a) Earth Sciences

Studies of the environment and its effect on organisms/systems, including investigations of biological processes such as growth and life span, as well as studies of Earth systems and their evolution.

Subcategories:

• Atmospheric Science

• Climate Science

• Geosciences

• Water Science

• Other/Multiple

Atmospheric Science: The study of the Earth’s atmosphere, its processes, the effects other systems have on the atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these other systems as well as meteorological investigations. Further investigation in this field relates to atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric physics, atmospheric changes (both long and short-term) that define average climates and their change over time, and upper layers of the atmosphere, where dissociation and ionization are important.

Climate Science: Studies of Earth’s climate, particularly evidential study of climate change over a period of time.  This field studies long-term trends in average meteorological conditions and changes in these averaged conditions from season to season, year to year, decade to decade.

Geosciences: Studies of Earth’s land processes, including mineralogy, plate tectonics, volcanism, and sedimentology.

Water Science: Studies of Earth’s water systems, including water resources, movement, distribution, and water quality. This field includes the occurrence, movement, abundance, distribution, and quality of subsurface waters and related geologic aspects of surface waters. Furthermore, it projects may also address water from the moment of precipitation until it evaporates into the atmosphere or is discharged into the ocean; for example, river systems and the impacts of flooding.

Other/Multiple: Studies in Earth Sciences that do not fit in the above subcategories or which may involve multiple subcategories.

b) Environmental Sciences: Management and Engineering

Studies that engineer or develop processes and infrastructure to solve environmental problems in the supply of water, the disposal of waste, or the control of pollution.

Subcategories:

• Bioremediation

• Environmental Effects on Ecosystems

• Land Reclamation

• Pollution Control

• Recycling and Waste Management

• Water Resources Management

• Other/Multiple

Bioremediation: The use of biological agents, such as bacteria or plants, to remove or neutralize contaminants. This includes phytoremediation, constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, biodegradation, etc.

Environmental Effects on Ecosystems: Studies of the impact of environmental changes (natural or as a result of human interaction) on ecosystems, including empirical pollution studies.

Land Reclamation: Studies that apply engineering principles and design techniques to restore land from wetlands, seas, lakes, deserts or mines, through drainage or irrigation to a more productive use or its previous undisturbed state.  This subcategory also includes studies involving the restoration of land that is damaged by natural phenomena, such as erosion, or impaired by industrial and urban processes.

Pollution Control: Studies that use engineering principles and design to prevent or control air, water and solid waste pollution.

Recycling and Waste Management: Studies involving the extraction and reuse of useful substances from discarded items, garbage, or waste. The process of managing, and disposing of, wastes and hazardous substances through methodologies such as landfills, sewage treatment, composting, waste reduction, etc.

Water Resources Management: Studies that apply engineering principles and design to the planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources. Studies in this subcategory might include applied surface and groundwater hydrology, forecasting and control of quantity and quality of water or simulation and modeling of water resource systems.

Other/Multiple: Studies in Environmental Sciences: Management and Engineering that do not fit in the above subcategories or which may involve multiple subcategories.