EPA Announces $49 Million in Technical Assistance to Help Rural, Small, and Tribal Communities Address Wastewater Challenges
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $49 million in funding to technical assistance providers to help communities address wastewater challenges through the Rural, Small and Tribal Clean Water Technical Assistance Grant Program. UTK, through ISSE and the Tennessee Water Resources Research Center (TNWRRC), has a new subaward from the Southwest Environmental Finance Center for EPA’s Rural, Small, and Tribal Clean Water Technical Assistance Grant Program via the University of New Mexico. The total subaward amount to UTK is $692,381—$390,646 for Priority Area 1 and $301,735 for Priority Area 2.
Priority Area 1 concerns “Acquisition of Financing/Funding: Training and technical assistance for rural, small, and Tribal municipalities for planning, developing and acquisition of financing/funding for eligible activities”; Priority Area 2is to “Protect Water Quality and Compliance Assistance: Training and technical assistance for rural, small, and Tribal publicly owned treatment works and decentralized wastewater systems to help improve water quality and to achieve and maintain compliance”. TNWRRC’s workplans for both Priority Areas are to (1) Provide Technical Assistance, (2) Develop and Deliver Trainings, (3) Develop Durable Resources, (4) Outreach and Marketing, and (5) Project Reporting.
UTK & ISSE win Year 7 for Appalachian Leadership Institute, ARC Regional Sustainability Initiative
In 2019, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, along with partners Tuskegee University and Collective Impact, LLC, was selected by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to design and implement the curriculum of the Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI). ALI is a leadership training opportunity that equips Appalachian community leaders to use economic development as a tool to drive positive change, designed for people who live or work in Appalachia and are passionate about helping their communities thrive. Recently, our team, which includes Dr. Tim Ezzell and Cat Wilt of the Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment, and Dr. Katie Cahill, Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Affairs for the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studios, and a UT graduate student fellow, was chosen to continue its leadership and development role with the Institute.
EXCET Project Wraps-up with 3rd Workshop in Osaka
Since January 2024, researchers from five distinguished universities in the US and Japan have teamed up to foster an international network of researchers encompassing both engineering and social sciences to promote clean energy for green growth. EXCET’s objective has been to develop policy recommendations and actionable strategies that can drive sustainable economic growth and facilitate clean energy transition in Japan and the United States. The third and final workshop occurred in Osaka at the end of March, wrapping up this initiative led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. To realize this goal, the workshop had two keynote speeches and five panels of researchers and industrial leaders to address relevant topics.
2022-2023 ISSE Annual Report
ISSE’s 2023-24 Annual Report is now available online.
ISSE continues to implement its five-year strategic plan to increase its research, educational, and outreach activities at the University of Tennessee. ISSE will promote the development of policies, technologies, and educational programs that will address and help remedy critical environmental issues around the world. We will strengthen our emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaborations that will help bring about global sustainability.
Quick Look – ISSE Centers & Programs
Appalachian Leadership Institute is a comprehensive leadership and economic development training opportunity for people who live or work in Appalachia and are passionate about helping their communities thrive. Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows participate in an extensive training curriculum developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy; Tuskegee University; and Collective Impact.
UTK and the UT Center for Industrial Services proposed the East Tennessee Initiative for Smart Energy Management (ETISE) to promote the integration of smart manufacturing for energy management through technical assistance and workforce training. The goal is to create a regional model to integrate smart manufacturing in energy management systems into energy-related business practices. ETISE is funded by the Department of Energy through the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office (IEDO), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO).
EXCET is the U.S.-Japan Exchange Program for Green Growth Collaboration through Clean Energy Technologies, dedicated to fostering an international network of researchers and experts spanning a wide range of fields, encompassing both engineering and social sciences. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, the objective is to develop policy recommendations and actionable strategies that can drive sustainable economic growth and facilitate decarbonization in Japan and the United States. The impact of this initiative is expected to reverberate through academia, industry, and grassroots community organizations.
