Sun Grant Initiative

I’d like to start with a quick overview of the site.

About the Sun Grant describes the concept, establishment and mission of the SGI. There is also a brief description of how the SGI implements its programs regionally and collaborates through the Sun Grant Association.
SGI Regional Centers provides a link to the web sites of each of the five SGI Centers and a map that shows each of the SGI regions.
Sun Grant Update will provide reports on SGI program activities, focusing on the SGI’s collective national efforts. More detailed information about the programs underway within each region is provided through the regional SGI Center web sites.
Feedstock Partnerships describes the set of activities initiated by DOE and the Sun Grants to support the development of sustainable biomass feedstocks at the regional level. I’ll be reporting on recent developments in the Sun Grant Update.

Regional Workshops. In 2006 and 2007, Regional Feedstock Workshops were held in each of the SGI regions to consider the biomass production potential and needs within each region. Participants included representatives from the federal agencies, the regional governors associations and governors’ offices, state agencies, scientists and educators from land grant universities, interest groups and the private sector. Each region identified priority biomass feedstocks and identified issues that would need to be addressed for these feedstocks to sustainably reach their production potentials.
2008 National Meeting. Building on the discussions and reports from the Regional Workshops, biomass feedstock teams were formed. The team leaders and many of the team members met in Washington in February 2008 to coordinate and finalize plans for initiating biomass feedstock field research in the spring of ‘08.
Feedstock Teams. Six teams are underway: GIS Resource Assessment, Corn Residue, Herbaceous Feedstock, Woody Feedstock, Cereal Crop Residue, and Education and Outreach.
2008 Research Plots. In addition to a description of the research trials that will be implemented in 2008, the protocols for data collection will be provided. Organizations with pertinent biomass research underway who wish to collaborate in these efforts are encouraged to contact us and consider if they can incorporate these protocols into their ongoing research.

SGI Partners lists and provides links to the agencies that SGI is collaborating with to address national bioenergy and biomass issues at the regional, state, and local levels.
SGI Publications will provide links to SGI newsletters and publications, including the products of the Feedstock Partnership.
SGI News and Events will not try to keep up with all of the bioenergy and biomass and bioenergy news and events, there’s just too much! And, there are others that provide these services already. We will report on our own activities and events and highlight some of the others; particularly the one’s that we’re participating in.
BioWeb is an “on-line encyclopedia” of all things biomass. This SGI project provides biomass information at three levels: At a Glance, General, and Technical.
Bioenergy Science Blog is an experiment that we’re going to try. Varying opinions are emerging within the research community about aspects of bioenergy and biomass. This is as it should be. Science is an open debate among competing ideas and approaches. We’d like to provide a forum where researchers and specialists from diverse backgrounds and perspectives can compare notes and debate approaches.
SGI Contacts provides contact information to reach the Sun Grant Association or the regional SGI Centers.
Sun Grant Association Log-in. This is a workroom for the members of the SGA and requires a password.

Take a look around! Let us know what you think.

Regards,

Terry

Terry Nipp, Executive Director
Sun Grant Association