LSU-led Team Wins Largest Grant Ever Awarded by National Science Foundation
January 29, 2024
Winning for Louisiana
A statewide effort led by LSU with more than 50 partners has won the largest and most
competitive grant ever awarded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, or NSF—up
to $160 million over the next 10 years.
The grant, through the NSF Engines program, will support Louisiana’s energy industry,
create jobs in the energy sector, develop new solutions to energy challenges and help
train the world’s energy workforce. The NSF announced the award at a press conference
earlier today in Washington, D.C.
Louisiana is one of the world’s leading producers of energy, chemicals and petrochemicals.
The new grant will position the state to be the global research and development leader
for the expanding energy industry into the future.
Louisiana’s team, called Future Use of Energy in Louisiana, or FUEL, includes universities,
community and technical colleges, private companies and state agencies that will work
together to drive technology and talent development. FUEL will solve problems in carbon
capture, transport and storage; hydrogen; use of carbon dioxide to produce low-carbon
fuels and essential carbon-based products; water use and management; sustainable manufacturing;
and policy development.
The state, through Louisiana Economic Development, will also contribute to the project
with an additional $67.5 million. This includes funds to help FUEL’s higher education
partners build a world-class team to convert university research into practical and
useful solutions and ensure the economic benefits, jobs and investments created by
these innovations stay in Louisiana.
The FUEL effort is in alignment with the energy priority of LSU’s Scholarship First Agenda to solve the most pressing problems for Louisiana and the world.
“The inaugural NSF Engines awards demonstrate our enduring commitment to create opportunity everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. Through these NSF Engines, NSF aims to expand the frontiers of technology and innovation and spur economic growth across the nation through unprecedented investments in people and partnerships.”
NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan