Iowa State to Create NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals

The Iowa State University is the recipient of a $18.5 million grant to create the National Science Foundation Engineering (NSF) Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals. The grant is part of the NSF’s Generation Three Engineering Research Centers designed “to create university and industry partnerships in research and education that promote innovation, transform engineered systems, advance technology and produce engineering graduates who can creatively contribute to US competitive advantage in a global economy”.

For Iowa State, the grant will be used to develop technologies for plant based chemical industry and other biorenewables, utilizing both the biocatalytic and chemical catalytic technologies. Undergraduate and graduate students will be educated to become creative and innovative engineers by exposing them in multidisciplinary research and international partnerships. Education efforts will also be geared towards pre-college students and teachers that bring engineering concepts into their classrooms to stimulate students to study engineering and science.

For details on the grant and the various efforts planned, see article at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2008/sep/CBiRC.shtml