportunities for early career scientists and students in Earth and planetary sciences. This project aims to experimentally determine the effects of water content on the electrical conductivity of (Fe,Al)-bearing bridgmanite over a range of 0–1000 ppm H₂O under pressures and temperatures corresponding to Earth's lower mantle. Using an innovative method specifically developed for resistance measurements under extreme high-pressure, high-temperature conditions, the team will systematically measure bridgmanite's electrical response as a function of water content. These laboratory measurements will then be compared with geophysical electrical conductivity profiles obtained through geomagnetic observations, enabling accurate constraints on lower mantle hydration. By addressing a notable gap in high-pressure mineral physics, this research will significantly advance scientific understanding of Earth's deep interior, including constraints on its initial water content, physicochemical evolution, mantle rheology, and internal dynamics. This project is jointly supported by the Structure and Physics of the Solid Earth and Chemical Evolution of the Solid Earth and Volcanology programs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-07

In this project Leeward Community College will broaden the academic scope of the associate in science degree in Mechatronics to include the first formal educational pathway in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) offered in the State of Hawaii. The project will develop three courses and create two CIM laboratories to support the coursework at the main Leeward campus and Wai'anae-Moku Learning center. Over the three-year project 91 students enrolling in the mechatronics degree program will complete the CIM coursework, resulting in an associate's degree and certificate of achievement in CIM. Hawaii is not traditionally recognized as a major manufacturing hub, however, the state's workforce needs are rapidly evolving as small-scale manufacturing transitions from manual to automated systems. Additionally, the military and defense sectors, key contributors to Hawaii's economy, are experiencing significant growth due to the United States' strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. As a critical defense outpost and waypoint, Hawaii plays an essential role in the maintenance, repair, and readiness of military equipment and infrastructure. This growing reliance on automation and precision manufacturing across multiple industries underscores the importance of developing a skilled workforce capable of supporting these high-tech sectors and strengthening Hawaii's economic resilience. By incorporating three industry-aligned courses in CIM, with emphasis on hands-on experiential learning in computer aided design, manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies, the diversified mechatronics degree will better prepare students for emerging workforce demands in advanced manufacturing. The overarching goal of this project is to build a robust, future-ready mechatronics degree program that includes coursework in CIM. By broadening the curriculum, and positioning CIM laboratories at both the Pearl City campus and Wai'anae-Moku Learning Center, the project will produce highly skilled technicians from a cross-section of the population, ready to contribute to Hawaii's economy and support critical sectors, including the military and emerging advanced manufacturing industries in the state. To support the curricula, two state-of-the-art CIM learning laboratories will be designed and constructed. The Pearl City campus laboratory will serve a broad population of students, while the Waianae-Moku Learning Center laboratory will expand access for Native Hawaiian and other communities on the Waiʻanae coast of Oahu. Broader impacts include strengthening Hawaii's industrial base and supporting economic development. By training a pool of technicians and providing professional development for faculty, this project aligns with the National Science Foundation's mission to advance workforce readiness, broaden participation in STEM fields, and contribute to national security interests. Through strategic partnerships with local industry, defense facilities, and high schools, Leeward Community College will cultivate a skilled talent pipeline, ensuring that Hawaii's workforce remains competitive in the rapidly evolving field of advanced manufacturing. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-07

