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IAC Student Research Awards
Sponsored by:
DOE MESC
IAC logo
IAC Student Research Awards
Implementation Grant Funding Opportunity Open
IMPORTANT: The grant program operates on a rolling basis and applications may be submitted at any time, with quarterly reviews.
Learn More
Implementation Grant Funding Opportunity Open
Qualifying* small and medium-sized US manufacturers, that received IAC or Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership assessments between 2018 and 2024, can now apply for grants for implementation of assessment recommendations up 50% of qualifying* project costs with a maximum of $300,000 per manufacturer.
IMPORTANT: The grant program now operates on a rolling basis and applications may be submitted at any time through the year, with quarterly reviews.
*See Full Grant Solicitation for full qualification and selection details.

2023 Student Research Awards

Arizona State University View Center Page
Arizona State University
A Study on Compressed Air System Performance: Evaluating the Role of Master Controllers in Energy Efficiency and Cost Reduction
Students Sumedh Shukla & Joseph Elliott
Director Dr. Patrick Phelan
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Ryan Milcarek
University of Alabama View Center Page
University of Alabama
Noninvasive Water Flow Measurement in Industrial Cooling Towers
Students Ramon Peruchi, Pacheco da Silva, Riley Marchand & Stella Day
Director Joseph Carpenter
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Forooza Samadi
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee View Center Page
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Harnessing Organic Waste Streams for Efficient Hydrogen Production and Water Treatment
Students Walaa Saadeh, Cheikh Kada & Mohammad Maache
Director Ryo Amano-Duplicate to remove
West Virginia University View Center Page
West Virginia University
Energy Impact on Manufacturing Aggregate Planning for SME under Conditions of Dynamic Pricing of Utilities
Students Roseline Mostafa
Director Dr. Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan
University of Illinois, Chicago View Center Page
University of Illinois, Chicago
Planning and Operation Co-Optimization of PV-battery System in Manufacturing Facilities
Students Sharon (Jingwen) Wang & Lucia Valenzuela
Director Lin Li
University of Dayton View Center Page
University of Dayton
Development of a Machine-Learning Basis for Assessment of Compressed Air System Performance Conditions
Students Sean Kapp
Director Dr. Jun-Ki Choi
San Diego State University View Center Page
San Diego State University
Application of the cold stream of a Ranque-Hilsch vortex flow for Nox reduction while using the hot air stream to enhance combustion efficiency
Students Edgar Diaz
Director Dr. Asfaw Beyene
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Joaquin Camacho
University of Utah View Center Page
University of Utah
Increasing the Accessibility of Industrial Electric Load Profile Data: Tools for Organization and Benchmarking
Students Blake Billings, Lesslie Moposita & Sovit Bhetwal
Director Dr. Kody Powell
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Julie Sieving

2022 Student Research Awards

Lehigh University View Center Page
Lehigh University
Solar Powered Membrane Distillation for Desalination Applications.
Students Abhinay Soanker and Justin Casper
Director Dr. Alparslan Oztekin
Mississippi State View Center Page
Mississippi State
Impact Analysis on Implementation of Electric and Thermal Energy Storage Systems at Industrial and Commercial Facilities.
Students McKenna Patterson
Director Joonsik Hwang
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Heejin Cho
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee View Center Page
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Photovoltaic Cover for Treatment Tanks in Wastewater Treatment Plants.
Students Ahmad Abdel Hadi and Omar Habash
Director Ryo Amano-Duplicate to remove
Tennessee Technological University View Center Page
Tennessee Technological University
Field Validation Study of an In-house Developed Cooling Tower Efficiency Model.
Students Spencer Jones
Director Dr. Ethan Languri, PE, CEM, CBEP
University of Dayton View Center Page
University of Dayton
Decarbonization and Energy-Saving Potential of Pure Oxygen Aeration for Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Students Scott Eardly
Director Dr. Jun-Ki Choi
University of Nebraska–Lincoln View Center Page
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics (AFDD) for Packaged Rooftop Units Using Data-Driven Approach and Impact of Fault Elimination on Energy and Cost Savings.
Students Md Rasel Uddin
Director Robert E. Williams
Michigan State University View Center Page
Michigan State University
Developing a Virtual Assessment Process for More Efficient Student Training and Post-Assessment Analysis.
Students Behlul Kula
Director Kristen Cetin
University of California, Irvine View Center Page
University of California, Irvine
Mixing Hydrogen with Natural Gas as an Alternative for Fuel Switching in Manufacturing for Decarbonization/Reducing GHG Emission.
Students Meraf Amare, Jasmine Glover, and Jason Kim
Director G.P. Li

