INL to send six teams to entrepreneurial program this year

Idaho National Laboratory has gotten off to a fast start with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lab-Corps program, designed to guide innovation at national laboratories into the world of commerce and industry. Four INL teams participated in earlier rounds, and six INL teams will participate in the program’s third and fourth rounds this summer and fall.

DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) created the Lab-Corps program in fall 2014 to help research scientists and engineers explore new ideas for meeting the needs of industrial users.

“DOE’s Lab-Corps program offers a new pathway to advance greater collaboration between industry and national laboratories,” said Steven Aumeier, an INL associate laboratory director and director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), a consortium that involves INL, the state of Idaho, Idaho State University, Boise State University, the University of Idaho and University of Wyoming.

Lab-Corps teams participate in a seven-week entrepreneurial boot camp, or “cohort,” facilitated by the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. This involves in-person sessions and weekly webinars to help teams learn how to evaluate the market potential of their technologies and bring a new level of entrepreneurial awareness back to their research and colleagues.

One team has been chosen to participate in the summer 2016 cohort. It is led by Jake Gentle, an INL power systems engineer who also led development of GLASS (General Line Ampacity State Solver), a software package developed to calculate the effects of weather on power lines so operators can manage transmission for maximum efficiency and savings.

The teams selected for the fall cohort include:

• Bioenergy Conversion Process (principal investigator Allison Ray), which allows researchers to produce high-quality feedstock from grass, wood and agricultural residues.
• CellSage (principal investigator Kevin Gering), which involves deploying software to support battery performance and life-cycle determinations in diverse applications.
• Electromechanical Recovery of Metals from Electronic Waste (principal investigator Tedd Lister), which retrieves critical and rare earth materials from such devices as cellphones and computers.
• Change Detection Systems for Nuclear Applications (principal investigator Troy Unruh), a computer software program that aligns digital images for nuclear facility and national security applications.
• Online Condition Monitoring of Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Cask Storage Systems (principal investigator Ahmad Al Rashdan), which enables the non-invasive determination of the status and integrity of vented dry casks.

With competition from as many as 17 national laboratories, the first hurdle for participation in Lab-Corps is being selected. Each lab proposes one or more three-person entrepreneurial teams consisting of a principal investigator, an entrepreneurial lead and an industry mentor. In the first two cohorts, 14 teams from seven national labs were selected.

During the training, DOE assesses the viability of each team. This is done by an impartial panel of clean energy commercialization experts comprised of three representatives from private industry or venture capital and one from NREL. Scores to inspire continued improvement are given based on weekly presentations and rigorous questioning. The other basis for performance evaluation is the number of interviews each team manages to conduct with prospective customers or collaborators.

While the program’s aim is to teach researchers how to take their work to customers outside the national laboratory complex, Lab-Corps is also aimed at making national labs more accessible to businesses, said Tammie Borders, industry outreach coordinator for CAES and INL’s Energy and Environment Science and Technology Directorate.

For more information about the Lab-Corps program, visit http://energy.gov/eere/technology-to-market/lab-corps.

Energy Department announces more than $82 million in nuclear research funding

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, left, and Idaho National Laboratory Director Mark Peters, during Moniz's INL visit on Tuesday. (Instagram photo by INL)

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz used his visit to Idaho Falls Tuesday to announce more than $82 million is being awarded to nuclear energy research, development and infrastructure projects in 28 states. Overall, 93 projects have been selected to receive funding for nuclear energy-related research through the Nuclear Energy University Program, Nuclear Science User Facilities, and Nuclear Energy Enabling Technology programs. A number of recipients will also receive technical and regulatory assistance through the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative.

“Nuclear power is our nation’s largest source of low-carbon electricity and is a vital component in our efforts to both provide affordable and reliable electricity and to combat climate change,” Moniz said, visiting INL facilities with lab director Mark Peters and giving opening remarks at the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board meeting at the Energy Innovation Laboratory building on University Boulevard. “These awards will help scientists and engineers as they continue to innovate with advanced nuclear technologies.”

DOE is awarding nearly $36 million through its Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) to support 49 university-led nuclear energy research and development projects in 24 states. NEUP seeks to maintain U.S. leadership in nuclear research across the country by providing top science and engineering students and faculty members opportunities to develop innovative technologies and solutions for non-military nuclear capabilities.

Additionally, 15 universities will receive nearly $6 million for research reactor and infrastructure improvements – providing important safety- performance- and student education-related upgrades to a portion of the nation’s 25 university research reactors as well as enhancing university research and training infrastructure.

The awards are part of the first steps to implement the GAIN initiative that was announced November 2015, which provides the nuclear energy community with access to the technical, regulatory, and financial support necessary to move new or advanced nuclear reactor designs toward commercialization while ensuring the continued safe, reliable, and economic operation of existing nuclear facilities.

These awards complement the Office of Nuclear Energy’s Small Business Voucher Program, which will provide up to $2 million this year to help small businesses overcome critical nuclear technology and commercialization challenges. Of the eight vouchers announced, one involves INL, a partnership with Creare LLC of Hanover, N.H., investigating materials for continuous casting of metallic nuclear fuel.

