 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) contributes extensive expertise, facilities, and personnel in the agronomy of biomass production, plant breeding for biomass production, and biomass processing. The campus has extensive field plots, greenhouses, and plant growth chambers on site. UIUC is home to a decade-long project on novel approaches to biomass production and is recognized for its leadership in fermentation processes for biofuel production. As indicated in the organizational structure (page 8), the EBI will have a deputy director in residence at UIUC to oversee the non-proprietary work of that institution’s subcontracts. Reporting to the EBI director, the deputy director will ensure that research carried out at UIUC is well integrated with activities across the EBI. Program directors will be charged with coordinating the work at the two sites. UIUC will also establish a small working site for the EBI proprietary component.
As a premier public university, UIUC has a culture of research innovation that closely aligns with the scientific culture at UCB and at LBNL. All three institutions have a demonstrated ability to interact seamlessly to jointly develop and manage research and its products. For example, in the field of microelectronics, UIUC and UCB have collaborated closely for nearly 10 years on the Gigascale Systems Research Center (GSRC). This $7 million project is a public-private partnership managed by UCB that addresses the current limits of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITR S) in the areas of design and testing. The GSRC research collaboration involves six major U.S. universities, with UIUC as a key partner. |
