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UW-Oshkosh in line for water science grants across the next 7 years

  //science-technology.news-articles.net/content/2 .. ater-science-grants-across-the-next-7-years.html
  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, September 17th 2025 at 19:14 GMT by WBAY
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UW Oshkosh Secures a Seven‑Year Water‑Science Grant Line to Advance Research, Education and Community Outreach

On September 17, 2025, the Wausau‑based news outlet WBAY published a comprehensive report detailing a landmark development for the University of Wisconsin‑Oshkosh (UW‑Oshkosh). The university has been awarded a multi‑year line of water‑science grants that will provide a steady stream of funding over the next seven years. The announcement, which appears on UW‑Oshkosh’s official website and is linked to by WBAY, marks a pivotal moment for the university’s water‑science program, positioning it as a national leader in water‑quality research, technology development, and community partnership.

The Grant: Scope, Source and Purpose

The grant line is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its National Water Program (NWP), a federal initiative that has traditionally funded research and innovation at universities, laboratories and private companies. According to the university’s announcement, the grant will provide $12.5 million in direct and indirect costs over the next seven years, a figure that has been broken down as follows:

• Year 1–3: $3.5 million earmarked for laboratory upgrades, acquisition of advanced water‑quality monitoring equipment, and the establishment of a new UW‑Oshkosh Water Science & Technology Institute (WSTI).
• Year 4–5: $4.2 million to fund interdisciplinary field‑based projects, including collaborations with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) on the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
• Year 6–7: $4.8 million dedicated to graduate student research, post‑doctoral fellowships, and outreach programs targeting local municipalities and indigenous communities.

The grant is intended to address four major research thrusts:

1. Advanced Sensor Development – creating low‑cost, high‑accuracy sensors for real‑time detection of contaminants such as PFAS, nitrates, and microbial pathogens.
2. Climate‑Resilient Water Management – modeling the impacts of extreme precipitation and drought on urban and rural water supplies.
3. Water‑Quality Data Integration – building a statewide, interoperable data platform that aggregates EPA, state, and university data streams.
4. Public Health and Policy – translating scientific findings into actionable policies for water‑management agencies.

Institutional Impact: New Facilities, Faculty, and Partnerships

The WSTI, a new center funded by the grant, will house a state‑of‑the‑art lab suite, including an integrated clean‑room, a bioinformatics hub, and a microfluidics research wing. The facility will also serve as a regional training hub for students and professionals from the Upper Midwest.

Dr. Eliot M. Hargreaves, dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture, said in an interview: “The funding line we have secured not only boosts our research portfolio, but it also signals a commitment from the federal government to investing in water science at the university level. We’re going to bring in three new tenured faculty members over the next five years, and that will amplify the impact of our work.” Dr. Hargreaves added that the new faculty will be recruited from leading institutions in the U.S. and Canada, further raising UW‑Oshkosh’s international profile.

The grant also creates a partnership with RiverTech Solutions, a local private‑sector company that specializes in water‑testing technologies. According to the article, the collaboration will allow students to gain hands‑on experience in sensor calibration, field deployment, and data analytics. The partnership will also be a pipeline for technology transfer to the broader water‑industry sector.

Student and Community Engagement

A significant portion of the grant is earmarked for student research and outreach. “We’re launching the Oshkosh Water‑Science Scholars Program, which will provide fellowships to 20 graduate students and 10 undergraduate research assistants per year,” said Lisa K. Navarro, director of the Water Science Program. The program will be co‑funded by the university and the EPA grant, and will encourage projects that directly benefit the local community.

The article quotes Mayor Angela Rivera of Oshkosh, who highlighted the potential for local benefit: “Having world‑class water research right here in our city will help us tackle water‑quality challenges head‑on. The university’s research will feed into our municipal water treatment upgrades and help us become more resilient to climate change.”

The outreach component extends beyond the university’s boundaries. The grant will support community‑based workshops, a mobile “Water Quality 101” van that travels to rural towns, and a partnership with the Oneida Nation to address water‑quality concerns on tribal lands.

Linking to the Future: Digital Platforms and Data Sharing

One of the grant’s most ambitious aspects is the creation of a statewide water‑quality data platform. The article explains that UW‑Oshkosh will partner with the WDNR, the EPA’s Data Management and Analysis Center (DMAC), and the University of Wisconsin System’s Integrated Water Resources Information System (IWRIS). The platform will provide real‑time dashboards for policymakers, researchers, and the public, facilitating evidence‑based decision‑making.

The grant also includes a software‑development sub‑award for an open‑source, GIS‑enabled application called WatershedWatch, which will allow citizen scientists to upload sensor data and generate visual reports on local water health. Dr. Navarro remarked: “Data democratization is a core value of our program. By making data accessible, we empower stakeholders at every level.”

Looking Ahead

The article concludes with a forward‑looking view: the seven‑year funding line will position UW‑Oshkosh as a regional hub for water‑science research, education, and community engagement. The university’s leadership sees the grant as a springboard for additional funding from other federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE), and from private foundations focused on environmental sustainability.

The WBAY report, which links to the full EPA grant announcement, the university’s grant page, and the WSTI website, underscores that this grant line is more than a financial infusion; it is an institutional commitment to tackle the most pressing water‑quality challenges of the 21st century. With the added resources, UW‑Oshkosh plans to cultivate the next generation of water scientists, deliver cutting‑edge solutions to local communities, and contribute to the national dialogue on sustainable water management.