Planning Grant: I/UCRC for Next Generation Photovoltaics

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

PROGRAM DIRECTOR'S RECOMMENDATION IIP 1238288 University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) Duscher The University of Tennessee Knoxville is planning to join the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) entitled Center for Next Generation Photovoltaics which is a multi-university center comprised of the University of Texas-Austin (UTA) and the Colorado State University (CSU). The existing Center focuses on the advancement of CdTe & CIGS thin films, thermal process modeling, imaging, and nanocrystal systems. The goal of this proposal is to seek NSF funding to for a planning meeting to allow the University of Tennessee Knoxville to recruit industry support to allow it to join an existing I/UCRC Center focused on Next-Generation Photovoltaics (NGP). Participation by UTK will expand the scope of the existing I/UCRC to include research on organic materials, thin-film silicon materials and artificial photosynthesis. Low-cost, reliable photovoltaics would lead to widespread adoption of solar energy as a renewable energy source. Solar energy utilization is critically important to the future of the planet. It is also an excellent training arena for future scientists and engineers because it is highly interdisciplinary, necessitating communication and interaction across disciplines. The I/UCRC efforts will also be interfaced with key educational programs at UTK, CSU, and UTA, as well as leveraging capabilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The industrial partnerships in the I/UCRC will be vital to the success of this program. The Center will have a team of faculty and students that is diverse in gender, race and ethnicity.