Building on long standing relationships with major universities (Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA, and West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV), the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is helping to overcome a growing national problem of a diminishing number of new energy experts by expanding upon university collaborations through its Office of Research and Development, with a focus on coal and power system research.

While energy is the cornerstone of the nation's economy, recent collegiate trends have shown a decreasing interest in science and engineering, more specifically in the energy and energy-related environmental arenas. NETL's Office of Research and Development (ORD) has entered into 50 collaborative projects [PDF-156KB] since 2005, where university and NETL researchers work side-by-side for the duration of each project. Unlike other programs where “visiting” students spend a week or month conducting research in a government or private laboratory, this effort establishes long-term relationships between university and NETL researchers who work collaboratively on projects ranging from materials development to modeling, sensors and controls, process simulations, fuel cells, gas hydrates, and measurement, mitigation & verification. All research for these projects is being conducted at NETL laboratories in Morgantown and Pittsburgh .

The collaborative research supports the overall mission of NETL to assure that U.S. fossil energy resources can meet the increasing demand for affordable energy without compromising the quality of life for future generations of Americans. Building closer ties with the local universities complements NETL research efforts on energy and energy-related environmental systems development, while helping to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers who will be helping to overcome the challenges of environmental impact, supply, and reliability so often associated with fossil fuel use. Through these collaborations, NETL hopes to tap the kind of student talent for medicine, computers, and robotics that are drawn to these major regional universities, and apply that talent in the energy arena. A goal of the university participants is to achieve something through collaboration that could not be accomplished working separately, and to allow students the opportunity to experience the way research is conducted in non-academic settings.

For more information on the University Collaboration projects, contact: Michael Nowak.