NSF IGERT Program in Multidisciplinary Approaches to Sustainable Bioenergy

对燃料的需求正在增加，而石油生产水平接近峰值，人们越来越意识到温室气体产生的问题。替代能源、可再生能源和可持续能源将需要满足未来的能源需求。以植物为基础的材料生产的生物燃料是一个有吸引力的选择。然而，生物燃料产业必须以一种综合的方式发展，以实现经济、环境和社会可持续性的目标。这将需要新一代的科学家和工程师，他们了解生物精炼技术的整个范围，并重视他们的技术决策对生态、经济和社会的影响。同样，接触生物精炼行业技术方面的经济学家将更有能力制定准确的政策。目前还不存在这种跨学科的培训。该综合研究生教育和研究培训（IGERT）奖支持生物精炼和生物燃料综合研究生教育项目的发展，该项目将使博士毕业生对生物燃料行业有一个全面的看法。四个重点领域定义了这种综合和全面的培训：作物科学和植物生物技术；生物质能转换;产品工程;以及经济和环境评估。该计划结合了跨学科的团队合作，多学科的课程，以及跨越重点领域的研究项目。该项目将致力于增加未被充分代表的学生获得科学、技术和工程博士学位的人数，并将与科罗拉多州立大学普韦布洛分校合作。这个IGERT项目的毕业生将为拥有高影响力的职业生涯和为生物燃料行业做出贡献做好独特的准备。IGERT是一项nsf范围内的计划，旨在满足教育美国博士科学家和工程师的挑战，他们具有跨学科背景，所选学科的深厚知识，以及未来职业需求所需的技术，专业和个人技能。该计划旨在通过建立创新的研究生教育和培训模式，在一个超越传统学科界限的合作研究的肥沃环境中，促进研究生教育的文化变革。

Demand for fuel is increasing, while petroleum production levels are near their peak and there is a growing awareness of the problem of greenhouse gas generation. Alternative, renewable, and sustainable energy sources will be needed to meet future energy demands. Biofuels, produced from plant-based materials, are an attractive option. However, the biofuels industry must be developed in an integrated manner so that the goals of economic, environmental, and sociological sustainability are achieved. This will require a new generation of scientists and engineers who understand the entire spectrum of biorefining technology and also appreciate the ecological, economic, and social impacts of their technological decisions. Similarly, economists with exposure to the technological aspects of the biorefining industry will be better poised to develop accurate policies. Such interdisciplinary training does not currently exist. This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award supports the development of the Integrated Graduate Education in Biorefining and Biofuels program, which will prepare PhD graduates to have a comprehensive perspective on the biofuels industry. Four focus areas define this integrated and comprehensive training: crop sciences and plant biotechnology; biomass conversions; product engineering; and economic and environmental assessment. This program incorporates cross-disciplinary teamwork, coursework in multiple disciplines, and research projects that span focus areas. The program will work to increase the numbers underrepresented students receiving doctoral degrees in science, technology, and engineering, and will include a collaboration with Colorado State-Pueblo. Graduates of this IGERT program will be uniquely prepared to have high-impact careers and to contribute to the biofuels industry. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.