# Postdoctoral Fellowship: EAR-PF: Shifting Paradigms in Atmospheric Deposition: The Rise of Organic Solutes

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Trustees of Boston University (MA) · $408,709

## Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is essential for life, yet most of it exists as inert atmospheric N2, inaccessible to most living organisms. Only a small fraction of N – reactive N (Nr)– is biologically available and directly usable by plants and microbes. Bioavailable forms of N are exchanged between the atmosphere and terrestrial environments primarily through emission and precipitation, or wet deposition. Understandings of deposition are shifting, from a general focus on inorganic acidic solutes such as nitrate to a more complex and dynamic picture inclusive of dissolved organic N which encompasses any molecule with an organic carbon (C) backbone that also contains N. The chemical composition of precipitation can reveal landscape-scale emission sources of organic C, and by association N, to the atmosphere and the degree to which these complex organic molecules may participate in C and/or N cycles once deposited into ecosystems. The goal of this postdoctoral fellowship project is to advance the understanding of how organic C and N in precipitation originate, transform, and impact ecosystems. The research will explicitly test whether events such as forest fires, transpiration, and agricultural soil decomposition may individually or collectively drive the trends in organic matter deposition. The broader impacts of this research encompass quantifying biogeochemical links between the atmosphere and biosphere while also achieving stakeholder engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and teachin

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2517874
- **Awardee organization:** Trustees of Boston University (MA)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** THL6A6JLE1S7
- **PI:** Desneiges S Murray
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
- **Estimated total:** $408,709
- **Funds obligated:** $408,709
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2027

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2517874

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2517874, Postdoctoral Fellowship: EAR-PF: Shifting Paradigms in Atmospheric Deposition: The Rise of Organic Solutes. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-07 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2517874. Licensed CC0.

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