The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Development Program (ESTCP) announced $44 million for new projects that help maximize the number of training days and mission readiness for the Department of Defense (DoD).
The DoD manages 27 million acres of land that provide the contiguous, unencumbered spaces needed to closely replicate the operational environment of assigned missions. SERDP and ESTCP projects advance tools and technologies needed to effectively manage wildfires, flooding, exotic species invasion, and other challenges to test and training environments. Newly funded projects are tackling a range of installation challenges, including invasive species threats in the Indo-Pacific, weather modeling, and engineering solutions for installation resilience in arid regions.
The table below is organized by topic and includes each project's title, principal investigator, and lead organization. Detailed project overviews will be posted at https://serdp-estcp.mil/projects.
| Addressing Uncertainties in Ecosystem Productivity and Processes in Key DoD Geographies | ||||
| RC25-4751 | Addressing Terrestrial Ecosystem Uncertainties through Iterative Model–Data Assimilation | Michael Dietze | Boston University | SERDP |
| RC25-4905 | Reducing Uncertainty in Ecosystem Productivity and Processes in Peatland Ecosystems from Spatially Rich Geophysical Datasets | Xavier Comas | Florida Atlantic University | SERDP |
| RC25-0189 | Reducing Uncertainty in Vegetation Stress Responses and Stress Tolerance on Ecosystems | Sanna Sevanto | Los Alamos National Laboratory | SERDP |
| RC25-4814 | The Role of Microbiomes in Soil Organic Matter Persistence and Transformation in Saltmarsh | Yu Miao | Northeastern University | SERDP |
| RC25-4650 | Disturbance Impacts on Permafrost Soil Organic Matter Stability in the Black Spruce Forests of Interior Alaska | Michelle Mack | Northern Arizona University | SERDP |
| RC25-4887 | Quantifying Large Unaccounted Coastal Wetland Organic Matter on DoD Installations | Andre Rovai | U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center | SERDP |
| RC25-0215 | Multi-Model Approach to Estimating Organic Matter Storage on Semiarid DoD Installations | Matthew Germino | U.S. Geological Survey | SERDP |
| RC25-4824 | Effects of Abrupt Disturbance on Ecosystem Productivity and Organic Matter Pools and Fluxes: Opportunities for Biomass Management Across Alaska and North Carolina Training Lands | Merritt Turetsky | University of Colorado Boulder | SERDP |
| RC25-4902 | Predicting Organic Matter Sink Strength in DoD Coastal Wetlands - a Simple Transferable Empirical Approach | Craig Tobias | University of Connecticut | SERDP |
| RC25-4864 | Reducing Uncertainties in Terrestrial Ecosystem Processes by Improving the Accuracy of Tree Transpiration Estimates from Sap Flow | Doug Aubrey | University of Georgia | SERDP |
| RC25-0063 | Reducing Uncertainties in Ecosystem Process Model Predictions | Steve Flanagan | U.S. Department of Agriculture | SERDP |
| Technology for Improving DoD Cultural Resources Compliance Efficiency | ||||
| RC25-8522 | Operational Picture Environment for Resource Management (OPENRM) GIS Platform for DoD | Florencia Pezzutti | Colorado State University | ESTCP |
| RC25-8870 | Integrating Remote Sensing Survey Technologies in DoD Cultural Resource Compliance | Tamas Polanyi | Sandbox Archaeology LLC | ESTCP |
| Advancing Sensing and Micro/Mesoscale Weather Modeling for Resilience and Conservation | ||||
| RC25-4755 | Assessing Representativeness of Atmospheric Measurements and Spatial Heterogeneity with SUAS Teams | Alec Bateman | Barron Associates, Inc. | SERDP |
| RC25-4822 | Coupling Meteorological Modeling with Hydrological Modeling to Improve Seasonal Forecasting and Resource Management | Varut Guvanasen | Hydrogeologic Inc. | SERDP |
| RC25-4789 | mmwave Radar Sensor Networks for Boundary Layer Characterization | Stijn Wielandt | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | SERDP |
| RC25-4733 | Sensing and Modeling Microscale Feedback of DoD Chaff Releases in the Atmospheric Environment on Thunderstorm Electrification and Lightning Activity | Phillip Stepanian | MIT Lincoln Laboratory | SERDP |
| RC25-4949 | Advancing Conservation Through a Synergy of Drone-Based Remote Sensing and Fine Scale Modeling: De-Tangling Topography, Soil Moisture and Shallow Groundwater on Vegetation Resiliency | Reed Maxwell | Princeton University | SERDP |
| RC25-0005 | Harnessing The Power of Soil Surface Sensing to Increase Conservation Success in Hawaiʻi | Michala Phillips | U.S. Geological Survey | SERDP |
| RC25-4983 | Establishing a Multiscale Atmospheric Modeling Approach for DoD Conservation and Resilience Missions | Jeremy Sauer | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | SERDP |
| RC25-0145 | Limited Scope Proposal: Measuring and Modeling Fuel Moisture as a Product of Microclimatic Environments | Christopher Marsh | University of New Mexico | SERDP |
| Innovative Technology Transfer Approaches | ||||
| RC25-8623 | Deploying Heat to Control (or Possibly Eradicate) Aquatic Invasive Species Cnidaria from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam | Thierry Work | U.S. Geological Survey | ESTCP |
