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Press Release 08-174
NSF Launches Third Generation of Engineering Research Centers with Awards Totaling $92.5 Million
Five new centers will pursue innovations in biorenewable chemicals, green energy systems, communications networks, medical implants and smart lighting.
October 6, 2008
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces the establishment of five new NSF Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) for the development of interdisciplinary research and education programs in partnership with industry. The NSF ERCs share the goal of advancing knowledge, technology, and innovations that address significant societal problems and provide the workforce and technical foundation for economic competitiveness. NSF will invest approximately $92.5 million in the centers over the next five years. Since 1985, the ERC program has fostered broad-based research and education collaborations among university and industry partners to focus on technological breakthroughs that lead to new products and services and on strengthening the capacity of U.S. engineering graduates to compete in global markets. The five centers launched this fall initiate a third generation of NSF ERCs that places increased emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship, partnerships with small research firms and international collaboration and cultural exchange. "The Gen-3 ERCs have been designed to build on the well-developed understanding laid down by the two previous generations of ERCs," says Lynn Preston, leader of NSF's ERC program. "We have added several new dimensions designed to speed the innovation process and prepare engineering graduates who are innovative, creative and understand how to function in a global economy where engineering talent is broadly distributed throughout the world. We expect these ERCs to make even more significant impacts on the competitiveness of U.S. industry than their predecessors." Including the new awards, NSF supports 15 ERCs in the areas of biotechnology and health care; energy, sustainability and infrastructure; and microelectronics, sensing and information technology. Brief descriptions of the new centers follow. The NSF ERC for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC), based at Iowa State University, seeks to transform the existing petrochemical-based chemical industry to one based on renewable materials. More The NSF ERC for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems, based at North Carolina State University, will conduct research to transform the nation's power grid into an efficient network that integrates alternative energy generation and new storage methods with existing power sources. More The NSF ERC for Integrated Access Networks (CIAN), based at the University of Arizona, will conduct research to create transformative technologies for optical access networks that offer dramatically improved performance and expanded capabilities. More The NSF ERC for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials, based at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, aims to transform current medial and surgical treatments by creating "smart" implants for craniofacial, dental, orthopedic and cardiovascular interventions. More The NSF Smart Lighting ERC, based at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, aims to create new solid-state lighting technologies to enable rapid biological imaging, novel modes of communication, efficient displays and safer transportation. More
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Media Contacts
Joshua A. Chamot, NSF (703) 292-7730 jchamot@nsf.gov
Cecile J. Gonzalez, NSF (703) 292-8070 cjgonzal@nsf.gov
Shena Crittendon, North Carolina A&T (336) 256-0861 scritten@ncat.edu
Nate DeGraff, NCSU (919) 515-3848 nate_degraff@ncsu.edu
Jeff Harrison, University of Arizona (520) 626-4386 jeffh@u.arizona.edu
Mike Krapfl, Iowa State (515) 294-4917 mkrapfl@iastate.edu
Michael Mullaney, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (518) 276-6161 mullam@rpi.edu
Angelica Urquijo, University of Southern California (213) 740-6568 urquijo@usc.edu
Program Contacts
Lynn Preston, Leader of the NSF ERC Program (703) 292-5358 lpreston@nsf.gov
Leon Esterowitz, Program Officer for NSF ERC for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials (703) 292-7942 lesterow@nsf.gov
Lawrence S. Goldberg, Program Office for NSF ERC for Integrated Access Networks (703) 292-8339 lgoldber@nsf.gov
Frederick G. Heineken, Program Officer for NSF ERC for Biorenewable Chemicals (703) 292-7944 fheineke@nsf.gov
Deborah J. Jackson, Program Officer for NSF Smart Lighting ERC (703) 292-7499 djackson@nsf.gov
Barbara H. Kenny, Program Officer for NSF ERC for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems (703) 292-4667 bkenny@nsf.gov
Principal Investigators
Alex Huang, NCSU (919) 513-7387 aqhuang@ncsu.edu
Nasser Peyghambarian, University of Arizona (520) 621-4649 nnp@u.arizona.edu
Jagannathan "Jag" Sankar, North Carolina A&T (336) 256-1151 sankar@ncat.edu
E. Fred Schubert, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (518) 276-8775 efschubert@rpi.edu
Brent Shanks, Iowa State (515) 294-1895 bshanks@iastate.edu
Related Websites
NSF ERC Program Web Site: http://www.erc-assoc.org
NSF ERC for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC): http://www.cbirc.iastate.edu/
NSF ERC for FREEDM Systems: http://www.freedm.ncsu.edu/
Iowa State press release: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2008/sep/CBiRC.shtml
North Carolina A&T press release: http://www.ncat.edu/press_releases/disp_release.php?ID=3734
NCSU press release: http://news.ncsu.edu/news/2008/09/103ndgerc.php
University of Arizona press release: http://uanews.org/click/21588/1
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that
supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and
engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50
states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year,
NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over
11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in
professional and service contracts yearly.
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