Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame
Sustainable Energy Initiative
The Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) will establish Notre Dame’s preeminence in three strategic areas – safer nuclear, cleaner fossil, and transformative solar – all focusing on the development of materials to help make clean energy more affordable and more readily available. Researchers will use state-of-the-art laboratory instrumentation and equipment to develop actinide materials stabilization for better use of nuclear fuels and safer storage of waste materials; design cleaner fossil fuel processes for gas separations, like CO2 capture; and convert solar to chemical energy to create liquid fuels from the sun. Research toward new and improved sustainable energy technologies and systems will provide technical and scientific opportunities for scientists, engineers, social scientists and citizens to be leaders in their disciplines and literate in the systems of energy production and use; thereby, enabling constructive discussion of energy options, creation of effective energy policies, and information for individual choices for economically and ecologically sustainable energy consumption.
The SEI is a Strategic Research Investment (SRI) of the University totaling $10M over a three-year period. As Notre Dame enters a new chapter in its history, there is a renewed focus on expanding its research enterprise. The SRIs are the first steps in a bold commitment of internal funds and other resources, supplementing funding from external grants and gifts, all intended to advance excellence in research. For more information about the University's SRIs, visit http://sri.nd.edu.
