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MMPEI awards Innovation in Sustainable Energy Technologies grants

The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute (MMPEI) announced today its selection of two University of Michigan research projects for funding through its Partnerships for Innovation in Sustainable Energy Technologies program.

The winning projects were selected from a competitive field of seven proposals submitted from across the University. The Partnerships for Innovation in Sustainable Energy Technologies program fund teams of two or more U-M investigators, whose research bridges traditional disciplines to offer a better understanding of sustainable energy science, technology, or policy.

The recipients and their projects are:

  • Assistant Professor of Chemistry and MMPEI Faculty Fellow Bart M. Bartlett and Assistant Professor/Materials Science and Engineering Anton Van der Ven, who will explore production of more efficient cathodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, an innovation of particular interest for the automotive industry;
  • Assistant Research Scientist in Chemistry Antek G. Wong-Foy, Assistant Professor /Computer Science and Engineering Michael J. Cafarella and Assistant Professor /Mechanical Engineering and MMPEI Fellow Donald J. Siegel, who will combine their expertise in computational materials chemistry, data mining, and chemical synthesis to develop a model of cyber-discovery for application to CO2 capture materials for reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants.

“The MMPEI is pleased to help nurture such important work and looks forward to learning how the findings of these two teams add to future innovations in energy research and development,” said MMPEI Director and Professor of Mechanical Engineer Dennis Assanis.

Applications for a second round of funding through the Partnerships for Innovation in Sustainable Energy Technologies program are due June 1, 2011. Learn more about this program and other funding opportunities through MMPEI.

For further information on MMPEI and the Partnerships for Innovation in Sustainable Energy Technologies, contact MMPEI Associate Director Adam J. Matzger at 734-615-6627 or matzger@umich.edu.