NCESR. The Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research (NCESR), a collaboration between the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), was established in April 2006 to conduct research on renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and energy conservation; and to expand economic opportunities and improve quality of life for Nebraska and the nation.
Goal. The overall goal of the NCESR is to foster research and education in energy sciences by providing funding to support innovative research and collaboration among University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty and other public- and private-sector organizations and businesses working in energy sciences.
Request for Proposals. The NCESR released the Request for Proposals (RFP) for its seventh competitive round Energy Research Grants on April 11, 2012.
Selections. The External Advisory Committee (EAC) met on October 23, 2012 and selected seven energy research projects.
➢ Developing Efficient Pyrite Photovoltaic Cells – Jinsong Huang, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
➢ Three-Dimensional Graphene-Based Scaffolds for Supercapacitor Applications — Alexander Sinitskii, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
➢ Developing a Break-Through in Methane Production from Anaerobic Digestion of Open-Lot Feedlot Manure – Galen Erickson, Professor, Department of Animal Science
➢ High Throughput Screening for Compounds that Induce Lipid Accumulation in Algae for Biofuel Production – Concetta DiRusso, Professor, Department of Biochemistry
➢ Near-Field (Nano-Gap) Concentrated Solar Thermophotovoltaic Microsystem – Sidy Ndao, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
➢ Enhancement of Pyroelectric Effect on Organic-Inorganic Interfaces – Axel Enders, Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
➢ Collaborative Carbon Capture Research – Yasar Demirel, Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Project Period. Each project is intended to cover the two-year period of January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2014. Funding was provided for the first year. Funding for the second year is provisional and based on project performance.