Fostering Major Sustainable Energy Research Centers in the Upper Midwest EPSCoR States: CLEANTECH 2010 Workshop and Action Summit

回应国家？S对长期可持续供应负担得起、环境可接受的能源的担忧，联邦和州资助机构，包括国家科学基金会，大幅增加了国家？S大学和研究机构进行可持续能源相关研究的机会。现在存在大规模合作的机会，以形成和竞争主要研究中心，如NSF工程研究中心计划。与此同时，作为对这一方向的回应，美国几乎每一所主要的研究型大学都成立了一个或多个研究小组，专注于这一主题的某个方面。上中西部EPSCoR州的研究型大学也不例外。智力价值为了争夺主要研究中心，EPSCoR州可持续能源研究小组需要：1)向其他研究人员突出他们在可持续能源方面的技术成就、专业知识和兴趣；2)与其他机构的研究人员发展关系/联系，3)获得制定和规划重大能源研究计划的知识和经验，4)建立商业技术使能实体和技术最终用户公司网络，这是主要研究中心的重要和必要组成部分，以及5)获得关于如何与部落学院和少数族裔服务机构合作的信息。像大多数EPSCoR州立大学一样，上中西部EPSCoR州的学校缺乏内部经验和资源，无法轻松有效地建立竞争主要研究中心的必要要素。我们提议在2010年6月举办这次研讨会和行动峰会，目的是通过为期两天的一系列演讲、分组会议、圆桌讨论和网络活动来解决这四个领域的需求。我们的目标是将上中西部EPSCoR州几乎所有与能源相关的研究小组与资助机构代表、来自当前成功的中心、国家实验室、代表性不足的团体和商界领袖的代表聚集在一起。希望通过这次会议，EPSCoR的研究人员将更好地了解可持续能源技术的现状，并建立联系和伙伴关系，以促进参与研究小组的重大研究中心提案活动。广泛影响技术会议将包括五个重点领域：可再生燃料、化学品和材料；扩散能源：地热、太阳能和风能；煤炭的可持续利用和碳捕获；节能技术；以及新能源技术(任何不适合其他领域的技术)。其他会议包括技术转让、与风险投资集团合作、与国家实验室合作、与少数族裔服务机构(MSI)建立关系、与部落组织合作、寻找研究合作伙伴、技术/企业孵化器的作用，以及EPSCoR？S在促进重大研究中心提案活动中的作用。将鼓励来自EPSCoR大学和MSI的参与者参加，并将利用旅行奖学金促进他们的参与。

Responding to the nation?s concerns related to the long term sustainable supply of affordable, environmentally acceptable sources of energy, Federal and State funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation have substantially increased the opportunities for sustainable energy related research by the nation?s universities and research institutions. Opportunities now exist for large scale collaborations to form and compete for major research centers such as the NSF Engineering Research Centers program. Concurrently and in response to this direction, almost every major research university in the United States has formed one or more research group that focuses on some aspect of this topic. The research universities of the Upper Midwest EPSCoR states are no exception to this trend.Intellectual MeritIn order to compete for major research centers, EPSCoR state sustainable energy research groups need to: 1) highlight their technological achievements, expertise, and interests in sustainable energy to other researchers; 2) develop relationships/connections with researchers at other institutions, 3) gain knowledge and experience in formulating and planning major energy research programs, 4) establish a network of commercial technology enabling entities and technology end user companies that are an important and necessary component of major research centers, and 5) gain information on how to partner with tribal colleges and minority serving institutions. Like most EPSCoR state universities, the schools of the Upper Midwest EPSCoR states lack the internal experience and resources to easily and effectively establish the necessary ingredients to compete for major research centers.The objective of this workshop and action summit, which we proposed to conduct in June 2010, is to address these four areas of need through a series of speakers, breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, and networking activities over the course of two days. Our objective is to bring together virtually all of the energy-related research groups in the Upper Midwest EPSCoR states along with funding agency representatives, representatives from current, successful centers, national labs, underrepresented groups, and business leaders. From this meeting it is hoped that EPSCoR researchers will have a better understanding of the state of sustainable energy technology and that contacts will be made and partnerships formed to facilitate major research center proposal activities by the participating research groups.Broader ImpactsThe technical sessions will include five focus areas: renewable fuels, chemicals and materials; energy from diffuse sources: geothermal, solar, and wind; the sustainable use of coal and carbon capture; energy conservation technologies; and novel energy technologies (anything that doesn?t fit in the other areas). Other sessions include technology transfer, working with venture capital groups, partnering with national labs, establishing relationships with minority serving institutions (MSIs), working with tribal organizations, finding research partnerships, the role of technology/business incubators, and EPSCoR?s role in facilitating major research center proposal activities. Participants from EPSCoR universities as well as MSIs will be encouraged to participate and travel fellowships will be used to facilitate their participation.