Approval of the use of USDA Research Grant funds to purchase a Surface Area Analyzer Autosorb iQ 2ST for use at the School of Agriculture, Community, and the Sciences. This piece of equipment will be located at the Atwood Research Facility.
Kentucky State University's College of Agriculture, Community, and the Sciences facilitates research and extension programming in environmental science and agroecology. The new Water Quality and Wetlands Reclamation Laboratory is requesting equipment to increase our capacity to conduct research in the area. Currently, there is no surface area analyzer to estimate surface area and pore size distributions and pore volumes of any environmental solid samples (soil, wetland, biochar, water treatment residuals, compost etc.). Information on surface area of environmental samples is important for gaining insights into other properties such as water holding capacity, nutrients or chemicals sorption, eutrophication potential, etc., in relation to plant growth.
We are requesting permission to use $80,202.80 in USDA Research Grant funds for the purchase of an Autosorb iQ 2ST ($71,056.20) and preventive on-site maintenance ($9,146.60). The purchase of this equipment would need to be completed through the competitive bid process after approval by the Board of Regents.
Interim President Ronald A. Johnson recommends that the Board of Regents approve USDA Research Grant funds for the purchase of an Autosorb iQ 2ST and preventive on-site maintenance for KSU's College of Agriculture, Community, and the Sciences.
Approve the use of USDA funds for the purchase of an Autosorb iQ 2ST and preventive on-site maintenance for KSU's College of Agriculture, Community, and the Sciences.