The NSF REU Site Earth Science on Volcanic Islands (ESVI) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s (UHM) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) aims to support the education, training, and professional development of 30 emerging STEM undergraduate students from across the nation. The ESVI REU site provides a place-based learning and research environment supported by field excursions, thematic workshops and seminars, and several research projects that target the significance of Earth science on volcanic islands. The program will populate the REU cohort with students attending institutions that are STEM-limited. Transformative field and research experiences provide lasting impacts on students as they consider future career opportunities. Emphasizing the unique place-based learning opportunities that the Hawaiian islands provide, the Earth Science on Volcanic Islands REU Site at the University of Hawaiʻi is structured around a wide range of environmental, (bio)geochemical, geophysical, and oceanographic research. The objectives of the ESVI REU Site renewal are to provide cutting-edge STEM research and professional development opportunities that will (1) Promote an increased participation of undergraduate students in the geosciences; (2) Expose students to extraordinary field excursions that illuminate the pioneering efforts of geoscientists studying Earth science on volcanic islands and the culture, ecology, and geophysics of the Hawaiian islands; (3) Strengthen students’ science communication skills; (4) Help prepare students for a career in the STEM workforce; and (5) Foster a supportive and interconnected foundation for each student cohort. To meet these objectives, the ESVI REU Site requires a broad range of programmatic elements: (1) Communication of cross-cultural opportunities via social media and student blogs; (2) Provision of mentor training; (3) Implementation of a Hawaiʻi Island field trip and R/V Kilo Moana student research cruise; (4) Provision of professional development workshops and service learning activities; (5) Provision of writing workshops and mentoring to assist with the development of oral/poster presentations and research reports; and (6) Facilitation of team-building activities throughout the REU program to promote a healthy, collegial, connected, and motivated cohort. Anticipated outcomes are an exceptional cohort of students that will (1) gain invaluable exposure to geoscience research and career opportunities, (2) receive relevant skillset development and exposure to a range of research opportunities, (3) receive science writing and presentation experience, and (4) perceive a beneficial and collegial association with the ESVI ‘ohana (family). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-07

The survival of coral reef ecosystems depends on their capacity to adapt to rapidly warming oceans. This project aims to understand and predict these critical adaptation processes by developing predictive tools for coral reef conservation while creating educational pathways in marine science. Through workshops, internships, and public education programs at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, this research engages students and community members in understanding how corals may adapt to changing environments. These educational initiatives focus on student mentorship and training, while research outcomes directly inform conservation strategies to protect reef ecosystems for future generations. This research aims to develop a mechanistic theoretical framework that models coral adaptation by integrating three key mechanisms: larval connectivity between reefs, genetic adaptation of coral hosts, and dynamics of their symbiotic algae. The project will construct a series of mathematical models spanning multiple scales, from within-host symbiont communities to reef-network connectivity patterns. These models will quantify how different coral and symbiont characteristics influence adaptation patterns across reef networks under various climate scenarios. The framework can be applied to Hawaiian coral reefs using local oceanographic data to assess their adaptive potential through 2100. Model predictions aim to identify vulnerable coral species and reef areas, as well as potential refugia. By revealing the key mechanisms driving coral adaptation across scales, this work will provide critical insights for coral reef conservation under rapid environmental change. This project is supported by the Biological Oceanography Program in the Division of Ocean Sciences and the Mathematical Biology Program in the Division of Mathematical Sciences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-07

Neutrinos are the smallest, yet the most abundant particles in the Universe. They constantly stream through the Cosmos, Earth and everything on it, but rarely interact at all. Neutrinos are much lighter than electrons, and their absolute mass is yet to be measured. Neutrinos may also have another unique feature – a neutrino might be its own anti-particle, a so called Majorana particle. If neutrinos are proven to be Majorana particles, that may provide an answer to one of the biggest puzzles of today: how our universe, and all its matter, came into existence. Although equal amounts of matter and anti-matter were created in the Big Bang, eventually matter prevailed, by a mechanism allowed by neutrino’s Majorana nature. The PI will work on the KamLAND2-Zen experiment, located underground in Japan, that will deploy almost a ton of a Xenon isotope in 1 kilo-ton of liquid scintillator to deliver the most sensitive result in searching for Majorana neutrinos. Looking for rare processes that indicate Majorana nature of neutrino, is challenging due to many similar event signals that are due to noise and backgrounds. Therefore, calibration of the detector response to light is critical to its success. The PI will build the light calibration system for KamLAND2-Zen to characterize the photodetectors’ timing and charge collection, as well as the light transport through different detector volumes. Building the light calibration system will train students and postdocs in designing and building new instruments, creating a skilled workforce for tomorrow. The PI will search for neutrinoless double beta decay - the intellectual merit is of the highest caliber and could lead to a revolutionary discovery. KamLAND2-Zen is an upgrade of its successful predecessor KamLAND-Zen which has produced world-leading limits on neutrinoless double beta decay in 136Xe. KamLAND2-Zen will begin data-taking in 2028, with a half-life sensitivity of roughly 2 x 1027 years. The PI will fabricate, install, and commission the optical calibration sources for the KamLAND2-Zen experiment. The PI and her group will enhance the sensitivity of KamLAND2-Zen by building a sophisticated optical model of the Xenon-loaded liquid scintillator, unloaded liquid scintillator, and surrounding buffer oil, in addition to getting precise charge and timing calibration of the PMTs. In turn, the enhanced optical modeling will improve vertex reconstruction for rejection of the backgrounds coming from the target volume boundary and reduce systematic error related to target fiducialization. Specifically, the PI will focus on the fabrication of the fiber-based optical calibration sources, electronic boards needed for light injection with a control box, with support for the team to execute the project. This project will train a postdoctoral associate, and undergraduate students in advanced instrumentation, experimental nuclear physics, and computational modeling, preparing them for leadership roles in STEM. Participants will gain hands-on experience in designing, fabricating, and commissioning a sophisticated optical calibration system, as well as collaborating within the international KamLAND2-Zen collaboration. The project will emphasize comprehensive mentorship, ensuring that team members from receive the support needed to succeed in their roles. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-07

