Researchers affiliated with CISR are successful in receiving competitive external funding awards to support their innovative projects.
Funded Projects
Dr. Robert Handler, in a project funded by the Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research, is working to develop a new method to chemically deconstruct PET polymers into smaller oligomers that could be recycled back into plastic production with no loss in material properties. A life cycle assessment model will estimate the environmental impacts and a techno-economic model will estimate economic impacts of this recycling system.
Dr. Robert Handler, in a project funded by the Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research, is developing a method to produce 2-methylfuran (2-MF) from biomass, which can be used as an intermediate for several high-value chemical and pharmaceutical products. The project will develop a full process model of the biomass conversion process, and produce life cycle assessment and techno-economic models to estimate environmental and economic impacts.
In a project titled, "Drivers of Energy Service Transitions and Impacts on Well-being in Forest Dependent Rural Communities," a group of Michigan Tech researchers are studying energy transition pathways that enhance the well-being of underserved rural communities through improved public health, economic opportunity, and energy justice. This project was awarded via the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results (EPA STAR) program and is being conducted in partnership with the Center for Energy and Environment. Michigan Tech researchers involved in this project include Dr. Chelsea Schelly (Social Sciences), Dr. Judith Perlinger (Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering), Dr. Ana Dyreson (Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics), Dr. Jenny Apriesnig(Business), Dr. Sarah Green (Chemistry), Dr. Shiliang Wu (Geological and Mining Engineering & Sciences), and Dr. Jiehong Guo (Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering).
