NREL Supports Emerging Research Institutions in Advancing Energy, Environment, and Security

DOE’s FAIR and RENEW Initiatives Boost Workforce Diversity Through NREL Collaborations

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science has announced $67 million in funding for 71 projects to support underrepresented academic institutions, including emerging research institutions (ERIs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs). The Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative will provide training for students and postdocs at these institutions, equipping them with skills for future research careers, with support from DOE national laboratories and other research infrastructure.

The Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research (FAIR) initiative focuses on building research capacity at these institutions by developing infrastructure and faculty expertise through partnerships with established research institutions, Office of Science facilities, and national laboratories. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are partnering with students and faculty from five minority-serving institutions (MSIs) on projects funded by the RENEW and FAIR initiatives, aligned with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Sciences (BES) and Biological and Environmental Research (BER) programs.

The BES program supports foundational research for new energy technologies, advancing the DOE's goals in energy, environment, and security. The BER program focuses on understanding biological, earth, and environmental systems to improve energy and infrastructure security, including reengineering microbes and plants for energy production. Jianping Yu, a senior bioenergy researcher at NREL, highlighted the importance of building partnerships with academic institutions traditionally uninvolved with NREL or the Office of Science. He stressed the need for training young scientists as energy demands grow. The FAIR and RENEW initiatives offer valuable opportunities for students to gain experience. In December, the RENEW initiative funded 29 projects, including three involving NREL collaboration with underrepresented institutions. Yu will work with Alabama State University to develop a cyanobacteria research training program, advancing biotechnology applications with carbon-uptake capabilities.

Through a RENEW sub-award, NREL helped secure funding for computational science researchers Ignas Satkauskas and Julie Bessac to collaborate with City College of New York, an MSI-designated AANAPISI and HSI. They will train students in natural hazards physics and develop workforce applications for natural hazards research. AANAPISI institutions have at least 10% Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander students, while HSI institutions have at least 25% Hispanic students.

NREL researchers Vivek Bharadwaj, Bennett Addison, and Nicholas Rorrer will collaborate with the University of Massachusetts Lowell on a RENEW sub-award to create a research training program focused on polymer sciences and supercritical fluid interactions for a circular economy. UMass Lowell is an AANAPISI. In November 2024, the FAIR initiative announced $31 million for 42 projects, including two with NREL researchers as partners. Shaun Alia, an electrochemistry researcher at NREL, is supporting a FAIR award led by Texas State University, focused on oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts for green hydrogen. Additionally, NREL’s Justin Johnson is partnering on a FAIR award with Rutgers University–Newark to develop new porous frameworks for photocatalysis. Texas State is an HSI, while Rutgers University–Newark is both an AANAPISI and an HSI.

This marks the second consecutive year NREL researchers have partnered with universities through the FAIR initiative and the third year for RENEW partnerships. In 2023, Jianping Yu collaborated with Oklahoma State University (ERI), and Matt Beard worked with San Diego State University (AANAPISI and HSI). Melissa Gish, Wade Braunecker, and David Mulder partnered with the Metropolitan State University of Denver (HSI). In 2022, Bryan Pivovar and Shaun Alia collaborated with Universidad Ana G. Méndez Gurabo Campus (HSI) on the RENEW awards. NREL researchers are making significant strides in advancing energy research through partnerships with underrepresented institutions via the FAIR and RENEW initiatives. These collaborations are helping build a diverse and skilled workforce, support innovative research, and contribute to the DOE’s goals in energy, environment, and security.

Editor's Note:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working closely with underrepresented academic institutions through the U.S. Department of Energy's FAIR and RENEW initiatives. These programs help build a diverse and skilled workforce for energy research, aiming to advance important technologies and tackle major challenges in energy, the environment, and national security. By collaborating with minority-serving and emerging research institutions, these efforts highlight the value of inclusivity and innovation in shaping the future of scientific research and workforce growth.

Skoobuzz believes that NREL’s commitment to partnering with diverse academic institutions is a powerful step toward fostering innovation in energy research. These initiatives strengthen the workforce and ensure that a variety of perspectives are included in finding solutions to our most pressing challenges.