| October 1, 2009 | Vol. 3. No. 17 |
IN THIS ISSUE:U-M ENERGY NEWS, ENERGY NEWS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES and COMPETITIONS, STUDY OPPORTUNITIES , EVENTS and CALLS FOR PAPERS
U-M ENERGY NEWS
As society's needs shift, 'U' energy researchers respond
Dennis Assanis, director of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, said the MMPEI’s origin in nuclear energy research after World War II illustrates, in part, the University’s tendency to follow society’s technological and scientific needs. The historical precedent in responding to contemporary research challenges has prepared the University for the recent push in energy studies, he said.
National Energy Summit : "Energy is everything"
Wednesday, Sept. 23, some of the sharpest minds aimed at the nation’s energy future were in Washington, DC. The goal: Lay out specific strategies to meet U.S. energy and sustainability challenges. Highlights of the summit include:
- U-M President Mary Sue Coleman spoke on Wednesday, Sept. 23rd morning's panel on 'Jumpstarting Energy Infrastructure & Manufacturing. To view the panel's discussion visit here.
- To view additional videos from the two day event, visit http://www.compete.org/nes/event_videos/
- To view Energy Institute communications director, Sue Nichols' blog of the conference, visit http://umenergyinstitute.blogspot.com/
Energy institute sponsors offshore wind seminar
Werner Zielke will be speaking on North campus 10 a.m. - noon Friday, Oct. 2, Ford Auditorium, Room 1610, Industrial and Operations Engineering Building, on the political, geographical and economical impact of offshore wind production. He will also discuss the structural design challenges of offshore wind structures.
Federal stimulus awards to U-M researchers top $100 million
University of Michigan scientists and engineers have been awarded more than 260 federal stimulus-package research grants to date, totaling $103.2 million.The funding includes 188 National Institutes of Health stimulus awards and 70 from the National Science Foundation. 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.
ENERGY NEWS
DOE to fund up to $454 million for retrofit ramp-ups in energy efficiency
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced a new $450 million program designed to catalyze a nationwide energy upgrade that experts estimate could save $100 million annually in utility bills for households and businesses. The Recovery Act's "Retrofit Ramp-Up" program will pioneer innovative models for rolling out energy efficiency to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in a variety of communities. Much like past roll-outs for cable TV or the Internet, the Department of Energy (DOE) intends to create models that, when undertaken nationally, will save consumers billions of dollars on their utility bills and make the huge savings of energy efficiency available to everyone.
Rediscovering natural gas by hitting rock bottom
New drilling techniques make it possible to extract natural gas from deep shale rock formations. The advances mean the United States has more abundant natural gas resources than previously believed. Gas advocates say it could significantly alter the future U.S. energy picture. To hear all of the podcasts in the NPR series: Exploring Shale: The Quest For Natural Gas.
Nissan unveils EV model for mass market
Nissan has unveiled the LEAF, an all-new EV that's been billed as the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, the LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that seats five adults and has a range of more than 100 miles (160km) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements.
The answer to China's future energy demands may be blowing in the wind
Wind power is growing by leaps and bounds in China and might one day supply a significant portion of the country's electricity needs--but not until it surmounts a host of challenges
IEA Wind Energy 2008 Annual Report now available
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES and COMPETITIONS
Next Generation Nuclear Plant Program-Gas Cooled Reactor Design and Demonstration Projects - Due 11/16/09
Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Nuclear Energy is seeking applications for conceptual design activities for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project. The overall Project involves establishing a prototype high temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (HTGR) and an associated energy delivery system. After studying a variety of options, DOE has determined that an HTGR facility with an outlet temperature of 750°C or greater would best meet the objectives of the Project. This is funding opportunity DE-FOA-0000149.