This project will create a new, advanced tool called Atlas2 to help scientists better understand minerals that make up the Earth. By studying these minerals under extreme conditions, we can learn more about our planet’s structure and how it works. Atlas2 will make it easier to measure changes in minerals and improve our understanding of volcanos and earthquakes. The new tool will help researchers in many fields, from geology to engineering. It will also provide valuable educational opportunities for students. It will support collaborations across the country. Scientists will use Atlas2 to solve real-world problems related to mineral resources, environment, and national security. Atlas2 is an upgraded version of an existing advanced X-ray diffractometer, Atlas1. It will use new, stronger X-ray source to examine very small mineral samples in greater detail. The new system will be much better at detecting small mineral grains and will provide more accurate data. The improvements will enable study of minerals difficult to analyze and will allow for more precise experiments. Atlas2 will also include software that automatically collects and analyzes data, making it easier and more reliable to use. This tool will help make important discoveries in mineral science and will encourage collaborations with other scientists. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-06

Within our Galaxy, planets form close-in (closer than the distance from the Sun to the Earth), multiple (sets of two or more), and low-mass (up to several Earth masses, as opposed to giant planets) around roughly 30% of stars like the Sun. It is possible that the majority of these types of planetary systems formed with orbital periods in sync with each other, and that these resonant chains settled at the inner edges of planet-forming gas disks. After the gas disk dissipates, these resonances could gradually be disrupted due to the growth of eccentricity and inclination, leading to collisions. This award combines cutting-edge observations, novel data analysis techniques, and rigorous numerical simulations to address the missing links in this emergent paradigm of planet formation. Broader impact in the state of Hawaii will be training programs for high-school through graduate students in scientific computing and other research tasks and education and public outreach to the local community. Data from ground-based telescopes in Hawaii and elsewhere will acquire new transit times and radial velocities to complement the space-based discovery and atmospheric characterization data for resonant chains. N-body simulations will be used to model the photometry, assess stability, and track planet formation including giant impacts. The state of resonant libration or circulation and the role of second-order and non-adjacent resonances in disrupting chains will be assessed. Whether the prominent radius gap separating super-Earths and mini-Neptunes could be populated by giant impact collisions during the disruption of resonant chains will be determined. Atmospheric studies of resonant-chain planets will measure their atmospheric CO ratio and metallicity. It appears the terrestrial planets of the Solar System did not form a resonant chain initially; Jupiter and Saturn’s presence may have prevented that, so new radial velocity data will be acquired to test whether their analogs are present around resonant-chain systems. The Intro2Astro summer workshop, which teaches the basics of astronomy research skills to early-career and undergraduate students, will be enhanced with in-person sessions at the University of Hawaii and a new module on how to apply to REU programs. The Mauna Kea Scholars—high school students participating in research—will author telescope proposals and perform data analysis. To integrate the key concepts and discoveries of this research into educational activities, a planet orrery will be added to the department’s StarLab outreach events. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-06

