Higher Ed Board funds new research center

An Oregon sustainability program received funding from the Oregon University System (OUS) to create a research and development facility that participants say would create new jobs, foster educational programs and help the Oregon economy grow. The OUS is acting as the fiscal caregiver for Oregon Bio-Economy and Sustainable Technologies (Oregon BEST), providing an initial seed grant of $250,000 for start-up fees for a signature research center for the program.

An Oregon sustainability program received funding from the Oregon University System (OUS) to create a research and development facility that participants say would create new jobs, foster educational programs and help the Oregon economy grow.

The OUS is acting as the fiscal caregiver for Oregon Bio-Economy and Sustainable Technologies (Oregon BEST), providing an initial seed grant of $250,000 for start-up fees for a signature research center for the program.

Oregon BEST aims to synergize several state research and development projects in the sustainability field, specifically focusing on advancements in clean energy and the development of new sustainable products and industries at a faster rate. New businesses stemming from this process will prioritize sustainability, while research and development improves on the program’s findings.

“The great thing about BEST is that it’s self-sustaining,” says Kirby Dyess, vice president of OUS, who is overseeing the project. “It revs up the sustainability issue, of which the seeds are already present, develops new technologies and creates new jobs and experts in the field.”

Portland State and three other Oregon schools are partnering with OUS on the initiative, headed by leading specialists in the sustainability field.

By forming partnerships with state colleges, OUS Sustainability Adviser Susan Bragdon said at the Jan. 5 OUS meeting that the program will provide an educational component to BEST, both with the influx of new sustainability experts from research and industry advancements and the expertise of university field specialists ensuring an airtight groundwork for the initiative.

BEST will also serve as meeting point for workforce improvements in community college and university research programs, Bragdon said, which will assist state efforts to maintain resources for an original and commercially viable economy.

PSU and the three schools partnered with OUS will receive additional funding. With the partnership in BEST, state colleges will enjoy increased eligibility in grant money for sustainable activity.

PSU, already recognized as a leading institution in the field, stands to benefit substantially from its partnership, resulting in new and renovated green building projects and on-campus solar panel installation according to Dresden Gregory, the Portland State Sustainability Coordinator.

“It’s the students’ future,” says Gregory. “PSU is becoming the MIT of sustainability, and this further promotes the issue specialty.”

With the creation of BEST, the state’s third Signature Research Center, findings in sustainability will only continue to speed up, Dyess said, attracting continual grants from federal and private sector interests.

Legislative funds, pending approval, will not be available until July 2007 at the earliest. A stall until summer, Dyess said, could stagnate the program. “It’s a timing issue,” she said. “We can’t afford to wait for the legislature. BEST is an opportunity to drive the economy in Oregon. OUS’s investment is a confirmation of how valuable OUS assets are in producing economic development.”

In addition to jump-starting the initiative, Dyess said the contributions from OUS are a show of confidence to private investors interested in BEST.

As part of the partnership, PSU will further integrate sustainability features into the school and continue to serve as a model for Portland and the Pacific Northwest, Gregory said.

Support has been both wide spread and bi-partisan for BEST. The Oregon Innovation Council, which oversees proposals for development in Oregon, selected the initiative out of several other competing proposals from a board comprised of both parties.

“There are a lot of assets in our research already to drive the benefits of the program,” said Dyess about the reasons for the council’s support of the program. “It’s not just the partners, it’s the private interests too. Everyone is excited about BEST.”