SIF187B GCRI-ERS: Grand Challenge Research Investment-Environmental Resilience and Sustainability. Equipment Core and Clean Energy.

Project Manager: Frederick H. Epstein

BoV Approved: Summer 2022

Project Dates: 1/1/2023 – 12/31/2027

Total Funding: $8,000,000

Executive Summary

This project is made of two components. The first component ($2M) intends to develop a seed funding mechanism and a competition to support promising low emissions/energy concepts to generate preliminary data that will potentially lead to extramurally funded research to continue the work. Funds may be used to support ideas across two disciplines as necessary. While STEM centric, inclusion of non-STEM disciplines is strongly encouraged, especially if it strengthens and differentiates the team from outside competition, for the point of view of funding opportunities and funding agency priorities. The project will be executed during the next two academic years in two stages. First, a $50K investment in 16 projects with an expected duration of 18 months to complete. Second stage will involve a down selection of 4 projects from the 16 and funded at $250K over two subsequent years. Criteria for topics and proposal selection criteria together with success factors to warrant further investment will be developed.

The second component ($6M) focuses on developing world-class infrastructure for the catalysis cluster hire initiative approved under the GC on Environmental Resilience and Sustainability. A state-of-the art instrumentation XPS system has been requested by the group that will put UVA infrastructure as one of the best. Additionally, a request for a SS-NMR instrumentation will be one of the rare finds at an academic institution in the US. This device requires a hire as part of the cluster hire program on catalysis. The project will shepherd these investments and place the catalysis group at a significant international advantage to compete for extramural support.

Current Status: Active

Progress