IGS Director and EE Professor Dr. Benjamin Sovacool Spearheading Joint Appointment Program
Boston University is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to offer joint appointments that encourages new collaborations and novel research on the clean energy transition. The goal of the collaboration is to find solutions to complex, multidisciplinary challenges in energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, renewable power technologies, and grid integration.
Boston University is one of eighteen university partners nationwide, joining other NREL university partners like MIT, Stanford University, and Carnegie Mellon. Earth & Environment Professor and Institute for Sustainability Director, Benjamin Sovacool, is the inaugural appointee of BU and NREL’s collaboration. Professor Sovacool, an internationally recognized scholar on energy and climate policy, is spearheading the program.
Of the partnership, he said:
“Working with NREL is an incredible opportunity for Boston University faculty and our students, giving us access to some of the top research facilities in the world while opening new doors for scientific engagement and innovation among the best and brightest in sustainable energy and transportation. Our partnership is also significant for the City of Boston, attracting nationally recognized research talent to enhance the quality of science, technology, education, and industrial development right here in our backyard.”
BU and NREL have signed a five-year agreement committing to the Joint Appointment Program, greatly expanding their capabilities and facilities to support scientific breakthroughs in clean energy.
About the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability
The Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) pioneers research to advance a sustainable and equitable future, convening faculty across the university’s diverse schools and colleges. Our focus on planetary and environmental health, climate governance, and energy systems is grounded in equity and justice, robust data science, and real-world impact. To learn more, visit bu.edu/igs.
About the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory focusing on creative answers to today’s energy challenges. From breakthroughs in fundamental science to new clean technologies to integrated energy systems that power our lives, NREL researchers are transforming the way the nation and the world use energy. NREL is doing this with an eye toward energy justice and equity to make sure that all people benefit from the clean energy transition—in terms of jobs, environmental quality, policies, affordability, and investments.