ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan will significantly expand efforts in energy research with the creation of The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.

“Finding renewable sources of energy is one of our most urgent global problems, and the University of Michigan is in a unique position to make an immense contribution to finding solutions,” U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said today.

“Our exceptional programs in nuclear engineering, automotive engineering, as well as our long-standing industry partnerships, will provide the scope and scale of expertise to make a real difference in areas such as advanced nuclear power systems, solar power, hydrogen technology, fuel cells, battery research and low power electronics. “

The institute will coordinate activities, serve as an international authority and resource in energy related issues, assist in developing funding sources and attracting faculty, manage the facilities, engage industry and provide a unified voice and focal point on energy research, policy, and education.

“The University of Michigan has top schools in business, medicine, law, public policy and engineering, among others,” said Stephen Forrest, vice president for research. “The interdisciplinary culture compared to other top research institutions gives us a big advantage because energy research is interdisciplinary in nature, and draws upon disparate fields. This institute will bring together U-M’s energy research activities to achieve maximum impact. “

The University, which will launch the institute with $9 million, plans to recruit top-tier energy research faculty. Additionally, initiative funds will be combined with commitments from the College of Engineering and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts to establish several new chaired faculty positions, and several new graduate fellowships in energy research will be created by a partnership between the initiative and the Rackham Graduate School.

The new institute will be housed in the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory. The building will be renovated with $11 million in state capital outlay and University funding.

Under the leadership of U-M faculty member Gary S. Was, the institute will coordinate existing energy research that is distributed across campus in a variety of disciplines and locations. The lab, under renovation now, will provide resources and a common space for faculty who are pursuing energy related research in facilities spread across campus now. The third floor of the Phoenix Laboratory will house the Hydrogen Energy Technology Lab led by U-M Professor Levi Thompson.

Was is the former research associate dean for the College of Engineering, and former chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He earned his bachelor’s in engineering from U-M and his master’s and doctorate degrees in nuclear engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined the university in July 1980 and in addition to his research at U-M, has been an affiliate staff scientist at Pacific Northwest Laboratories since 1994.

He was also a guest scientist at Kernforschungsanlage J