The U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Ukraine for Education and Science (MESU) are pleased to announce the creation of a new Research and Education Center to be located at the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.

The new center -- “Nanomaterials in Energy Generation and Accumulation Devices” -- will carry out fundamental and applied research in nanotechnologies for energy efficiency such as cathode, solar-electric and thermoelectric materials.  The center will feature state-of-the-art research equipment to attract and retain high-quality faculty, innovative educational programs that link coursework with current research, and collaborations connecting the center with Ukrainian and international research partners.

This Center for Energy Efficiency Technologies is the second established by CRDF and the Ministry of Ukraine for Education and Science under the bilateral CREST program (Cooperation in Research, Education, Science, and Technology), and the first involving support from the United States Agency for International Development.  CREST aims to accelerate Ukraine’s transition to a knowledge-based economy through reinvigorating scientific research and higher education in Ukraine.  CREST Research and Education Centers strengthen the research capabilities of Ukrainian universities to meet economic and technological needs, and train the next generation of young Ukrainian scientists in key technology fields.

The first CREST Research and Education Center, “Geotechnical Systems Stability,” was established in 2007 at the National Mining University in Dnipropetrovsk.  This initial Center is focused on mining safety and environmentally sound mining techniques.

The CREST Research and Education Center in Ivano-Frankivsk was competitively selected from among six applicant universities. The center is planning to open its doors in January 2009.

CRDF envisions establishing additional centers focused on areas of importance to Ukraine’s future, including public health, information technologies, and agricultural technologies.  For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please visit our CREST overview or e-mail CREST.

United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) assistance focuses on the following areas: Economic Growth, Democracy and Governance, Health and Social Sector. Since 1992, USAID has provided $1.6 billion worth of technical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine to further the processes of democratic development, economic restructuring and social sector reform in the region. For additional information about this and other USAID programs in Ukraine, please call USAID's Office of Program Coordination, at  tel. (044) 537-4600  or visit the USAID Web site at: http:// ukraine.usaid.gov

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