A Simpson College-led research project that aims to prevent the spread of an invasive weed has received funding to expand its study.

The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has awarded a $143,980 grant, which will be used to renovate Room 211 in the Carver Science Center and to support research of Palmer amaranth – a notorious weed that has proven resistant to herbicides across the U.S. – by paying stipends to three students, providing supplies and paying for a summit.

A group of students and professors has been predicting the spread of the weed and best measures to prevent it for the past two summers. If left unmonitored, Palmer amaranth can grow 2 inches a day and reach 7 feet tall.