The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Energy Department (DOE) have allocated $35m three-year funding to support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products.
The funding has been provided through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint program between USDA and DOE.
The project will help develop sustainable sources of renewable biomass and increase the availability of renewable fuels and biobased products that can help replace the need for gasoline and diesel in vehicles.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said USDA’s partnership with DOE aims to improve the country’s energy security and provide sustainable jobs in communities across the country.
"This funding represents the kind of innovation we need to build American-made, homegrown biofuels and biobased products that will help to break our dependence on foreign oil and move our nation toward a clean energy economy," Vilsack said.
For fiscal year 2012, applicants seeking BRDI funding must propose projects that integrate science and engineering research in the following three technical areas that are feedstock development, biofuels and biobased products development, and biofuels development analysis.