A polytope is the convex hull of finitely many points in the space. The ancient Greeks studied polytopes such as the Platonic solids as they are ideal to model nature. In modern days, scientists have found many applications of polytopes in diverse fields such as optimization and computer science. This research project focuses on the combinatorial “invariants” of polytopes. For example, count the number V of vertices, E of edges, and F of facets of an arbitrary 3-dimensional polytope. Then no matter which polytope we choose, we always end up with getting the identity “V-E+F=2”. The goal of this research project is to develop new methods to study various invariants of polytopes and spheres that arise from face numbers or other combinatorial data. These tools may further extend our understanding of the interplay between combinatorics, algebra, and geometry. One of the central conjectures in geometric combinatorics was the g-conjecture; that is, to characterize the face numbers of simplicial polytopes and spheres of all dimensions. This conjecture was only proved very recently, and its resolution requires deep results from other fields such as commutative algebra and algebraic geometry. This project is dedicated to new methods to study polytopes and manifolds with particular geometry or topology. One goal is to investigate various combinatorial models such as the Stanley-Reisner ring and the stress spaces, and how the algebra translates into combinatorial relations among the face number. Another goal is to investigate how preset geometry and topology (for example, central symmetry) affects the combinatorics of polytopes or polyhedral complexes, and vice versa. The project has applications to computer sciences and the PI also plans to develop lecture notes and work with students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-06

University of Hawaii at Hilo in collaboration with the Computing Research Association, New Mexico State University, and University of Alaska will engage faculty at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to increase Artificial Intelligence (AI) education capacity and utilize shared resources in the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot. Expanding access to AI education is critical to preparing a next-generation workforce. This project addresses challenges in expanding AI education by fostering a community of practice and supporting faculty at these institutions through a series of virtual roundtable discussions and an in-person workshop. As part of a broader national effort spanning different types of institutions of higher education, this initiative seeks to expand the NAIRR Pilot community by equipping educators with the tools and knowledge needed to bring AI learning experiences into classrooms nationwide. The project has four primary goals: (1) facilitate increased instructional capacity and develop a sustainable community of practice among faculty at MSIs who are implementing AI courses or modules into undergraduate curricula; (2) establish a shared understanding of best practices for AI education relevant to these institutions; (3) improve faculty confidence in using NAIRR Pilot resources for AI instruction; and (4) develop strategies for integrating AI content into undergraduate courses, particularly where computational resources are limited. The virtual roundtable discussions will bring educators together in small groups to identify challenges and barriers to increasing AI education capacity and effectively utilizing NAIRR Pilot resources. Insights gathered from these discussions will shape the agenda for an in-person workshop, where participants will further explore these challenges, opportunities, and available resources. The workshop will culminate in a publicly available report outlining best practices, example implementations, and recommendations for leveraging NAIRR Pilot resources in AI education. By combining virtual and in-person engagement, the project fosters collaboration, enhances accessibility, and supports faculty in expanding AI education at MSIs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-06

This REU Site award (REU: Hiʻiaka) to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, located in Hilo, HI will support the training of 10 students for 11 weeks during the summers of 2025-2027. The program is intentionally structured to provide participants with the research experience, quantitative tools, communication skills, professionalism, and overall expertise needed by the researchers of tomorrow. The program - as it has done since 2002 -- will provide students with a critical research and educational experience that enables them to apply the things they have learned in the extraordinary environmental settings available on the island. Through close partnership with federal, state, and nonprofit agencies and organizations in Hawaiʻi, the program will (1) ensure students are well-prepared for further study or work in conservation science; (2) strengthen the messaging and communication of science through learning about compelling narratives; and (3) enhance mentor training and skills needed to develop place-based research projects. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Assessment of this program will be done through a modified version of the SALG questions used in previous years. Students interested in the program may apply online through our website (hilo.hawaii.edu/uhintern) and participants in the program will be tracked using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). Research projects are grounded in the concept of island resilience, reflecting the story Hiʻiaka and Pele - where Pele (lava) destroys, and Hiʻiaka (regeneration, succession) has the power to bring new life. This parallels the student journey of learning, defeating obstacles, and developing their potential. Hawaiʻi has experienced environmental modification and degradation, and research projects that test possible solutions from uplands to coastlines will be conducted to assist in creating more resilient socioecological systems. Student-researchers will participate in a week-long Orientation, professional development, Huaka‘i (field trips with a service component), weekly writing assignments, the Hawai‘i Conservation Conference as attendees and presenters, and the creation of an ArcGIS StoryMap for a final oral presentation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-06

