The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will be the site of a new National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/ University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) in the area of bioenergy. The new I/UCRC, the Center for Bioenergy Research and Development, will receive substantial funding at the multi-million dollar level from both the National Science Foundation and sponsoring industries. "The selection of the School of Mines as the site of a second I/UCRC is a testament to our reputation as an outstanding research institution," School of Mines President Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D., said. "We look forward to working with our partners to advance bioenergy research."
Dr. David Dixon, professor and chair, chemical and biological engineering, and Dr. Duane Abata, dean, College of Engineering, are co-PIs of the project, with Dixon stepping into the position of site director and Abata as coordinator.
"Energy is fast being recognized as a national problem and concern. Renewable energy will play an important part in fulfilling our national energy portfolio, and relieving our reliance on foreign oil," Dixon said. "Our new research center will examine ways to find, improve, and commercialize bio/renewable energy routes and systems. We hope to see process and economic improvements to existing bioenergy systems like the corn ethanol industry. We also expect to see research coming out of the center that leads to innovation in the cellulosic fuel area, which has an even greater potential to positively impact our nation's energy needs."
The School of Mines will be the host institution for the center, which will be a consortium of universities, industrial partners, and governmental agencies.
"This is such a great opportunity for the School of Mines to establish national and international visibility in the bioenergy research arena. We are the only bioenergy center funded by the NSF in the country," Abata said. "This is also a wonderful opportunity for our students to participate in cutting-edge, ground-breaking bioenergy research."
This idea of proposing a bioenergy research center has been brewing for at least two years, long before energy prices shot up and the government determined the importance of alternative energy production. It was in the back of Dr. Abata's mind when he became engineering dean in 2006.
"I knew our bioprocessing interest and capabilities were very strong," he said. "We started talking with other universities and everyone was very enthusiastic. We met in Minneapolis with potential site directors and then launched a massive effort to recruit industry partners and submit the NSF application."
Members of the consortium include South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Dakota State University, Kansas State University, North Carolina State University, State University of New York Stony Brook and the University of Hawaii. These schools have already shown a strong commitment to, and understanding of, the great need for bioenergy research, investing a combined total of more than $100 million prior to the creation of the center. The universities benefit from the opportunities to partner with other leading institutions to conduct industrially relevant research, and receive seed funding and recognition as a National Science Foundation (NSF) research center with access to professional resources and guidance aimed towards enhancing global competitiveness.
Each university pledges, as part of the membership agreement, to bring five industry or governmental partners on-board, which yields a strong industry commitment of more than 30 members. The membership fee for industries is $50,000 per year. While that is a substantial commitment, it is a mere fraction of what the industry partners would pay to do independent research. It allows them to leverage their research and development funds while gaining access to multi-university centers renowned for their innovative research capabilities.
University researchers benefit from collaborative efforts with their counterparts at the other institutions, increasing productivity by avoiding duplication of work. They are also not competing against each other for the same niche research funding. They have the advantage of exposure to ‘real world' industry research needs.
Industrial partners are able to benefit from the talents and resources of the universities, directing research toward topics which may otherwise not be investigated. They are permitted to jointly discuss pre-competitive work without direct violation of anti-trust laws. This partnership also proves to be an excellent recruiting tool, building the future for the company and providing job opportunities for graduates.
The School of Mines has already seen considerable benefits from its Friction Stir Processing I/UCRC, which was started in October 2004. It has given many students the opportunity to participate and be funded in their research efforts.
"We bring the undergraduates in early, get them excited, and engage them in research. In the beginning they may not completely understand everything they are asked to do in the lab, but as they go through their academic courses, what they see in the classroom becomes more tangible because they have seen how it is applied," Bill Arbegast, director, Center for Friction Stir Processing, said. "It is also quite an honor to be chosen to be the host university for our second NSF I/UCRC."
