EFRC News & Events

Princeton-CEFRC Summer Program on Combustion: 2013 Session

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center at Princeton University will host a summer program on Combustion.

“Approaches to Ultrahigh Efficiency Solar Energy Conversion” Webinar

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The Light-Materials Interactions in Energy Conversion EFRC at Caltech University hosted a free public webinar on “Approaches to Ultrahigh Efficiency Solar Energy Conversion”.

January 2013 EFRC Newsletter

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The 7^th edition of Frontiers in Energy Research, the EFRC Newsletter created by an editorial board of early career EFRC members, was published online on January 23, 2013.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Preventing Laptop Fires and Thermal Runaway

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Researchers point to “self-healing” materials as a potential means of improving lithium ion battery safety. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported in part by the Center for Electrical Energy Storage (CEES), an EFRC led by Michael Thackeray at Argonne National Laboratory.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Profiting from Waste?

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Researchers fashion a record-breaking material to recycle waste heat into electricity. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported in part by the Revolutionary Materials for Solid State Energy Conversion (RMSSEC), an EFRC led by Donald Morelli at Michigan State University.

October 2012 EFRC Newsletter

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:01:00 -0400

The 6^th edition of Frontiers in Energy Research, the EFRC Newsletter created by an editorial board of early career EFRC members, was published online on October, 2012.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Just One Word—Plastics

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

A “universal” plastic coating could lead to lower cost, more flexible electronic devices. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported in part by the Center for Interface Science: Solar Electric Materials (CISSEM), an EFRC led by Neal Armstrong at the University of Arizona.

In Focus: Dented Diamonds, Carbon Cages, and Exceptional Potential

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Office of Science supported researchers develop new material with amazing hardness and exciting possibilities. This work, featured in the Office of Science's In Focus, was supported by the Energy Frontier Research in Extreme Environments (EFree) center, an EFRC led by Ho-kwang Mao at the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Stories of Discovery and Innovation: Could Cheaper Gasoline be "in the Cards"?

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

EFRC researchers develop ingenious house-of-card structures to improve catalyst performance. This work, featured in the Office of Science's Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI), an EFRC led by Dion Vlachos at the University of Delaware.

July 2012 EFRC Newsletter

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The 5^th edition of Frontiers in Energy Research , the EFRC Newsletter created by an editorial board of early career EFRC members, was published online on July 11, 2012.

"Redefining the Limits of Photovoltaic Efficiency" workshop, July 29, 2012

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The Light-Material Interactions in Energy Conversion EFRC is co-hosting a one-day workshop at Caltech on Sunday, July 29, 2012.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: A Nanoscale "Tune-Up" for Fuel Cells

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Using sophisticated techniques, EFRC researchers are observing, at the molecular level, how hydrogen fuel cells degrade. This work, featured in the Office of Science's Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Energy Materials Center at Cornell (emc2), an EFRC led by Héctor D. Abruña at Cornell University.

April 2012 EFRC Newsletter

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:01:00 -0400

The 4^th edition of Frontiers in Energy Research, the EFRC Newsletter created by an editorial board of early career EFRC members, was published online on April 6, 2012.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Mimicking Nature Backwards and Forwards

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Using biology as their blueprint, EFRC researchers devise a reversible reaction for hydrogen energy storage. This work, featured in the Office of Science's Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis (CME), an EFRC led by Morris Bullock at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Enhancing the Energy Harvest

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

EFRC researchers fashion solar cells with greater than 100% "Quantum Efficiency." This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics (CASP), an EFRC led by Victor Klimov at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: A Step Toward Artificial Photosynthesis

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

EFRC researchers construct an artificial version of a bacterium's light-absorbing "antenna." This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center (PARC), an EFRC led by Robert Blankenship at the Washington University in St. Louis.

January 2012 EFRC Newsletter

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:01:00 -0500

The 3^rd edition of Frontiers in Energy Research, the EFRC Newsletter created by an editorial board of early career EFRC members, was published online in January 2012.

"Solar Fuels: Science Engineering and Policy” symposium, January 11-12, 2012

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The UNC EFRC is co-hosting the fourth UNC Solar Energy Research Center Conference “Solar Fuels: Science Engineering and Policy” on January 11-12, 2012 at Duke University.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Beyond the Transistor

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

EFRC researchers fabricate a novel device for channeling light. This work, featured in the Office of Science's Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by Light-Material Interactions in Energy Conversion (LMI), an EFRC led by Harry Atwater at Caltech and the Center for Energy Nanoscience (CEN), an EFRC led by Daniel Dapkus at the University of Southern California.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: More Heat than Light?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Breakthrough solar cell harvests electricity from the sun's thermal energy. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S3TEC), an EFRC led by Gang Chen at MIT.

September 2011 EFRC Newsletter

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:01:00 -0400

The 2^nd edition of Frontiers in Energy Research, the EFRC Newsletter created by an editorial board of early career EFRC members, was published online in September 2011.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Peering into a Quantum Well

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Supercomputer simulation illuminates mysterious "droop" in solid-state lighting. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Center for Energy Efficient Materials (CEEM), an EFRC led by John Bowers at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Workshop in Novel Emitters and Nanostructured Materials

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Solid-State Lighting Science Energy Frontier Research Center (SSLS EFRC) is hosting a workshop in conjunction with CINT’s Annual User Conference on September 14, 2011.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Beating Nature at her Own Game?

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

New catalyst speeds conversion of electricity to hydrogen fuel. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis (CME), an EFRC led by Morris Bullock at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Trapping the Light Fantastic

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

New solar cell design uses advanced optics and nanotechnology to maximize performance and minimize cost. Discovery moves from lab bench to initial commercial scale-up inside a year. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by Light-Material Interactions in Energy Conversion (LMI), an EFRC led by Harry Atwater at Caltech.