BSF CALL FOR PROPOSALS IN ENERGY RESEARCH - Due 11/12/09
The call is limited to applications in Renewable Energy, Alternative Energy, and Energy Efficiency. Applications must be submitted jointly by, at least one Israeli and one American scientist as required in all BSF research proposals. Opening a proposal in this special program can be made only by contacting the BSF office (972-2-5828239).
Competition - Alternative Energy Solutions: Lessons from the developing world - Due 10/16/09
This competition is designed to encourage students to create cost effective alternative energy solutions that are scalable to all income levels, in the U.S. and beyond. Currently, most alternative energy solutions available in the market are not affordable to individuals in the median to low income range. The task is to develop affordable alternative energy solutions by learning from innovative approaches used in developing countries. This competition is brought to you by the generous support of Richard Rosmarin, Managing Director of Cornerstone Management, a University of Michigan Engineering ’78 graduate, in partnership with the Center for Entrepreneurship and MPowered.
Zayed Future Energy Prize - Due 10/16/09
The Zayed Future Energy Prize is seeking nominations for its annual award that recognizes global energy innovators who are creating solutions to address one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. The Zayed Prize is one of the top awards in the industry providing global recognition, as well as a $1.5M first prize and $350K for two finalists.
H - Prize - Due 02/15/10
The H-Prize is managed by the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program in the U.S. Department of Energy. The 2009-11, $1 million prize will be awarded in the area of storage materials in mobile systems for light-duty vehicles. For more information visit http://hydrogenprize.org/ and http://hydrogenprize.org/pdf/fedRegister_notice.pdf
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/info/index.html for additional details and funding opportunities
STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
The Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellowship
Application Due Date: Nov. 30
The Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellowship program will award up to $12.5 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in early 2010 to support at least 80 graduate fellowships to U.S. students to pursue graduate training in basic research in areas of physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computational sciences, and environmental science. The goal: encourage the development of the next generation scientific and technical talent in the U.S. The Fellowship award provides partial tuition support, an annual stipend for living expenses, and a research stipend for full-time graduate study and thesis/dissertation research at a U.S. academic institution for three years.
German Academic Exchange Service Science Tour 2009
Application Due Date: Fri., Oct. 16
Conference Dates: Dec. 6 - 12
In December 2009, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will sponsor an informational visit on current developments in engineering in Germany, addressing various aspects of higher education, research funding, interdisciplinary cooperation and industrial application. Special attention will be given to the development of the use of regenerative energies, mainly wind and solar energy. Participants will learn about current research at the various institutions visited, and will meet with possible future partners in research and student exchange. For more information visit: http://www.daad.org/?p=sciencetour
UPCOMING EVENTS
Offshore Wind Energy Seminar
Friday, Oct. 2
10:00 a.m. - noon
Ford Auditorium, 1610 Industrial and Operation Engineering Building
1205 Beal Street
University of Michigan, North Campus
Speaker: Werner Zielke, U-M alumnus who most recently was a professor of fluid mechanics and director of the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Computer Applications in Civil Engineering at Leibniz Universität in Hannover, Germany.
Global Warming, Plentiful Oil, Congestion And The Failure Of Bio-Alternatives: What Is To Be Done?
Friday, Oct. 2
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dana Building, School of Natural Resources and Environment,
Room 1040
Speaker: Thomas W. O'Donnell of The New School for Social Research in New York and
Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas
Organic Photovoltaics Summit USA
Oct. 15 - 16
Boston, MA
The Business of Plugging In
Oct. 19 - 21
Detroit, MI
The Ecology Center Presents: Bill McKibben
Wed., Nov. 11
8:00 p.m.
Rackham Auditorium
915 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI
E3 2009: The Midwest's Premier Energy, Economic and Environmental Conference
Tues., Nov. 17
Saint Paul RiverCentre
Saint Paul, MN
CALLS FOR PAPERS
Call for Papers: ASME 2010 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability
Abstracts Due: Sept. 30, 2009
Conference: May 17 - 22, 2010
Phoenix, AZ
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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