EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF: Advancing Hydrogel-Based Fire Suppression Through Collaborative Material Development and Performance Validation

This Research Infrastructure Improvement EPSCoR Research Fellows project provides a fellowship to an Assistant Professor and training for a graduate student at Oklahoma State University (OSU). This work is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Stanislav I. Stoliarov at the University of Maryland (UMD). Water remains the most widely used firefighting agent, but it is often ineffective against lithium-ion battery and wildland fires, especially in drought-prone and rural areas with limited water supply. This highlights the urgent need for new suppression technologies. Through this fellowship, the PI will use advanced bench-scale testing to accelerate the development of thermo-responsive, water-efficient hydrogels as next-generation fire suppression agents. The project will strengthen OSU’s research infrastructure and support the goals of the NSF EPSCoR program through collaboration with UMD. Students will benefit from access to cutting-edge facilities and hands-on, interdisciplinary training. This effort will contribute to workforce development in fire safety engineering, materials science, and emergency response. Thermo-responsive hydrogels show promise as eco-friendly file suppression agents, but their application is limited by unoptimized formulations and gaps in understanding of their thermophysical properties and interactions with fire. This fellowship will advance hydrogel-based fire suppression through a collaboration between OSU and UMD, combining innovative material development with advanced fire testing. The project has three aims: 1) optimize hydrogel formulations for thermal resistance, adhesion, and cooling; 2) evaluate performance in bench-scale tests simulating wildland and battery fires; and 3) investigate suppression mechanisms to understand how formulation components influence effectiveness. This work will provide insights into hydrogel-fire interactions, guiding the development of next-generation agents with improved field applicability. Beyond advancing fire safety science, the project will strengthen Oklahoma’s research capacity, enhance public safety, and inspire future STEM learners through community engagement and hands-on training. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Fellows (ERF), which supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation’s private, government or academic research institutions. 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.