Collaborative Research: E-RISE: The Vermont Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Environmental Research Network

The Vermont PFAS Environmental Research Network (PERN) is a collaborative project aimed at enhancing knowledge of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals”. PERN will address nationally relevant research priorities to better understand how PFAS move from contaminant sources to affect health and ecosystems. PERN will foster synergies between academia (Bennington College, Community College of Vermont, Landmark College, Middlebury College, University of Vermont), state agencies (Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont Department of Health, and Vermont Agriculture and Environmental Laboratory), community organizations, and stakeholders to transform the research capacity in Vermont. PERN will generate actionable, interdisciplinary knowledge about PFAS contamination while strengthening Vermont’s STEM capacity by engaging geologists, biologists, engineers, data scientists, and social scientists. The network’s research will 1) characterize the distribution and movement of PFAS from contamination sources through ecosystems, including groundwater, surface water, soils, vegetation, and fauna. 2) explore mechanisms by which PFAS may influence human health, 3) identify impacts to affected communities, and 4) generate publicly available data and modelling tools that will inform citizens and aid state agencies’ activities. PERN will increase Vermont’s STEM education capacity by establishing an annual three-week Vermont Environmental Field School for undergraduate students to provide hands-on training in PFAS study design, field sampling, and data analysis through projects at PERN’s research sites. The network will build jurisdictional research capacity by enhancing the Vermont Agricultural and Environmental Laboratory analysis capabilities, thereby enabling them to analyze project samples and expand their capacity to serve other users. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE). E-RISE supports the development of sustainable research infrastructure and capacity in EPSCoR jurisdictions through collaborative, hypothesis-driven, or problem-driven research and workforce development to improve competitiveness in selected STEM fields. 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.