The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Iowa State University and its research partners $18.5 million over five years to establish the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC).

It is one of five engineering research centers the NSF is launching this year, and is designed to help transform a petroleum-based chemical industry into an industry based on plants and other biorenewables.

“The new Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals is a tremendous opportunity for Iowa State to work with partners in the United States and Europe to create a culture of innovation that can develop a sustainable chemical industry,” said ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, in a release.

The CBiRC will focus on developing catalysts that promote the chemical reactions that can efficiently produce biorenewable chemicals, and will combine two previously separated research communities in biocatalytic technologies and chemical catalytic technologies. The center also will offer learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in engineering as well as programs for pre-college students and teachers.

ISU will lead 10 institutions affiliated with CBiRC. Brent Shanks, an Iowa State professor of chemical and biological engineering, will be the director.

In addition to the NSF grant, ISU is committing $600,000 per year for the center. The center will have a chance to apply for more funding from the NSF after five years, and after 10 years, the centers are expected to be self-supporting.

The NSF’s award is part of its Generation Three Engineering Research Centers program, designed to create university and industry partnerships in research and education that promote innovation, transform engineered systems, advance technology and produce engineering graduates who can help the United States gain a competitive advantage in the global economy.