Draft proposal

Prompt

Help me write a research proposal on the valorization of spent coffee grounds (SCG) at Nazarbayev University. NU has 15 coffee shops. From ~7 shops, we measured 33–38 g SCG per coffee preparation. Shops sell ~100–150 cups/day, and one high-selling shop reported 8–10 kg SCG/day. We estimate ~5 kg/day per shop, giving about 75 kg/day, 375 kg/week, and 1.5 tons/month of SCG waste across NU. Include: Environmental problems caused by SCG, supported by Q1 papers. Economic/disposal costs and how the university could save money through valorization. Proposed solution: produce hydrochar from SCG via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) for mercury removal from industrial wastewater in Kazakhstan. Q1 research proving SCG-derived hydrochar/carbon can adsorb Hg(II). Research on mercury/heavy-metal wastewater pollution from Kazakhstani industries. Connect the problem, NU case study, HTC, hydrochar, and mercury removal into a clear, feasible project. Use recent Q1 peer-reviewed sources, with in-text citations and a reference list.