February 5, 2025
Kansas Water Institute awards equipment grant funds
The Kansas Water Institute has announced funding awards for equipment acquisitions that advance water-related research, teaching or engagement. Grants were awarded to faculty in eight departments and four colleges to help address the highest-priority water resource needs for Kansas.
Specific awards include:
Emma Briggs, Western Kansas Research and Extension Centers: This funding will support the purchase of a grain flaker at the Agricultural Research Center at Hays. The equipment will enable detailed studies on the nutritional efficacy of steam-flaked milo as feed for cattle and will help explore more sustainable livestock production practices.
Guarav Jha, agronomy, and Amie Norton, entomology: Funding was awarded for a new SVC HR-1024i Spectroradiometer, which will enable precise assessment of soil and plant water stress.
Christopher Redmond, Kansas Mesonet: A total of 34 weighing rain gauges from Apogee, to accurately measure precipitation across the state of Kansas. This equipment will influence real-time decision support and potential life-saving data, as well as provide improved climatology datasets and enhanced water conservation.
Matthew Kirk, geology: Funding for pressure loggers and accessories for groundwater level monitoring at the Konza Prairie. This equipment will contribute to research on the impacts of climate and woody plant encroachment in grasslands.
Prathap Parameswaran, civil engineering: A new pre-filtration and microfiltration membrane module will enhance pilot-scale Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor, or AnMBR, unit. This unit, situated in the K-State swine teaching and research center, will help researchers promote sustainable wastewater reuse.
Amber Rios and Ennis Rios, Rural Education Center, College of Education: Water IRL, or Inspiring Resource Literacy, Classroom Education Kits will equip 75 Kansas middle schools within the Ogallala Aquifer recharge zone with tools to enhance awareness of Kansas water resources, and to promote aquifer conservation and improved water quality.
Aleksey Sheshukov, biological and agricultural engineering: Support for an equipment package that is part of a rapid-deployment mobile micrometeorological station with eddy-covariance. This technology helps provide an accurate determination of crop water needs and crop water use efficiency in the field.
The Kansas Water Institute is a university-level, interdisciplinary institute focused on collaborative research, teaching and engagement. More information about current projects and other funding opportunities can be found on the Kansas Water Institute website.