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of TCUP institutions. Expanding the research capacity at these institutions increases students’ opportunities to pursue challenging and rewarding careers in STEM fields, supports research studies in areas that may be locally significant, and promotes faculty members’ intellectual and professional growth. This project, under the direction of a Kapiolani Community College faculty member, directly addresses these goals through a study of a recovering urban White Tern population. The project will partner undergraduate student researchers in the field with the PI and local scientists in using techniques such as nest monitoring and tracking to gather important information about the tern’s life history in this setting, while developing students’ knowledge and skills in research. Building on an existing nest monitoring program at the Kapiolani Community College campus, the project will advance understanding of the mechanisms the species is using to repopulate this urban setting, raise public awareness of the importance of urban species, and develop and disseminate K-12 educational materials to inspire precollege learners. Additional outcomes include the enhancement of the research capacity of both the PI and the institution, and strengthening the college’s relationship with the local community. This study aims to advance knowledge on White Tern (Gygis alba) breeding biology in the urban core of Honolulu and address knowledge gaps in the species's nesting and movement that will help illuminate how this seabird persists and thrives in this setting. The research objectives are to (1) assess the biological implications of urban survival for the White Tern; (2) document the spatial and temporal distribution, habitat use, and movement patterns of adults and juveniles in this setting; and (3) contribute to the management of the White Tern and other urban wildlife in Hawaii and beyond. To assess the nesting and movement of the White Tern in urban Honolulu, the study will use radio telemetry tracking, behavioral observations, nest monitoring, and video cameras. Findings will be disseminated broadly to local communities and to professional scientific audiences through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations generated by the PI and undergraduate student researchers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-04

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for life, and its availability limits biological productivity in large areas of the ocean. As a result, the ocean iron cycle is closely tied to the ocean carbon cycle. Progress in understanding the ocean iron cycle has been slower than for some other elements because it is present at very low concentrations and care must be taken to avoid contaminating samples. The international GEOTRACES program has, over the last twenty years, greatly accelerated progress in marine iron geochemistry. Capabilities have also been developed for measuring the stable isotopic composition of iron in seawater. In this project, a team of researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Hawaii will measure iron isotopes in samples from three GEOTRACES expeditions in the Pacific Ocean. This will produce an unprecedented data set for iron isotopes. Combining these data with ocean biogeochemical modeling, the team will address important questions about the sources of iron to the ocean and about biological cycling of iron. The project will support several early-career scientists, including postdoctoral researchers and undergraduate students at each institution. Project data will be made publicly available through the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office and in GEOTRACES data products. Iron plays an essential role in driving oceanic biogeochemical cycles and is thought to limit phytoplankton growth over large regions of the surface oceans, particularly the Southern Ocean, where primary productivity mediates deep ocean-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange, and the eastern Equatorial Pacific, where iron feeds a highly productive ecosystem. Deep iron sources are key to the marine iron cycle, especially in the deep Pacific Ocean where hydrothermal venting from the East Pacific Rise (EPR) has been suggested to supply dissolved iron to the Southern Ocean via upwelling. However, key questions remain about sources, longevity/speciation, and transport of this dissolved iron. Samples have been collected during two GEOTRACES zonal sections, from South America to Australia along 10°S (GP21 in 2021) and Ecuador to Papua New Guinea along the Equator (GP11 in 2023). Samples are also available from one GEOTRACES-compliant cruise (GPc03) in the western subtropical Pacific. Using a combination of state-of-the-art iron isotope measurements and biogeochemical modelling, the team will address the following questions: 1) Using iron isotopes as a tracer, what is the relative supply of dust, sediment, and hydrothermal-derived iron to different regions of the shallow ultra-oligotrophic South Pacific Gyre and Equatorial upwelling zone, and how does iron supply vary in space and time? 2) How do microorganisms fractionate iron isotopes as they take up iron? How does the extent of this fractionation relate to the (temporally and spatially variable) nutrient limitation regimes and the degree of upper ocean iron recycling in the Equatorial-South Pacific? 3) What is the flux, isotope signature, and location of dissolved iron supplied to Pacific Deep Waters (PDW) by hydrothermal venting along the EPR and the Tonga/Kermadec arc? What are the stabilization mechanisms, isotopic changes, and longevity of this dissolved iron with transport? How do dissolved iron and iron isotopes evolve in PDW as it travels southward along the coast of South America and into the Southern Ocean? The results are expected to transform understanding of this essential micronutrient. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-04

