Here at the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research (NCESR), we are currently working to determine the areas of research for the Cycle 19 request for proposals. It will be the 19th year that funding from the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) will provide major funding to faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) for many research projects on energy efficiency and sustainable forms of energy. The faculty that are awarded these grants are required to pursue major external funding. It has been a success story; historically, for every dollar provided by NPPD, the faculty brought to UNL seven dollars of external funding to continue their research. Including the Cycle 19 funding, NPPD has contributed to NCESR a total of $24 million! We are very thankful to the leadership of NPPD, and its wholesale and retail customers for this generous support.
It is now time to take NCESR to the next level by elevating its national and international visibility. Entities similar to NCESR have started to spring up at various US universities over the last few years. For example, a donor provided major funding to John Hopkins University (JHU) to establish an institute that will conduct research in sustainable forms of energy. The funding is enabling JHU to start hiring new faculty for that purpose. Similar efforts are undergoing at Louisiana State University and at the University of Pennsylvania. We owe it to NPPD’s leadership whose vision preceded these new entities by nearly two decades, to remain ahead of the competition.
After thoughtful consideration, NCESR has decided to pursue fundraising through the University of Nebraska Foundation. We would like to work together with the deans of various UNL colleges to secure adequate resources to be able to hire new faculty who will dedicate their careers to research on energy efficiency and sustainable forms of energy. These faculty will be hired in various departments in the College of Engineering, in Physics and Astronomy, in Chemistry, in Biochemistry and in the School of Natural Resources. It is a vision that will place UNL at the forefront of “all of the above” energy research opportunities as the energy industry transitions to less carbon intensive solutions while maintaining reliability, resiliency and affordability.