ISSE Earth System Modeling Initiative Researchers at ISSE, working closely with the Earth System Modeling Initiative at Oak Ridge National Lab, are advancing our understanding of earth systems and their impacts on human and natural systems. We use Earth system modeling, integrated ground and remote sensing observations, and advanced data analytical tools to study its effects on water availability, soil moisture, wildfires, and vegetation. Team members are Drs. Yuefeng Hao, Jiafu Mao, Joshua Fu, and Mingzhou Jin.
DriveElectricTN promotes the adoption of electric vehicles for fleets and individuals across Tennessee with a goal of getting 200,000 EVs on TN’s roads by 2028. An autonomous program of TNCleanFuels, DriveElectricTN is supported by 60+ stakeholders from across Tennessee and the United States, with focus areas such as EV Awareness, EV Policies & Program, and EV Infrastructure intended to achieve precise, targeted development goals for electric vehicles in our state. DriveElectricTN and Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association volunteers chat with Ijams Nature Center visitors during a Drive Electric Earth Day Showcase. The new Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s latest and most visible electric car is pictured in the background.
East Tennessee Clean Fuels mission is to increase the use of cleaner American fuels and vehicles and energy-saving transportation technologies to improve air quality and health, curb dependence on imported petroleum and support Tennessee’s economy. More specifically, we work to implement alt fuel projects in East Tennessee and work to make ETCleanFuels a sustainable coalition of involved participants from across East Tennessee. We serve as fleet guides to navigate alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in the 21st century. ETCleanFuels is a nonprofit and a designated participant in U.S. DOE’s Clean Cities Program.
FEWSUS stands for International Research Coordination Network to Create Transdisciplinary Nodes of Food-Energy-Water to Support Sustainable Urban Systems. FEWSUS is funded by the US National Science Foundation. The grant, awarded to faculty and scientists at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, supports the development of an International Research Coordination Network, designed to facilitate transdisciplinary, multinational communications and accelerate the development and transfer of multisectoral data, standards, analysis tools, new technologies, and a trained workforce among differently urbanized countries.
The Tennessee Water Resources Research Center (TNWRRC) is a federally designated state research institute supported in part by the U.S. Geological Survey. It serves as a primary link among water-resource experts in academia, government, and the private sector. Our staffs’ backgrounds are broad, deep, and highly varied, allowing TNWRRC to establish a range of productive partnerships. TNWRRC is housed within the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment (ISSE) at the University of Tennessee.
FERSC is a Tier 1 University Transportation Center consortium led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Its focus is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)’s research priority, Improving Mobility of People and Goods as its primary area. The consortium supports the DOT Strategic Goals of Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness.
ISSE Magazines & Annual Reports
Sustainability News
TCE Representatives Honored at Academic Banquet – Five faculty members and one student from the Tickle College of Engineering were honored at the spring Academic Honors Banquet.
US DOE grants $20 million to Tickle College of Engineering to revolutionize the design and manufacturing of high-performance materials for fusion energy systems.
Growing divide: Agricultural climate policies affect food prices differently in poor and wealthy countries. Farmers are receiving less of what consumers spend on food as modern food systems increasingly direct costs toward value-added components like processing, transport, and marketing.
UT Awarded $5M to Lead Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts – U.S. NSF has awarded a $5 million grant for UT to tackle one of the world’s biggest scientific challenges: developing environmentally and economically sustainable bioderived composites and plastics to replace petroleum and its derivatives.
Upcoming Events
May 2 – ISE Graduate Seminar | 2–3 p.m., Tickle 500 | Join Vaneet Aggarwal as he discusses order-optimal sample complexity for reinforcement learning.
May 3 – Tickle College of Engineering Senior Design Showcase, Zeanah Engineering Complex
May 11—15 – International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, Hybrid Conference and Training, Denver, CO. Hosted by the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Register – Program
June 24 – 3rd Annual DriveElectricTN Momentum Summit, at MTSU. Addresses transportation electrification efforts for economic and environmental benefits, infrastructure progress, and research into transportation electrification at Tennessee colleges and universities. Registration now open
2025 ISSE Research Conference slated for September 15, 2025. This annual event features updates by ISSE research staff, presentations by ISSE industrial and research partners, and the Student Poster Contest with cash prizes for winners.