Orienting oneself in physical space is a basic function of human language. All people use language to orient objects, give directions, and identify features in the physical world around them. Some languages place an emphasis on using landscape features such as the sea, land, and elevation to orient speakers, while others prefer to use features oriented in relation to the speaker’s body such as “left” and “right.” The choice of whether to use one strategy or another has been shown to have observable effects on human cognition and is one of the few aspects of the mind-language connection that can be directly quantified in research. For example, the way space is encoded in a language can affect how a visual scene is committed to memory. This doctoral dissertation project advances a scientific understanding of the nature of this mind-language connection through linguistic documentation of spatial orientation systems. Other benefits to society include workforce development and educational opportunities for research assistants who receive training in aspects of language sciences research. This doctoral dissertation project collects video and audio recordings of speakers, using targeted elicitation tools, to examine the use of spatial vocabulary. These recordings are analyzed with modern digital tools to gain insights into how these speakers use spatial language and how their choice of spatial language compares to other languages. Recordings are made in collaboration with the language community and are transcribed, translated, and annotated for relevant spatial language. All materials are deposited into an archival repository. The resulting publicly accessible digital corpus is used by the broader public as well as researchers in a variety of scientific disciplines. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-03

This I-Corps project focuses on a wound healing product utilizing a hyperactive protein. Chronic wounds represent a significant public health challenge, affecting millions of people and incurring substantial economic costs due to prolonged treatment and complications. This product addresses a healthcare need by enhancing the effectiveness of chronic wound treatments, potentially reducing the duration and complexity of the required care. This solution could alleviate some of the burden on healthcare systems and improve the quality of life for patients suffering from chronic wounds, which are often painful and debilitating. The anticipated reduction in healing times and associated complications could lead to cost savings for healthcare providers. This innovation aligns with current trends in precision medicine and targeted therapies. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of superoxide dismutase proteins to address chronic wounds. Chronic wounds often result from excessive reactive oxygen species that hinder the healing process. By engineering hyperactive proteins, the technology reduces the level of reactive oxygen species, mitigates oxidative stress, and promotes efficient tissue repair. The technology focuses on addressing limitations associated with protein therapeutics, for example enhanced stability and enzymatic activity for prolonged shelf-life and efficacy under physiological conditions. The technology involves rational design and molecular dynamic simulations to identify key mutations that enhance both the catalytic efficiency and structural integrity of the enzyme. This methodology provides a robust platform for the development of therapeutics aimed at reducing oxidative damage in various pathological conditions. The technology could also have applications in the management of other conditions where oxidative stress plays a key role, thereby expanding its therapeutic applications beyond wound care. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-03

The award funds the University of Hawaii (UH) to support oceanographic technical services on Research Vessel Kilo Moana operated as part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF), which is scheduled by the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). The research vessels supported by the UNOLS framework are multi-use facilities used to expand knowledge of the ocean environment. The surface work of these ships is complemented by human-occupied, remotely operated, and autonomous undersea vehicles and sensors that provide vital tools to understand the oceans and their resources. These seagoing research and educational facilities enable scientists and students to study natural phenomena and train future scientists while on board state-of-the-art oceanographic research vessels utilizing high-quality instrumentation. The ship operators will also conduct learning activities for students and the general public including hands-on demonstrations of marine science research guided by faculty, students, and ship crew members. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-03

