The US National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the University of Kansas (KU) $26 million to establish the Gen-4 Engineering Research Center (ERC)—Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH)—aimed at creating a sustainable refrigerant economy.
“NSF ERCs are powerhouses of discovery and innovation, bringing America's great engineering minds to bear on our toughest challenges. By collaborating with industry and training the workforce of the future, ERCs create an innovation ecosystem that can accelerate engineering innovations, producing tremendous economic and societal benefits for the nation,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.
EARTH, selected from hundreds of proposals, will collaborate with industry partners to develop sustainable refrigerant technologies. The center’s partners include Notre Dame, Maryland, Hawai'i, South Dakota, and Lehigh University.
Directed by KU’s Mark Shiflett, ERC EARTH will promote inclusive research and workforce development, collaborating with community colleges. The center aims to innovate heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) systems, reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) emissions, and combat climate change by improving refrigerant technology.
HFCs, responsible for 8% of global emissions, are being phased out by 170 countries. ERC EARTH will focus on recycling refrigerants, developing new cooling technologies, and improving energy efficiency. Dean Mary Rezac called it a "critical national resource" addressing key environmental challenges.
The grant, one of KU's largest, is renewable for another $26 million over 10 years, totaling $52 million.