UMN-Norway Partnerships : Recent history, New Opportunities

and Strategies

Judd SheridanNorwegian Centennial Chair

January 12, 2010

Today’s remarks

• Goals:– Provide an update of UMN-Norway

partnerships• Norwegian Centennial Chair• Expanding themes and partners

– Suggest strategies for enhancing and expanding cooperation

Norwegian Centennial Interdisciplinary Chair:

history and status of this “model” for cooperation

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The University of Minnesota + The Norwegian University of Life Sciences

The story in brief

Cooperation started in 2003 with research “dream teams”

Funded by the Norwegian ministry of agriculture and food, the Norwegian embassy to USA, the Norwegian Research Council and the University of Minnesota and its Foundation

The Norwegian Centennial Interdisciplinary Chair was announced in 2005 by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon

Three agreements between the two universities were signed 2006 to establish the Chair program

Shared funding of an endowment – Norway-UMN

The story

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Funding

The two universities provided a total of $1.5 Million to the University of Minnesota Foundation.

The earnings from the endowment, about $ 70,000 per year, provide scholarships, part-time salaries for the chair-holders and workshop arrangements.

The research teams apply for public or private funding for their R&D-projects.

Money

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The Chair Model for collaboration between the two universities

Bilateral Agreeme

nt

Transatlantic Research Teams

incl. Bachelor-, Master-, PhD- and PostDoc-

students

UMN UMB

Otheruniversiti

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Executive Committee

Chair-holder

Chair-holder

Otheruniversit

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Industry Industry

UMN= University of Minnesota UMB= Norwegian University of Life Sciences

How do we collaborate?

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Airborne sampling of forest for biomass and carbon estimation

(10)

Functional genomics to advance dairy cattle health (5)

Mycotoxin in cereal crops by enhanced plant resistance (10)

Ecological, technical and economic aspects of bioenergy from forest (9)

Thermochemical conversion of biomass to biofuel (pyrolysis) (10)

Lignocellulose to biofuels (enzyme technology) (9)

NEW Response to climate change - system approaches (10)

NEW Aquaculture (8)

NEW Cell wall (8)

NEW Algae (8)

In total 10 teams and 87 researchers

16 industry involved, most of them without formal agreements

Transatlantic Research Teams +(number of researchers involved)

What do we collaborate on?

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Airborne sampling of forest for biomass and carbon estimation

- exploring relationships between data from airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), biomass/carbon stocks and the carbon sequestration of boreal and temperate forest ecosystems

– Papers: 3 joint, 2 non-joint

– Projects funded: 5

– PhD and Post.doc: 6

The team activity – An Example

The production 2 of 3

Fulbright and TK Fellow: Terje Kristensen

• Member of the “Airborne sampling team”

• “Bridge” between UMB and UMN

Moving Ahead:New Partnership

Opportunities• Chair program expanding research

groups and themes• UMN extending partnerships to other

Norwegian universities, research centers, and research institutes

• Build connections with: Centers of Excellence; Centers for Environmentally-friendly Energy Research; and Centers for Research-based Innovation

New Chair program themes and groups

• Climate and agriculture • Aquaculture• Algae• Cell Wall

Climate and Agriculture

Build on Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Initiative

Cooperation UMN- Bioforsk, UMBResponse to Climate Change- system approach

(new team )• Follow up meeting in Minnesota september 2008 –

Climate change- Norwegian cooperation• Agriculture/Food Ministry ”white paper”• Follow up Visit to Norway 10- 12 June 2009.

Lillian Øygarden, 2009

Expanding University Partnerships

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

UMB

And More to Come……

Build on Centers of ExcellenceNew Strategy:

Norwegian Centers of Excellence

Aquaculture protein

Geo- biosphere

Theoretical chemistry

Economics

Mind in Nature

Ecology

Cancer biomedicine

Immune regulation

Biomedicine and IT

Neuroscience

Mathematics

Civil wars

Physics/Geology

Geohazards

Ships and ocean structures

Biology of memory

Medieval studies

Theoretical linguistics

Petroleum research

Communication systems

Climate research

Arvid Hallen, Science Week, 2007

Dr. Jerry Shurson1 and Dr. Margareth Øverland2

Dept. of Animal Science (UM)1 and APC (UMB)2

Travel exchanges to build:Research teamRefine objectivesSecure funding

Identify prospective U.S. based industrial partners for SFI Research Innovation Grant Proposal

Expanding University Partnerships

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

UMB

And More to Come……

Build on Centers of Excellence

University of Oslo (UiO)• Long history – e.g. political sci, German,

Scand, Dutch on Hamrun• UMN chosen as a “Preferred partner” • Include as part of “Chair” program• New and/or expanded efforts

– Mathematics – CMA/IMA– Neuroscience – CMBN/Neurosci Dept.– Ecosystems/evolution – CEES/Ecology-Cedar Creek– St. Anthony Falls Laboratory– Materials Science – cf. solar, catalysis– “Mini-Smart Grids”– Peace Studies

CEES – Cedar Creek

• Nils Chr. Stenseth• Dir Center of Excellence,

Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES)

• Highly-cited Environ Scientist

• David Tilman• Dept. Ecology,Evol,Behav• International biology prize

awardee• Highly-cited Environ

Scientist

UiO

UMN

One of Many Major Research Findings at Cedar Creek

• Carbon-negative biofuels from low-input high-diversity grassland biomass. SCIENCE 314:1598-1600. 2006

• Tilman, D.; Hill, J.; Lehman, C.

