{"39652":{"#nid":"39652","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Strategic Energy Institute Announces Funding Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough its annual seed funding for innovation in energy research, Tech\u0027s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) has chosen four proposals in the Creating Energy Options (CEO) program. The Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Innovation provides the funding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOpen only to Georgia Tech faculty and researchers, the program focuses on technologies and ideas with the potential to be commercialized or to streamline the processes involved in the implementation of energy options in the \u0022near-term\u0022-three to five years. Begun in 2005, the CEO program grants one year of research funding. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor 2009, researchers submitted 38 proposals, the highest number in the program\u0027s four years. Proposals were solicited from April 1 to May 1. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe four proposals chosen are as follows:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStrain-Relaxed Photovoltaics for High Efficiency Solar Energy Conversion, from Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Assistant Professor Michael A. Filler\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENovel Oxide Photo-Electrolytic Hydrogen Generator, from School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Alan Doolittle\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECreation and Implementation of a Web-based Biomass Resource Identification and Routing System (BRIARS), by Center for Geographic Information Systems Research Scientist Tony Giarrusso and School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Associate Professor Matthew J. Realff\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMixed Metal Oxide Nanoparticulate Catalysts for Hydrogen Production from Water, from School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Z. John Zhang.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESubmissions are required to be new or at least a new application to research already being investigated, according to Mary Hallisey Hunt, director of Special Projects for SEI. \u0022We ask that proposals focus on new research or a new way to look at existing research,\u0022 she said. Filler\u0027s submission, for example, is a different approach to photovoltaic research from what others are doing across the Institute.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Mark Allen and the Office of the Provost are very committed to energy research,\u0022 Hunt said. \u0022It\u0027s great they want to have these funds available, and they encourage faculty of all disciplines to participate.\u0022 The senior vice provost\u0027s office and SEI waive all overhead costs for evaluating the proposals and waive all tuition remission for proposals involving student research. \u0022We encourage student participation, and in some cases, give greater weight to projects that have this featured.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis year, the review panel included researchers from the colleges of Engineering and Sciences, as well as institutional research centers not directly affiliated with an academic unit. The awards are open to anyone who is conducting sponsored research at Georgia Tech. A proposal review committee selects the final proposals for funding. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor those not selected, Hunt says committee members occasionally can direct researchers toward others in the Institute conducting similar research. \u0022It\u0027s a good opportunity for networking with other energy researchers,\u0022 she said. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor several researchers, this program can also lead to additional funding opportunities in the future. For example, Hunt talks about last year\u0027s proposal on tidal energy research by School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor Herman Fritz and Assistant Professor Kevin Haas, with Georgia Tech\u0026mdash;Savannah. \u0022They leveraged their research with SEI to secure $500,000 in funding from the Department of Energy.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\nThe Web-based BRIARS project, by Center for Geographic Information Systems Research Scientist Tony Giarrusso and School of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Associate Professor Matthew Realff\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe proposal extends from research Giarrusso and Realff are already conducting for Chevron. The BRIARS project seeks to take non-proprietary information from the Chevron model and create a Web-based tool for the location and transportation of biomass resources. This interactive resource will then be available for those in industry and academia.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Essentially, we are trying to find optimal locations for new biomass processing plants based on resource availability and transport potential,\u0022 said Giarusso, whose background is in biology, city planning and GIS. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The project will utilize modified results from the Chevron project as inputs for a Web-based system that will allow users to click a point on a map to identify the amount of resources within a set distance of the point clicked. It will be a quick way for someone to evaluate an area for a potential biomass conversion plant or something of that nature.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiarrusso says he brings the \u0022GIS technical know-how to the project,\u0022 while Realff brings his experience in energy and research, especially as it relates to biomass conversion. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERealff has successfully submitted one previous project under the SEI grant on biomass conversion to fuels. \u0022I have been working with CGIS for a number of years on different projects, most notably on the use of GIS and other urban planning tools to look at recycling as an urban redevelopment strategy [with City and Regional Planning Professor] Nancey Green Leigh and [CGIS Director] Steven French.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our goal with the award is two-fold,\u0022 Giarrusso said. \u0022First, create an easy-to-use, GIS-based system that allows for effortless identification of biomass resources and optimal, multi-modal transportation routes across the region. Secondly, we hope to leverage this work into a larger project of similar nature, maybe for the entire country.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Through its annual seed funding for innovation in energy research, Tech\u0027s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) has chosen four proposals in the Creating Energy Options (CEO) program. The Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Innovation provides the funding.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"SEI has chosen four proposals for its Creating Energy Options pr"}],"uid":"27191","created_gmt":"2009-07-20 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:25","author":"Robert Nesmith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"39653":{"id":"39653","type":"image","title":"Solar arrays line the top of the Campus Recreation","body":null,"created":"1449174110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:21:50","changed":"1475894260","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:40","alt":"Solar arrays line the top of the Campus Recreation","file":{"fid":"189681","name":"txx17689.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txx17689_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txx17689_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13360,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txx17689_2.jpg?itok=L-BZRui1"}}},"media_ids":["39653"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.coa.gatech.edu\/cgis","title":"Center for Geographic Information Systems"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.energy.gatech.edu\/","title":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1891","name":"Creating Energy Options"},{"id":"1890","name":"Energy @ Tech"},{"id":"167357","name":"SEI"},{"id":"167358","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EMary Hallisey Hunt\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESEI\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=mh54\u0022\u003EContact Mary Hallisey Hunt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3065\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mary.hunt@energy.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}