The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced up to $6 million in available funding for research to support the next generation of sustainable biofuels and biomaterials. Funding is made through USDA’s Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint initiative with the Department of Energy.
Biomass feedstocks are plant and algal materials that can be used to create biofuels, renewable chemicals, and other bio-based products. Perennial grasses, woody plants, and non-food oil seeds are just some of the feedstocks that provide the basis of renewable energy and other materials. The Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) RFA supports the development of sustainable biofuels and bio-based products, helping to create jobs, new market opportunities, and rural prosperity by diversifying the nation’s energy choices. Projects may focus on feedstocks development; biofuels and biobased products development; and biofuels development analysis.
Previously funded projects include a State University of New York (link is external) analysis of the economic and environmental impacts of willow and forest biomass for use in heat and power. A University of Florida (link is external) project investigated the use of sorghum for biofuels and chemicals.