| August 18, 2009 | Vol. 3. No. 14 |
IN THIS ISSUE: U-M ENERGY NEWS, ENERGY NEWS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES and EVENTS
U-M ENERGY NEWS
University of Michigan's $2.5 million grant cash will go toward education for a greener auto industry
The University of Michigan aims to electrify the transportation industry, using $2.5 million in grant funds to develop new curriculum and programs. The funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used for undergraduate and graduate courses, high school curriculum and summer camps, and public seminars, said Huei Peng, professor in the U-M Department of Mechanical Engineering and executive director of the Interdisciplinary and Professional education programs. For the Phoenx Energy Institute story on the announcement, see /energy.umich.edu/.
$1 billion in battery grants may recharge Michigan's talent base
A newly announced $1.36 billion injection into 11 companies and universities in Michigan might offer some of the best and brightest a reason to stay. These and other recent federal grants give the state a better shot at reversing the brain drain, veteran U.S. Rep. John Dingell told University of Michigan researchers and administrators. "We hope we can keep them home so they can do those things to move our economy forward," said Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat who visited the Ann Arbor campus after the announcement. Stephen Forrest, the university's vice president for research, said the state is rich in engineering and scientific talent but has lagged in turning those skills into new business ideas,
U-M researchers awarded $61.1 million in federal stimulus funds
University of Michigan scientists and engineers have been awarded 159 federal stimulus-package research grants to date, totaling $61.1 million. The funding includes 113 National Institutes of Health stimulus awards, more than any other U.S. university or college. Stimulus funds from the NIH, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy will support a variety of U-M basic science, biomedical and engineering projects, from novel cancer and vaccine studies to research on ultra-energy-efficient computers and the next generation of rechargeable batteries. In addition, stimulus-package funding from the Energy Department will pay for a $19.5 million U-M research center to explore new materials for solar cells.
Engineering projects, partnerships promise to boost economy
Cleaner energy and safer bridges are among the research goals the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering can pursue in more depth thanks to federal stimulus funding and other grants—part of the university’s growing, coordinated effort to accelerate economic recovery. U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) visited campus today to highlight these projects and underscore their potential to help transform the region.
ENERGY NEWS
GM claims Chevrolet Volt will get 230 mpg
General Motors claims the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric vehicle will get at least 230 mpg in the city when it hits the road late next year. That’s more than four times higher than the Toyota Prius, the current EPA fuel-economy champ.
First U.S. "Power Tower" lights up California
Turning the sun's heat into electricity--by concentrating it with thousands of mirrors onto a tower
The future of energy: A realist's roadmap to 2050
Which technologies will finally free us from oil?
DOE unveils hydrodynamic testing facilities database
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program recently unveiled a new database containing information on the test capabilities and services of a variety of U.S. hydrodynamic test facilities. The first-of-its-kind database encompasses 81 commercial, academic, and government facilities and offshore berths in 18 states, and will directly facilitate the testing of technologies designed to extract energy from waves and the currents of oceans, tides, and rivers.
EPA praises Ann Arbor for sustainable energy usage
Tree Town made the EPA's new Top 20 On-site Green Power Users List. The ciity annually generates almost 9 million kilowatt-hours of biogas, hydro and solar power. That equates to about 20 percent of its electricity use and 12.5 percent of energy for its entire municipal operations.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass Engineering - Due 9/17/09. Full Proposal Window 2: 2/1/10 - 3/3/10
The Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass Engineering program deals with fundamental problems involved in the processing and manufacturing of products of economic importance by effectively utilizing renewable resources of biological origin and bioinformatics originating from genomic and proteomic information.
The BBBE program emphasizes basic engineering and biological research that advances the fundamental knowledge base that contributes to a better understanding of cellular and biomolecular. Quantitative assessments of bioprocesses and their rates at the levels of gene regulation and expression, signal transduction pathways, posttranslational protein processing, enzymes in reaction systems, metabolic pathways, cells and tissues in cultivation, and biological systems including animal, plant, microbial and insect cells, etc. are considered vital to the successful research projects in the BBBE program.
Approx. $100 thousand/year for single investigators; $200 thousand/year for multiple investigators for one to three years. This is funding opportunity number: NSF PD 10-1491
Expansion of Infrastructure for Higher Ethanol Blends - Due 10/04/09
This funding opportunity announcement aims to increase the availability and use of potential gasoline/ethanol blends up to E85 (85 percent ethanol) through two topic areas.
Topic Area 1: Refueling Infrastructure for Ethanol Blends cost-shared projects to modify, upgrade, or expand the infrastructure at retail fueling locations to accommodate gasoline-ethanol blends up to E85.
Topic Area 2: Outreach for Ethanol Blends projects which will increase public awareness of the benefits, safety, and use of ethanol blends as a transportation fuel
Up to five awards totaling $5.5 million will be funded. This is funding opportunity number: DE-FOA-0000125.
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/info/index.html for additional details and funding opportunities or contact Greg Sadler, jgsadler@umich.edu
UPCOMING EVENTS
Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Jobs in the Buildings Industry - Workforce Overview
A Department of Energy webinar will provide an overview of jobs involved with retrofitting existing homes to improve energy efficiency, and specifically look at:
• Overview of energy efficiency and retrofit jobs
• Job skills and scaling up training
• Partnering between community colleges and workforce agencies
• Overview of certifications
• State and local workforce practices
Thursday, Aug. 27, noon-1:30 p.m.
IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference
This year the conference will feature the theme of sustainability: hybrid, plug-in, fuel cell and battery technology.
Sept. 7 - 11
Dearborn
University of Michigan 14th Annual Energy Fest
Tuesday, Sept. 15 - Central Campus
Thursday, Sept. 17 - North Campus
Keynote Speaker: Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czar at Google
Tues Sept. 15, 4 - 5:30 p.m.
1040 Dana Building, 440 Church St.
The National Energy Summit & International Dialogue
Sept. 23 - 24
Washington, D.C.
ACEEE's 5th National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource
Sept. 27-29
The Drake Hotel, Chicago
Organic Photovoltaics Summit USA
Oct. 15 - 16
Boston
The Business of Plugging In
Oct. 19 - 21
Detroit
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/careers/opportunities for information on University of Michigan open faculty positions and opportunites in energy research.
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