Professors Richard Kaner and Yuzhang Li from UCLA’s Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have been awarded a $1M Climate Action Seed grant for their research project, which will create a breakthrough battery technology based on Zn chemistry. This technology aims to assist California in establishing a carbon-free electric grid, utilizing this new, safe, and long-lasting battery technology for grid storage.
From California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) News (by Nicole Wilkins):
University of California awards more than $80 million in state-funded grants to spur climate action
As part of a historic partnership between the University of California and the state of California, the University announced it is awarding over $80 million in climate action grants. The grants will spur implementation of solutions that directly address state climate priorities.
The California Climate Action Seed Grants and Matching Grants will fund 38 projects that collectively involve more than 130 community, industry, tribal, and public agencies, as well as 12 University of California (UC) locations, 11 California State University (CSU) campuses and two private universities. Seed grants were awarded to 34 teams totaling $56.2 million. Four teams received matching grants totaling $26.9 million to support larger projects that could leverage additional funding from non-state sources. The $83.l million total is part of $185 million allocated by the state for UC climate initiatives advancing progress toward California’s climate goals.
Recognizing the historic opportunity to leverage this investment to strengthen community participation in shaping climate solutions, the state’s Strategic Growth Council is providing funds to the University to supplement the Seed and Matching Grants. The Community-Engaged S/Hero Award Supplements will provide 10 projects with $20,000 each to identify best practices for engaging communities around climate risks, and to provide leadership, resources, and counsel to all climate award teams on community.
One of the funded projects includes researchers and CNSI Members Yuzhang Li, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, and Ric Kaner, the Dr. Myung Ki Hong Professor of Materials Innovation at UCLA.
Their project builds off the team’s CNSI-funded Noble Fund research. Li and Kaner’s project, “Laser-scribed battery electrodes to enable California grid-scale energy storage” will create a breakthrough battery technology based on Zn chemistry to help California establish a carbon-free electric grid using this new safe and long-lasting battery technology for grid storage.
