USDA, DOE Fund Genomics Projects for Bioenergy Fuels Research
September 19, 2006 // Published as a news service by IHS
The USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and the DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) awarded the grants. CSREES and OBER jointly initiated the research program to facilitate the use of woody plant tissue, specifically lignocellulosic materials, for bioenergy or biofuels. The research projects will focus on poplar, alfalfa, sorghum, wheat and other grasses.
This is the first year CSREES and OBER have solicited competitive grants in this joint program. DOE is funding six projects for a total of nearly $3.9M. USDA granted more than $1.8M to fund three projects. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years.
Awards have been given to:
- Purdue University, Ind., $1.4M.
- The Noble Foundation, Okla., $800,000.
- Texas A&M University, Texas, $800,000.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, University of Wisconsin, $333,000.
- Carnegie Institute of Washington, $359,100.
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY, $300,000.
- North Carolina State University, $700,000.
- Kansas State University, $700,000.
- University of Georgia, $445,000.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).