JRCEEC PROJECTS

Recent Success: The National Science Foundation recently awarded $49,500 to the China-US Joint Research Center for Ecosystem and Environmental Change. The award will fund a follow-up workshop to the September 2007 event to be held in October 2008 in Beijing. Representatives from ORNL, UT, and Purdue University will attend.

November 2007 – ORNL and UT scientists travel to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hefei to visit CAS- affiliated institutes and universities on the topic of bioenergy (11 presentation across 14 days and multiple institutions). The US team also met with Zhang Jijun the Deputy General Manager, Research and Development Department, Bio-chemical and Bioenergy Division, Chinese Oil and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO). COFCO is one of China’s largest food manufacturers and is ranked 405 in the Fortune Global 500. [Note: During the visit, Chinese bureau-level leadership expressed strong interest in developing a partnership with JIBS in the area of bioenergy research and development. High-level Chinese contact has been made with another US bioenergy center, however, to date no reciprocal contact has been established.]

September 2007 – UT hosts "Environmental Aspects of Bioenergy Production and Sustainability: A Joint China-US Workshop." The event draws 17 key participants from China and 20 US participants from JIBS, ISSE, ORNL, UT, Heinz Center, and Purdue University.

October 2006 – JIBS invites and UT-ORNL hosts the 10-member Strategic Research Planning delegation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

July 2006 – Representatives of UT, ORNL, IGSNRR, and RCEES sign an agreement to establish the China-US Joint Research Center for Ecosystem and Environmental Change.