| Hybrid Engineering Solutions for Installation Resilience in DoD Arid Landscapes | ||||
| RC25-8870 | Synergistic Integration of Enzyme-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation and Engineered Biocrust Restoration for Stabilizing Erosion-Prone Arid Lands | Edward Kavazanjian | Arizona State University | ESTCP |
| RC25-8591 | Application of Natural Infrastructure in Dryland Streams Flood Risk Reduction and Multi-Benefit Monitoring | Sai Nudurupati | Jacobs | ESTCP |
| RC25-8868 | Applying Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) at the DoD’s Facilities in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions to Increase Groundwater Storage, Reduce Runoff and Improve Stormwater Management | Christopher Patterson | Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center | ESTCP |
| RC25-8874 | Scaling Up Restoration: Aerial Seeding Strategies for Hawaiʻi's Degraded Dry Forests | Michala Phillips | U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center | ESTCP |
| RC25-8878 | Recycling Hazardous Fuels for Wildfire Risk Reduction and Improving Soil Health | Jeffrey Heys | U.S. Forest Service | ESTCP |
| RC25-8592 | Holistic Watershed Management: An Approach for Weather Extreme Preparedness on MCAGCC Twentynine Palms | Ricardo Aguirre | WEST Consultants, Inc. | ESTCP |
| RC25-8454 | Cryptogamic Crusts: A Small but Powerful Nature-Based Solution for Resilient Natural Infrastructure in DoD Drylands | Sasha Reed | U.S. Geological Survey | ESTCP |
| Non-Indigenous Invasive Species Surveillance Mitigation and Biosecurity Measures Affecting Military Readiness - Indo-Pacific | ||||
| RC25-0097 | Developing Novel Genetic and AI-Assisted Tools to Facilitate Detection, Tracking, and Eradication of Aquatic Invasive Species in Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam | Jonathan Whitney | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | SERDP |
| RC25-0058 | An Island Centric Biosecurity Network for High-Risk Invasive Plant Pests in the Pacific | David Teulon | The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research | SERDP |
| RC25-0201 | A Predictive Model for Invasive Terrestrial Arthropod Species in the Indo-Pacific | Mark Johnson | U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory | SERDP |
| RC25-4893 | Biocontrol of Invasive Plants in Hawaii and Pacific Islands | Matthew Johnson | U.S. Forest Service | SERDP |
| RC25-0016 | Estimating Detection Probability of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes Rhinoceros) to Inform Biosurveillance | Helen Sofaer | U.S. Geological Survey | SERDP |
| RC25-0071 | Preliminary Investigation of Novel Genetic Biocontrol Technologies to Inform Population Management of Invasive Brown Tree Snakes in Guam | Margaret Hunter | U.S. Geological Survey | SERDP |
| RC25-4645 | From the Lab to the Field: Continued RNAi Development for Invasive Ant Eradication | Neil Tsutsui | University of California, Berkeley | SERDP |
| RC25-4886 | Development of eDNA-Based Microfluidic qPCR and Quantitative Metagenomic Approaches for Sensitive and High-Throughput Quantification of Non-Indigenous Marine Pathogens | Tao Yan | University of Hawaii at Manoa | SERDP |
| RC25-0123 | Evaluate Smart Trapping for the Identification and Live Capture of Invasive Brown Tree Snakes | Derek Yorks | Wild Vision Systems | SERDP |
| Resource Conservation and Resilience | ||||
| RC25-8804 | Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience: Overcoming Systemic Challenges | Taylor Comstock | Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island (MCSF-BI) | ESTCP |
| RC25-8716 | Integrated Technology Approaches for Monitoring and Mitigating Risks to Protected Species in DoD Inshore and Riverine Environments | Joseph Iafrate | Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport | ESTCP |
| RC25-8856 | Protecting DoD Installation Infrastructure through Synergistic Use of Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) and Targeted Soil Amendments | Yoko Slowey | U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center | ESTCP |
| RC25-8705 | Demonstration of Comprehensive Bat Survey Approaches on DoD Installations | Kristopher Pitcher | U.S. Air Force, Avon Park Air Force Range | ESTCP |
| RC25-8630 | Using Portable Magnetic Susceptibility to Streamline Archaeological Testing and the Determination of Eligibility Process | Elizabeth Cook | U.S. Army Garrison Alaska | ESTCP |
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About SERDP & ESTCP
The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) develop and demonstrate innovative, scalable technologies that enhance military readiness, improve warfighter capabilities, and strengthen defense infrastructure. SERDP invests in basic and applied research to secure military installations, and ESTCP puts innovations to the test, fielding real-world solutions that enhance military operations. The programs report to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience & Optimization headquartered at the Pentagon. For more information, visit https://serdp-estcp.mil.