DOE Wind Consortium:St. Anthony Falls Lab

• SAFL-led Wind Consortium Wins $8M Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy

• Will support research to improve both land-based and offshore wind generation

• Will build large wind turbine for research UMore park

• Many industrial partners

Expanding University Partnerships

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

UMB

And More to Come……

NTNU

• Electrical Engineering• Microbiology (biofilm; also UMB)• Bioenergy (later)• Catalysis (Nordic Opportunity)• Neuroscience

Another TK Fellowship link

• Long-standing research cooperation Electrical Eng

• Many Fulbright and TK students

• Recent:– Miriam Kaynia– Lars Stormo– Thomas Børstad

Ned Mohan UMN

Tore Underland NTNU

NTNU

• Electrical Engineering• Microbiology (biofilm; also

UMB)• Bioenergy (later)• Catalysis (Nordic Opportunity)• Neuroscience

DOE Biohydrocarbon Center:ARPA-E awardee

• A team of University of Minnesota researchers and BioCee, a university start-up company, have been awarded $2.2 million from the Department of Energy for a research proposal using bacteria to produce biofuel.

• The team proposes to develop a bioreactor using bacteria embedded in a thin latex coating to produce hydrocarbon fuel.

• Based in part on work done

with SINTEF/NTNU

Expanding University Partnerships

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

UMB

And More to Come……

Build on New “Environment-Friendly Energy” Research Centers (FME)

New Strategy:

Forskningssentrene for Miljøvennlig Energi (FME)

• Key features: renewable energy theme, multiple university and corporate partners, some Intl,“grad school”

• 8 funded for 8 years, ca. $4M/yr• 50% from Norwegian Res Council• 25% from corporate partners• 25% from Norwegian academic partners

Forskningssentrene for Miljøvennlig Energi (FME)

• Bioenergy Innovation Centre (CenBio) • BIGCCS Centre – International CCS Research

Centre• SUbsurface CO2 Storage – Critical Elements and

Superior Strategy (SUCCESS)• Norwegian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy

(NORCOWE)• Norwegian Research Centre for Offshore Wind

Technology (NOWITECH)• The Norwegian Research Centre for Solar Cell

Technology• The Research Centre on Zero Emission Buildings

(ZEB)• Centre for Environmental Design of Renewable

Energy (CEDREN)

Centers for Environment-Friendly Energy Research (FME)

BIGCCSCEDRENCenBioNORCOWENOWITECHSOLARSUCCESSZEB

University of Oslo (UiO)• Long history – e.g. political sci, German,

Scand, Dutch on Hamrun• UMN chosen as a “Preferred partner” • Include as part of “Chair” program• New and/or expanded efforts

– Mathematics– Neuroscience – Ecosystems/evolution– St. Anthony Falls Laboratory– Materials Science – cf. solar, catalysis – SOLAR

(with IFE- Instit for Energy Technology)– “Mini-Smart Grids” – Solar, Wind, elect eng (UMN)– Peace Studies

IREE Large GrantLaterally Integrated Photovoltaic Systems Project lead: Philip Cohen, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dick Hemmingsen, 2009

Centers for Environment-Friendly Energy Research (FME)

BIGCCSCEDRENCenBioNORCOWENOWITECHSOLARSUCCESSZEB

NTNU

• Electrical Engineering• Microbiology (biofilm; also UMB)• Bioenergy (CenBio) – with UMB• Catalysis (Nordic Opportunity)• Neuroscience

2009-09-29

CenBio

2009-09-29

R&D partners in CenBio

Trondheim

Ås

Centre lead

Host

R&D

2009-09-29

International cooperation

► Stanford University (USA ) ► US Forest Service (USA)► University of Minnesota (USA ) ► Finnish Forest Research Institute (FIN) ► Chalmers University of Technology (S) ► Åbo Akademi University (FIN)► Technical University of Denmark (DK) ► University of Copenhagen (DK)► Vienna University of Technology (A) ► Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (D)

Expanding University Partnerships

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

UMB

And More to Come……

Build on New “Environment-Friendly Energy” Research Centers (FME)

Centers for Environment-Friendly Energy Research (FME)

BIGCCSCEDRENCenBioNORCOWENOWITECHSOLARSUCCESSZEB

University of Bergen (UiB)

• UMN Poly Sci and Psychology• Potential in climate modeling with

UMN Institute on the Environment• FME centers

– NORCOWE – with UStavanger,Agder– SUCCESS – with UOslo and IFE

IREE Large GrantCombining Geothermal Energy Extraction and CO2 Sequestration to Produce Clean, Renewable, Carbon Negative Electricity Project lead: Martin Saar, Geology and Geophysics

Low-temperature Geothermal – Minnesota

High-temperature Geothermal – Iceland

Dick Hemmingsen, 2009

Expanding University Partnerships

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

UMB

And More to Come……

Build on Research-based Innovation Centers

New Strategy:

Centres for Research-based Innovation- public private partnerships

APC

Mini-Smart grid,SOLAR

SFI

Mycotox,plant

SFI proposals

• APC – Aquaculture Protein Center – UMB, U Bergen

• Mycotoxin – Bioforsk, UMB• Genomics of plants and animals –

UMB, Hamar• Mini-SmartGrid – UiO, India• CeRTA – UiO, UiT (not really SFI)• UMN in ALL of THESE

How can you help?

• Work with us on increasing private sector involvement with research groups (both Norwegian and Minnesota)

• Facilitate and promote student exchanges related to research groups

• Reinforce linkages with Norwegian government and research council

Prime Minister Stoltenberg at U of M’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

Bob Kvavik, TK Address, 2008

High level support from the Norwegian government

Prime Minister Stoltenberg at U of M’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

High level support from the Norwegian government……….

Can we add you to the picture?

Many thanks!Tusen takk!