2020 Student Research Awards

University of Massachusetts View Center Page
University of Massachusetts
Design of Latent Thermal Energy Storage Heat Exchangers for Combined Heat and Power Plants
Students Kedar Prashant
Director Dr. Beka Kosanovic
University of Utah View Center Page
University of Utah
Improving the Economics of Industrial Battery Storage: A Proactive Policy and Management Approach.
Students Anne Dougherty, Blake Billings and Nestor Camacho
Director Dr. Kody Powell
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Julie Sieving
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee View Center Page
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
The Power Reclamation of Utilizing Micro-hydro Turbines in the Aeration Basins of Wastewater Treatment Plants.
Students Alaa Hasan, Abdel Rahman Salem and Ahmad Abdel Hadi
Director Ryo Amano-Duplicate to remove
Texas A&M, College Station View Center Page
Texas A&M, College Station
Peak Electrical Demand Reduction in Fluid Distribution Systems through Load-shifting using Model Predictive Control.
Students Rafael J. Dugarte
Director Bryan Rasmussen
University of Illinois, Chicago View Center Page
University of Illinois, Chicago
Framework for Net-Zero Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Students Xochitl Menchaca
Director Lin Li
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Patrick Brown
Boise State University View Center Page
Boise State University
Piyush Basnet and Anson Lunstrum
Students Improving Pump Efficiency through Combination of Impeller Redesign and Hydrophobic Coating.
Director Krishna Pakala
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Dev Shrestha and Dr. Steven Beyerlein

2019 Student Research Awards

University of Alabama View Center Page
University of Alabama
Confined Tube Aeration – Increasing Efficiency of U.S. Wastewater Treatment
Students Roohany Mahmud
Director Joseph Carpenter
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. David MacPhee
University of Utah View Center Page
University of Utah
Implementation of Machine-Learning-Based Optimization of Industrial Cooling Towers
Students Landen Blackburn, Micale Ward, Derek Machalek, Christopher Hillam and Jake Tuttle
Director Dr. Kody Powell
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Julie Sieving
San Diego State University View Center Page
San Diego State University
Solar Energy / Energy Storage Discharge Models and Analysis of Regional Electricity Utility Usage Based on Interval Data in West IAC Region
Students Andrew Benedict-Phillip and Daniela Cantor
Director Dr. Asfaw Beyene
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Joaquin Camacho

2017 Student Research Awards

West Virginia University View Center Page
West Virginia University
Energy Efficiency Evaluation of Twin Tower Regenerative Desiccant Dryers
Students Alexandra Davis
Director Dr. Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Ashish Nimbarte

2014 Student Research Awards

Texas A&M, College Station View Center Page
Texas A&M, College Station
A Novel Method for Non-Intrusive Measurement of Compressed Air Leakage Flow Rates
Students Patricio Ramirez, Matthew Krebs, David Saltzman, Brian Hinkel, Crystal Torres
Director Bryan Rasmussen
Boise State University View Center Page
Boise State University
Impact of Hydrophobic Impeller Surface Coatings on Pump Efficiency
Students Sean Rosin, Dennis Twitty, Michael Armstrong, and Vitor Da Silva Santos
Director Krishna Pakala
University of Dayton View Center Page
University of Dayton
Are Variable-Frequency Pumping Applications Delivering the Predicted Savings?
Students Vijay Gopalakrishnan, Alex Brogan, Rohan Das
Director Dr. Jun-Ki Choi
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Donald Chase
University of Michigan View Center Page
University of Michigan
Substitution of Electricity with Natural Gas Burners for Industrial Dryers to Reduce cost and Pollutant
Students Kumar Aanjaneya, Hayden Youngs, Danielle Kyser and Karl Stimmel
Director Arvind Atreya

2013 Student Research Awards

Syracuse University View Center Page
Syracuse University
Efficiently Reducing Thermal Stratification at Small and Medium-Scale Industrial Facilities
Students Jillian Burgoyne, Enrica Galasso, Mark Seibel
Director Dr. Jackie Anderson
University of Michigan View Center Page
University of Michigan
Radiation Enhancement to Increase Efficiency and Reduce Pollutants
Students Weiyu Cao, Nicholas Montes
Director Arvind Atreya
Staff Advisor(s) Pawel Olszewski

2012 Student Research Awards

Texas A&M, College Station View Center Page
Texas A&M, College Station
Miscellaneous IAC Efficiency Projects
Students Franco Morelli
Director Bryan Rasmussen
San Diego State University View Center Page
San Diego State University
Ultra-Low Grade Thermal Energy Recovery with Storage, Using Organic Rankine Cycle
Students Michael Soda
Director Dr. Asfaw Beyene
University of Alabama View Center Page
University of Alabama
Compressed Air Systems Assessment: Effect of Inlet Air Temperatures
Students Hamid Najafi
Director Joseph Carpenter
University of Dayton View Center Page
University of Dayton
Energy Efficient Humidity Control in Manufacturing
Students Dustin Pohlman, Abdul Qayyum Mohammed
Director Dr. Jun-Ki Choi
University of Michigan View Center Page
University of Michigan
Possibility of Combustion Furnace Operation with Oxygen-Enriched Gas from Nitrogen Generator
Students Dan Borgnakke
Director Arvind Atreya