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WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2017 – The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
today announced the availability of $2.9 million in funding for
research to improve biorefinery technologies.
The Integrated Biorefinery Optimization
program is coordinated and co-funded jointly between NIFA and the U.S.
Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office.
Biofuels and bioproducts
can be created from a range of renewable energy sources, such as wood
waste, short rotation crops and non-food grasses. Currently, there are
only a few integrated
biorefineries that work with new
energy sources and across the entire supply chain from raw material to
finished product. NIFA and DOE support technology development and
engineering solutions to overcome barriers to their operational success
and economic growth. This research helps integrated biorefineries
reduce costs and improve performance to enhance U.S. energy security by
reducing dependence on foreign oil and fostering economic growth
through the latest advances in biotechnology.
Eligible applicants include state agricultural
experiment stations, colleges and universities, and other public and
private U.S. research organizations. Research funded through this
program will support projects that address the challenges surrounding
the successful scale-up and reliable continuous operation of integrated
biorefineries. Funding may be used to reduce
risk and provide resources to accelerate commercialization of advanced
or cellulosic biofuels and bioproducts.
Applications are due by April 3, 2017.
For more details, see the request
for applications on the NIFA website.
NIFA has invested in a range of projects to
expand the regional biofuel and bioproduct
industries and foster the scientific corps and workforce that support
the bioeconomy. One recent example is a
five-year investment to the Northwest
Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA), which has advanced
research into biofuels and biochemicals,
fostered the Northwest regional biofuel industry and helped educate
tomorrow’s workforce on renewable energy. In November, Alaska Airlines
landed the first
commercial flight powered in part by a new renewable fuel
made of wood waste developed through this initiative.
NIFA invests in and advances innovative and
transformative research, education and extension to solve societal
challenges and ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. NIFA
support for the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel
have resulted in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that are
combating childhood obesity, improving and sustaining rural economic
growth, addressing water availability issues, increasing food
production, finding new sources of energy, mitigating climate
variability and ensuring food safety.
To learn more about NIFA’s impact on
agricultural science, visit www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts,
sign up for email
updates or follow us on Twitter @usda_NIFA, #NIFAimpacts
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equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
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