DORGAN ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN RRVRC AND ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY
Sustainable Energy Action Summit marks the first day of this important joint venture for the RRVRC
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551
(FARGO, N.D.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) today announced that Argonne National Laboratory, a Department of Energy laboratory run by the University of Chicago, is entering into a partnership with the Red River Valley Research Corridor to research important energy projects and grow the research abilities of both institutions.
The news came at today’s Sustainable Energy Innovations Action Summit, co-hosted by Dorgan, the Red River Valley Research Corridor, North Dakota State University, the University of North Dakota, the Energy and Environmental Research Center at UND, Argonne National Laboratory, and Northwestern University.
Dorgan said that this regional partnership between Argonne Laboratory and the universities in the Red River Valley Research Corridor will lead to an increased level of high-tech energy research conducted in North Dakota and building new initiatives between the two organizations.
“This is a true testament to the success of the Red River Valley Research Corridor,” said Dorgan. “Our nation’s Department of Energy national labs are hotbeds of technological development and research, and Argonne wants to build on the innovation happening here in North Dakota with a partnership that will allow them to work together on the greatest energy challenges facing the nation. This is an exciting day for the Research Corridor, one that will lead to a growth in our research industry and attract new, high-paying jobs to the state.”
Dorgan, who conceived the idea of the Red River Valley Research Corridor in 2002, was joined at the press conference by Dr. Alfred P. Sattelberger, Associate Lab Director for Energy Sciences and Engineering at Argonne National Lab; Dr. Steven Koonin, U.S. Department of Energy Undersecretary for Science; and Joseph Chapman, President of North Dakota State University.
Argonne National Laboratory is a multi-program laboratory with a mission focus and deep capabilities in basic and applied materials science, chemistry and chemical engineering, energy technology and analysis, high-performance computing, physics and biosciences. The lab has been working closely with NDSU and UND since the research corridor’s inception and the three-party partnership would allow for greater energy initiatives to be undertaken by these institutions.
“This three-party partnership will support President Obama’s plan to reinvigorate the American scientific enterprise,” Argonne Director Eric Isaacs said. “It will open the door to university faculty exchanges and expand the educational opportunities for UND and NDSU students by means of internships. Argonne runs very robust graduate and undergraduate research programs that pair some of the world’s brightest scientists with students, who assist in research to solve real world challenges.”
Dorgan is chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee and a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Since he conceived of the Red River Research Corridor in 2002 he has directed more than $586 million in research projects to the corridor. According to a 2006 NDSU study, the corridor has generated $756 million in economic activity in the state and has created 10,200 new jobs.
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