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| Press Release: September 27, 2006 | ||
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| OLVER ANNOUNCES $2.6 MILLION FOR UMASS PROJECTS IN FINAL FISCAL YEAR 2007 DEFENSE BUDGET | ||
WASHINGTON, D.C., Congressman John W. Olver (D-1st District) announced that the House has approved the conference report of the Defense Appropriations bill that includes $2.6 million for projects at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The bill includes $1.6 million for The Center for Advanced Sensor and Communication Antennas (CASCA), a partnership between UMass and Hanscom Air Force Base, and $1 million for Environmental Micro-Biological Energy Harvesting, also known as Geobacter research. Olver is a member of the Appropriations Committee and worked to secure the funding in the FY07 Defense Appropriations bill. The House passed the conference report, the final version reconciling the House and Senate versions, on September 26. The Senate is expected to approve the conference report shortly, and the President is expected to sign the bill. $1.6 million for the Center for Advanced Sensor and Communications Antennas The Center for Advanced Sensor and Communication Antennas is a partnership between the UMass Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate at Hanscom Air Force Base. The demand for instant access to information and communication anywhere, anytime has become an essential part of everyday life, and is crucial to the operations of the U.S. armed forces. Simultaneous transmission of voice, data and video to multiple users enhances productivity and expands opportunities for work and pleasure. However, new antenna technologies are needed to reliably transmit and receive all of this information from wireless devices as small and inexpensive as cell phones. The Center develops advanced antenna technology for national defense, homeland security, wireless communications and air traffic control, and it trains engineers who work in local and regional companies. The Center also strengthens high-tech industries in Massachusetts through collaborative ventures that spawn new developments and move technology from UMass laboratories to military and commercial marketplaces. "This Center and its research represent a great combination of technology discovery, opportunities for local economic growth, and cutting-edge, practical educative experiences for students," Olver said. "An impressive mixture," he added. This funding is in addition to the $7.2 million Olver has secured for the project from FY04 through FY06. For more information about this project, contact Daniel Schaubert, UMass Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, at 413-545-2530 or Schaubert@ecs.umass.edu or visit the website of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department: http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/. $1 million for Environmental Micro-Biological Energy Harvesting (Geobacter Research) Scientists at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have discovered and cultivated novel microorganisms, known as electicigens. Researchers have found that electricigens, which have scientific names such as Geobacter and Rhodoferax, can efficiently convert organic wastes, renewable biomass, and even mud, into electricity. UMass scientists want to build off this previous research to study the possibility of engineering "microbial fuel cells" that can convert a wide range of organic materials, which have previously been considered to have little or no value as fuel, into electricity. By engineering microbial fuel cells, scientists hope to optimize the production of electricity from organic wastes and renewable biomass. The goal is to develop microbial processes for environmental restoration and the production of energy in a non-polluting, sustainable manner. "Combining research on how to deal better with waste and organic by-products with the issue of how to move the country away from burning fossil fuels for most of its energy makes for a uniquely functional project," said Olver. "Keeping the planet clean and temperate is the kind of legacy scientists should be aiming for." Olver secured $1.2 million in FY06 for this research. For more information about this project, contact Derek Lovley, UM Department of Microbiology, at 413-545-9651 or dlovley@microbio.umass.edu or visit the Geobacter Project website at: http://www.geobacter.org/ |
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