MSE faculty receive Energy Frontier Research Center funding

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science has funded two large, multi-institution research Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) proposals that include Materials Science and Engineering faculty Subhash Risbud and Yayoi Takamura.

The EFRC program, established by the Office of Science in 2009, funds research projects aimed at “accelerating breakthroughs needed to strengthen U.S. economic leadership and energy security” through the development of energy technologies and innovations, according to a June 2018 press release.

This year, $100 million was awarded to 42 multi-institution research centers around the country. Each center receives $2-4 million per year for four years. In its short history, the EFRC program has funded over 10,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications, along with hundreds of patents and new technologies.

Risbud is part of a four-year, $10.75 million center, Multi-Scale Fluid-Solid Interactions in Architected and Natural Materials (MUSE), led by the University of Utah. Takamura is part of a four-year, $10 million center, Quantum Materials for Energy Efficient Neuromorphic Computing (Q-MEEN-C), led by UC San Diego.

A full list of 2018 EFRCs is can be found on the Office of Science website.