Department of Energy Hosts Inaugural Energy Frontier Research Center Summit

Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On Wednesday, May 25, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu will welcome nearly 1,000 of America's top energy researchers to Washington, D.C. for the inaugural Science for the Nation's Energy Future: The Energy Frontier Research Centers Summit and Forum.

Stories of Discovery & Innovation: Scientists Create World’s Smallest Battery

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Effort yields insights that could improve battery performance. This work, featured in the Office of Science’s Stories of Discovery & Innovation, was supported by Nanostructures for Electrical Energy Storage (NEES), an EFRC led by Gary Rubloff at the University of Maryland.

May 2011 EFRC Newsletter

Mon, 02 May 2011 13:01:00 -0400

The 1^rst edition of Frontiers in Energy Research, the EFRC Newsletter created by an editorial board of early career EFRC members, was published online in May 2011.

Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research Video Contest

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Office of Science announced the winners of the Energy Frontier Research Centers Video Contest and the start of the People’s Choice Contest. The video with the most votes by 5:00 pm on May 24, 2011 will receive the People’s Choice Award. Be sure to vote for your favorites. The winning videos will be shown during an awards ceremony at the EFRC Summit on May 25, 2011.

Princeton-CEFRC Summer Program on Combustion: 2011 Session

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center at Princeton University will host a summer program on Combustion.

DOE Announced the EFRC Summit & Forum

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the first Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: Energy Frontier Research Centers Summit & Forum to be held on May 25 - 27, 2011.

Science for Our Nation's Energy Future

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Science for Our Nation’s Energy Future, the inaugural Energy Frontier Research Centers Summit and Forum will be held on May 25 - 27, 2011 at the Renaissance Penn Quarter Hotel in Washington, DC.

Joint Summer School on "The Evolution and Impact of Microstructural Defects on In-Reactor Material Response"

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The International Summer School, "The Evolution and Impact of Microstructural Defects on In-Reactor Material Response", at Idaho National Laboratories on June 6-10, 2011 will be sponsored by the Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuel (Idaho National Laboratory), the Center for Defect Physics in Structural Materials (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), the Center for Materials at Irradiation and Mechanical Extremes (Los Alamos National Laboratory), the Materials Science of Actinides (University of Notre Dame), the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (Idaho National Laboratory), the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), and the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle Research & Development Program.

NPR's Science Friday discussed lighting economics with Sandia National Laboratory's EFRC

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Jerry Simmons, director of the EFRC for Solid-State Lighting Science at Sandia National Laboratory, discussed the economics of LED lighting on the September 10th edition of NPR's Science Friday. The story was also covered by Scientific American, The Economist, and The New York Times.

"Fundamental Challenges in Solar Energy Conversion" workshop hosted by LMI-EFRC

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Light-Material Interactions in Energy Conversion EFRC at the California Institute of Technology will host a one day "Fundamental Challenges in Solar Energy Conversion" workshop on July 7, 2010 for faculty, staff, postdoctoral, and graduate researchers from EFRCs focused on solar energy conversion.

"Frontiers in Bioenergy Symposium" co-hosted by C3Bio and IACT

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (Purdue University) and the Institute for Atom-efficient Chemical Transformations (Argonne National Laboratory) will co-host the 5th annual "Frontiers in Bioenergy Symposium" at Purdue University from May 24 - May 25, 2010.

Princeton-CEFRC Summer Program on Combustion: 2010 Session

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center at Princeton University will host a summer program on Combustion from June 27 - July 3, 2010.

Joint Summer School on "Atomic-level Response of Materials to Irradiation"

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Joint Summer School on "Atomic-level Response of Materials to Irradiation" will be hosted by the Center for Materials at Irradiation and Mechanical Extremes (Los Alamos National Laboratory), the Center for Defect Physics in Structural Materials (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), and the Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuel (Idaho National Laboratory) on June 20 - 25, 2010.

"Solar Fuels and Energy Storage: The Unmet Needs" conference sponsored by UNC: EFRC

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Solar Fuels and Next Generation Photovoltaics EFRC (University of North Carolina) organized the "Solar Fuels and Energy Storage: The Unmet Needs" conference on January 14 - 15, 2010 which brought together nearly 100 solar researchers from the southeast and across the country.

EFRC Director's Meeting

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The second Energy Frontier Research Center Director's meeting was held in North Bethesda, MD on March 1, 2010

FY 2011 Funding Request Released

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The FY 2011 funding request for Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) is $140,000,000, which includes an increase of $40,000,000 over the FY 2010 appropriations.

Notre Dame EFRC featured during nationally televised football half-time show

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NBC aired a video feature of the EFRC Materials Science of Actinides, directed by Peter Burns at Notre Dame, during the half-time of the November 21, 2009 Notre Dame football game.

Associated Press Reports On The SNL EFRC

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Sandia wants to improve the world's lighting by the Associated Press highlights the work of the Sandia National Laboratories EFRC for Solid State Lighting Science directed by Jerry Simmons. The story was picked up by over 100 news agencies including ABC News, Forbes, and The New York Times.

President Obama Visits MIT EFRC

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

President Obama spoke with Marc Baldo, director of the Center for Excitonics, and EFRC member Vladimir Bulovic about their clean energy research during his visit to MIT.

EFRCs Launched

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Funding of the 46 EFRC awards that were announced in April is now complete following the conclusion of negotiations between DOE and each of the EFRC home institutions on the terms and conditions of the grants.

EFRC Awards Announced

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The White House today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science will invest $777 million in Energy Frontier Research Centers over the next five years.