AMPP awards 2026 seed grant to USF corrosion researcher

AMPP has named University of South Florida assistant professor Avik Samanta the recipient of its 2026 Dr. A. John Sedriks Seed Grant. The $38,000 award will support PFAS-free, self-healing surface research aimed at improving corrosion protection and helping pave the way for larger federal funding.

Why it matters: - The grant backs early-stage corrosion research that could lead to more durable materials without PFAS, a class of chemicals drawing growing scrutiny. - Samanta’s work targets mechanical damage that can undermine corrosion resistance, a problem with direct implications for infrastructure, industry and material lifespan. - The award can help generate the preliminary data needed to compete for larger federally funded research programs.

What happened: - AMPP named Avik Samanta, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of South Florida, as the 2026 Dr. A. John Sedriks Seed Grant recipient. - The announcement was made July 23, 2026. - The grant award is $38,000. - Samanta’s proposal is titled “Laser-Textured, Thermally Healable PFAS-Free Superhydrophobic Metal Alloy Surfaces for Durable Corrosion Protection.”

The details: - The research focuses on sustainable, PFAS-free self-healing surfaces that can restore corrosion resistance after mechanical damage. - The funding will support investigation into the fundamental mechanisms of self-healing on laser-fabricated surfaces. - The project is also intended to produce preliminary data for larger federally funded research initiatives. - AMPP says the seed grant supports early-stage work in materials protection and performance across corrosion, coatings, degradation and related fields. - The seed grant has been awarded since 1967-1969 and honors Dr. A. John Sedriks, a corrosion-control pioneer known for metallurgical modifications. - Sedriks’ work at LaQue Corrosion Technologies and with the Office of Naval Research helped shape modern corrosion science and the NACE Seed Grant Program. - AMPP provided links for more information about the grant, the AMPP Seed Grant webpage, past Seed Grant recipients and USF’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department.

Between the lines: - AMPP framed this year’s pool of submissions as highly competitive and international. - Raghu Srinivasan, Ph.D., chair of AMPP’s Research Society Leadership Council, said the award reflects the grant’s goal of empowering bold ideas in corrosion research. - Srinivasan also said Samanta’s proposal addresses a significant corrosion challenge through sustainable materials and advanced surface engineering. - Samanta said the award validates his team’s vision for sustainable surface engineering and could help translate the research into practical technologies.

What's next: - Samanta’s team will use the grant to study self-healing behavior on laser-fabricated surfaces. - The project is expected to build the data package needed for larger research bids. - AMPP will continue the Seed Grant program as a pipeline for early-career and early-stage materials protection research.

The bottom line: - AMPP is using a relatively small seed grant to push a potentially high-impact corrosion solution toward real-world testing and future funding.