The Department is also awarding $21 million for six Integrated Research Projects (IRPs), which include a jointly-funded project between the Office of Nuclear Energy and the Office of Environmental Management for enhanced glass forms for nuclear waste immobilization. The Office of Environmental Management will also fund two IRP projects for advanced nuclearized robotics capabilities. Collaboration between the Offices of Environmental Management and Nuclear Energy is part of Moniz’s effort to integrate the department’s research for advanced nuclear R&D and remediation efforts.

Since 2009, the Energy Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy has awarded approximately $464 million to 113 U.S. colleges and universities to continue American leadership in clean energy innovation and to train the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists through its university programs. Visit neup.gov for more information on today’s awards and Energy.gov for information on all of the Energy Department’s efforts to continue American leadership in low-carbon nuclear energy innovation.

Jan Rogers appointed to national investment advisory council

Jan Rogers

Jan Rogers, CEO of Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI), has been appointed to the United States Investment Advisory Council (IAC) established by the Commerce Department in April 2016.

As one of 19 private and public sector leaders from across the nation, Rogers will advise U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker on the development and implementation of strategies and programs to attract and retain foreign direct investment in the United States. Rogers will maintain her position with REDI along with the new federal appointment.

“I am honored to have been appointed to the IAC and look forward to providing counsel on issues that affect foreign investment into the United States, particularly in rural communities,” said Rogers, who will serve a two-year term.

Rogers has spent the last 15 years developing economies throughout Idaho including attracting 35 businesses, over $1 billion in capital investments, and 5,000 jobs. Prior to her current role at REDI, she served as the executive director of the Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization (SIEDO) for 14 years and has led efforts to attract a record-setting seven projects in one year to Southern Idaho, including Chobani’s second U.S. manufacturing facility in Twin Falls. Rogers has also served as the president of the Idaho Economic Development Association and is currently on the board of directors of the International Economic Development Council.

The IAC’s inaugural meeting will be held June 21, to coincide with the 2016 SelectUSA Investment Summit, a three-day event in Washington, D.C., that promotes FDI in the United States. The Summit will attract more than 2,000 participants from economic development organizations as well as U.S. and foreign firms, service providers, domestic and international media, and senior Obama administration and government officials.

EIRMC hosting Family Fun Day, Bike for Kids

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center is hosting its annual Family Fun Day and Bike for Kids event Saturday at Snake River Landing. The theme is superheroes, so capes and superhero costumes are encouraged.

Besides the free lunch, games and music, the main attraction for kids is likely to be the Teddy Bear ER Clinic. Children can bring their bear and follow it through its hospital stay, from the ER, to the lab, then through radiology and surgery. The clinic aims to ease children’s anxieties and gain a better understanding of the hospital process. Teddy bears will be provided to the children (while supplies last).

There will be bounce houses, sports clinics, carnival games, and much more. For grown-ups, there will be several educational booths from local health resources. In addition, there will be caregivers from the NICU, PICU, Pediatrics, and Pediatric Therapies, so past patients and families can reunite with them.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Snake River Landing, and is free, although the hospital is asking that you bring one can of food per person to donate.

Bike for Kids is an organization provides adaptable bicycles for special needs children in our community. At 10:30 a.m. (registration starts at 9) there will be a 4 Mile Family Bike Ride. The bike ride ends at the EIRMC Family Fun Day. At 12:30, there will be a presentation by Bike for Kids and a giveaway of multiple adaptable bikes to pre-identified children. Lastly, at 1, Bike for kids will host smaller bike races for younger kids. Visit www.bikeforkidsidaho.com for race details and pricing info.

Now you can search Idaho Falls site plans and building permits just like the pros

Screen shot of trakit.idahofallsidaho.gov/etrakit3/

I don’t know if a lot of you are interested, but I know there are some development geeks out there who need to know exactly what’s being built, everywhere all the time. Have I got news for you! It’s now easier than ever to stay abreast of things, in Idaho Falls at least. That’s because everything is now online and available to anyone with a computer and Internet access.

The site is trakit.idahofallsidaho.gov/etrakit3/, and it represents another inevitable bow to modernity.

Until recently, I would stop at the City of Idaho Falls Building Department office on Park Avenue once or twice a week to look at the white looseleaf binder where they recorded site plans. If I saw anything interesting — Home2 Suites, Panera Bread, Carl’s Jr., etc. — I would ask to see the plans themselves, sometimes shooting pictures of them with my phone, like James Bond.

I have to admit, it was exciting to know I was getting a scoop and that there would be lots of people interested. Besides that, it was nice to catch up with my friends: Brian, Reggie, Ken, Brad, Deb, etc.

Today, I don’t even know where to find the papers, but if I want to see what’s new I can go to trakit. If you want to try it, it's basically a matter of finding the right pull-down menu, which in this case is Project Search. Go to Search By and scroll down to Project Number. In the box to the right, enter SITE16- or just 16-, and it will give you a list of everything that has been filed since the first of the year.

I don't think I'm divulging any state secrets here. Whatever the case, now you know how I get some of the news I post. I don't know whether Ammon will be going to a system like this anytime soon, which means I'll be driving out to their office every week. They always seem so glad to see me.