In Fall 2009, the Southeastern Sun Grant Center announced the availability of its regional competitive grants program with a Request for Applications, which was sent to key contacts at all land-grant universities in the region.
In total, 84 full proposals were submitted by the submission deadline. Full proposals were received from 11 different land-grant universities in the southeast region.
After extensive review by a panel from academic, business and government sectors with expertise in all the DOT research priority areas, 13 proposals were selected for funding.
Awarded Grants
- Technical and Economic Impact of Multiple Biomass Feeds on Ethanol Production at a Repurposed Kraft Pulp Mill - Principle Investigator: Hou-Min Chang, North Carolina State University
- Transgenic Wood with Genetically Built-In Hyperthermophilic Endo-1,4-Beta-D-Xylanase/Beta-Xylosidase and Reduced Lignin for Direct Biological-Based Saccharification - Principle Investigator: Vincent Chiang, North Carolina State University
- Integrated Biorefinery Optimization through Biomass Fractionation, Gasification and Advanced Catalytic Conversion Processes - Principle Investigator: Mario Eden, Auburn University
- Improving Woody Biomass Feedstock Logistics by Reducing Ash and Moisture Content - Principle Investigator: Dale Greene, University of Georgia
- Low cost Granulation of lignocellulosic biomass - Principle Investigator: Sudhagar Mani, University of Georgia
- Identification of Ma1, a gene that prevents flowering of biomass crops - Principle Investigator: Andrew Paterson, University of Georgia
- Assessing Interspecific Competition in a Loblolly Pine-Switchgrass Co-culture System for Biomass Production - Principle Investigator: Scott Roberts, Mississippi State University
- Microemulsions for Enhanced Biomass Pretreatment - Principle Investigator: Orlando Rojas, North Carolina State University
- Biotechnological improvement of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) for higher biomass yield- Principle Investigator: Neal Stewart, University of Tennessee
- Optimization and control of a coculture system for ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass- Principle Investigator: Jin Wang, Auburn University
- Evaluating the Economics of Incorporating Preprocessing Facilities in Biomass Supply Logistics with an Application in East Tennessee - Principle Investigator: Tun-Hsiang “Edward” Yu, University of Tennessee