ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University is a finalist in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) regional innovation engines program, earning a $1 million award. Cornell’s effort seeks to “grow the region into America’s next hub for climate research and innovation,” the office of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced May 11. Cornell University will […]
ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University is a finalist in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) regional innovation engines program, earning a $1 million award.
Cornell’s effort seeks to “grow the region into America’s next hub for climate research and innovation,” the office of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced May 11.
Cornell University will receive the $1 million to develop its proposal to grow a “climate smart bioeconomy” in the upstate New York region. The university can now compete in the next phase for up to a $160 million in federal investment to bring Ithaca’s work to tackle climate change “to the next level.”
“This NSF Regional Innovation Engines development award presents a tremendously exciting new opportunity for Cornell to help map a more prosperous and sustainable future for New York, and for our planet,” Cornell President Martha Pollack said in a release. “Cornell University is grateful for Senator Schumer’s leadership to fuel national investment in new approaches like this NSF Engines program and the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) — programs that leverage our regional and national capacity for advanced research as a springboard for sustainable economic growth. I look forward to the collaborative innovation of our teams at Cornell and SUNY ESF [in Syracuse], and the way they will bring theory to practice as we work to address our most urgent global challenges.”
About the proposal
Schumer explained that Cornell’s proposal, officially named “Upstate 2.0,” is designed to help transition upstate New York from a fossil-fuel dependent region to an “inclusive, prosperous, sustainable Climate Smart Bioeconomy (CSB).”
The CSB seeks to replace fossil fuels with bio-based feedstocks, reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and energy production, and leverage automation for the greener production of goods.
The initiative will leverage the expertise of Cornell University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) in research, education, and entrepreneurial activities. This research will leverage resources across both institutions and primarily focus on three target areas: (1) sustainable agri-food and forestry systems, (2) climate-beneficial technology and nature-based innovation, and (3) bio-based industrial processes and products.
Upstate 2.0 “will become a model for how rural areas nationwide can transform their economy through the sustainable use of locally available biomass industries, including agricultural and forest products,” Schumer’s office contends.
The senator helped create this program at the NSF through his CHIPS and Science Bill, that passed into law last year. Schumer first proposed it as part of the new NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships in his Endless Frontier Act, “specifically with places like Ithaca and Upstate New York in mind.”