Planning Grant: I/UCRC for Joining the Center for Bioenergy Research and Development

密歇根理工大学(MTU)提议加入现有的生物能源研究和开发中心，该中心目前由南达科他州矿业学院(Lead)、北卡罗来纳州立大学(NCSU)、夏威夷大学、堪萨斯州立大学(KSU)和纽约州立大学石溪分校(SBU)组成。密歇根理工学院的这项提案请求寻求资金，以加入由多所大学组成的国际生物能源研究与开发中心(CBeRD)。CBeRD的研究是高度互动和多机构的。参与该中心的大学确定了六个研究重点：原料农学和供应、原料育种和基因组学、生物加工微生物和酶、生物质加工、新平台技术、建模和过程生命周期分析。在拟议的规划赠款研讨会上，密歇根理工大学将明确在上述领域对CBERD做出贡献的具体研究重点。密歇根理工大学的研究人员致力于创建一种跨越整个交通生物燃料价值链的多学科方法，重点放在森林资源上。CBERD的定位是做出变革性的发现，使木质纤维素和基于石油和脂肪的生物产业能够应对石油供应下降的挑战。拟建地点将作为一个教育环境，为劳动力管道输送所需的工程师和科学家，扩大CBERD的覆盖范围，并将继续努力不仅将少数族裔带入这个不断增长的行业，而且将有助于在经济贫困地区创建一个创新基地。拟议的网站还将致力于改善性别平等。

Michigan Technological University (MTU) proposes to join the existing Center for Bioenergy Research and Development that is currently comprised of the South Dakota School of Mines (lead), North Carolina State University (NCSU), the University of Hawaii, Kansas State University (KSU) and the State University of New York at Stony Brook (SBU). This proposal request from Michigan Tech seeks funding to join the multi-university IUCRC for Bioenergy Research and Development (CBeRD). Research in CBeRD is highly interactive and multi-institutional. Universities participating in the center have identified six research foci: Feedstock agronomy and supply, feedstock breeding and genomics, bioprocessing microbes and enzymes, biomass processing, new platform technologies, and modeling and process lifecycle analysis. At the proposed planning grant workshop, the specific research foci of Michigan Tech's contribution to CBERD in the above areas will be crystallized. Michigan Tech has researchers contributing to create a multidisciplinary approach spanning the entire transportation biofuels value chain with a focus on forest resources.CBERD is positioned to make transformative discoveries that enable the ligocellulosic and oil and fats based bio-industries to meet the challenge of declining petroleum supply. The proposed site will serve as an educational environment to fill the workforce pipeleine with engineers and scientists needed, will extend the reach of CBERD, and will continue to strive to not only bring minorities into this growing industry, but will help create an innovative base in economically deprived areas. The proposed site will also work on improving gender equality.