Seed Grant Program

Coordinator: Ryan P. O'Hayre

The Seed Grant Program is the primary mechanism for introducing new research directions into the Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (REMRSEC). Each year the Center requests applications for promising small renewable energy materials science projects. Projects are funded that have the potential for high renewable energy research payoff. The standard period of projects chosen for support is no more than two years. During the annual review, all seed activities are evaluated.

Evaluation criteria include:
• Innovative, high-impact science addressing key challenge in renewable energy materials.
• Reasonableness of the proposed approach and the capability of the proposed team.
• Advancement of understanding, while broadening learning, training, and diversity.
• Preference for junior faculty.
• Exit strategy after 1-year seed period clearly identified and articulated.

In 2012, the Center will select several “pre-interdisciplinary research groups (pre-IRGs)” supported out of discretionary funds.

Click here for Seed Grant process information.
Clathrate Storage Research Highlights

Recent Seed Grants

2011 Seed Grants
"Earth-Abundant-Elements-Based Photovoltaic Materials: Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc-Alloyed Iron Pyrite ZnxFe1-xS2 Colloidal Nanocrystals"
Faculty involved: Yongan Yang
Students and Postdocs: Doreen Molk

"Silicon clathrates for solid state energy conversion"
Faculty: Eric Toberer, Adele C. Tamboli
Students: Aaron Martinez, Nicole Johnson

2010 Seed Grants
“Charging” Lithium Ion Batteries with New Cathode Materials of Iron Oxyfluoride FeOF Nanostructures” PI: Yongan Yang

Students: Tara Yoder, Jacqueline Cloud

“Control of Energy/Charge Transfer in Silicon Nanostructures Using Active Surface-Capping Ligands” Faculty and students involved:
Faculty – Arnold Tamayo, Mark Lusk and Zhigang Wu
Graduate Students – Christelle Lyiza
Undergraduate Student – Caleb Owens

"Enabling mechanical testing of fuel cell membranes in operational environments"
Faculty: Corinne Packard
Students: Grant Klafehn

2009 Seed Grants
“Synthesis and Assembly of Hybrid Polymer/Nanorod-Quantum Dot Structures” CSM Faculty – Stephen Boyes, Matthew Liberatore; CSM Students – Graduate: Melissa Kern Undergraduate: Ashleigh Warntjes, Amanda Graninger, Kelly Smith, Kayla Smith, Nate Bade; REU Students - Curtis Wilson

“Enabling mechanical testing of fuel cell membranes in operational environments” Corinne Packard Students: Grant Klafehn, undergraduate researcher

2008 Seed Grants
“Energy storage in new materials”, Carolyn A. Koh, Andrew M. Herring, Amadeu K. Sum, E. Dendy Sloan, P. Craig Taylor (CSM); Anne Dillon, Kevin O’Neill (NREL)