The Kuroshio is the western boundary current of the subtropical North Pacific Ocean that transports warm and salty equatorial waters northward. After separating from the coast of Japan, the Kuroshio becomes the Kuroshio Extension (KE), an eastward-flowing jet, that then carries these waters in the direction of the US. While flowing northward and eastward, respectively, the Kuroshio and the KE exchange heat with the atmosphere which influences weather patterns and long-term weather fluctuations in the region, but also over the North American continent. This project seeks to investigate recent changes in the Kuroshio/KE path that have been occurring since 2018 and that are referred to as a “regime shift”. The newly detected path involves a large Kuroshio meander south of Japan and a KE system consisting of a highly stable jet that flows eastward without creating many additional meanders or pinched-off eddies. The goal is to explore, with available data and models, what caused the regime shift and what the regime shift means for North Pacific oceanic and atmospheric conditions, with implications for North American weather patterns. This project will provide training for one graduate student who will learn about ocean-atmosphere interaction in the Kuroshio/KE system and other extratropical regions. The emergence of a new dynamic Kuroshio/KE regime has added new complexity to the understanding of the variability in the North Pacific coupled ocean-atmosphere system. It is hypothesized that the new, on-going dynamic regime is a result of combined external wind forcing, of nonlinear interaction between the Kuroshio large meander and stabilized KE jet, and of coupled feedback by KE’s thermal forcing to the overlying atmosphere. By conducting analyses of available satellite/in-situ data, ocean/atmosphere reanalysis products, and high-resolution coupled model output, the plan is to (1) elucidate the oceanic and atmospheric processes responsible for generating and sustaining the on-going Kuroshio/KE dynamic regime, (2) explore and contrast the basin-scale atmospheric responses to the Kuroshio/KE dynamic regime changes, and (3) quantify the impacts by the new Kuroshio/KE dynamic regime on changing upper ocean heat content and water mass properties in the northwestern Pacific basin. Since many of the scientific questions addressed in this proposal apply to other western boundary current systems, an improved understanding of the KE variability could serve as a useful step in elucidating ocean's role in extratropical ocean-atmosphere interactions in general. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Coastal aquifers are vital for residential, agricultural, and industrial water supplies in coastal regions. They also play a critical role in sustaining coastal ecosystems, facilitating nutrient cycling, and supporting diverse species. However, these resources are threatened by saltwater intrusion, exacerbated by climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR) and anthropogenic stressors. The challenges posed by saltwater intrusion are particularly evident in the coastal regions of Hawaii, where groundwater accounts for about 99% of the domestic water supply and half of the state’s total freshwater usage. This EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII): EPSCoR Research Fellows project will provide a fellowship to an Assistant Professor and training for a graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM). This work will be conducted in collaboration with researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The fellowship will develop a state-of-the-art modeling framework to provide a mechanistic understanding of saltwater intrusion within volcanic coastal aquifers. This project will engage underrepresented students in research activities, enhancing their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in groundwater modeling. The results from this fellowship will lay the foundation for innovative management strategies to address saltwater intrusion and other emerging environmental challenges across the State of Hawaii and in regions with similar geological settings. This fellowship will have a transformative impact on the PI’s research career and benefit his home institution and jurisdiction. The proposed research will leverage the PI’s expertise in modeling saltwater intrusion within 3D conduit-type heterogeneous aquifers alongside LBNL’s specialization in modeling discrete-continuum flow processes. The PI and one graduate student will make four collaborative visits to LBNL. The goal of these research-focused activities is to develop a state-of-the-art modeling framework capable of capturing the conduit flow process and the 3D-connected heterogeneity of volcanic aquifers. This development will improve predictions of the temporal and spatial scales of saltwater intrusion in coastal volcanic aquifers. The modeling efforts will also be expanded to assess the impacts of SLR and excessive groundwater withdrawal on the dynamics of saltwater intrusion in coastal volcanic aquifers. This cutting-edge groundwater modeling will broaden the PI’s investigative scope to address various challenges of modeling saltwater intrusion in highly heterogeneous aquifer systems, with a particular focus on Hawaiian coastal regions. This project will establish a sustainable partnership with researchers at LBNL to enhance the groundwater modeling research infrastructure at UHM. The enhanced knowledge from this fellowship will serve as a crucial link, connecting scientific research with practical application, and facilitating the development of targeted mitigation strategies. These strategies, grounded in a mechanistic understanding of the saltwater intrusion processes in volcanic coastal aquifers, will be designed to safeguard the recreational, economic, and ecological value of coastal freshwater resources, ensuring their long-term sustainability for future generations in the State of Hawaii. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.