ITAC logo
ITAC Student Research Awards
ITAC logo
ITAC Student Research Awards
Grant Funding Opportunity NOW OPEN
Up to $300k at 50% cost share for qualifying* projects.
Grant Funding Opportunity Open
Qualifying* small and medium-sized US manufacturers, that received an ITAC, Onsite Energy/CHP TAP, or qualified equivalent assessment since 2018 can now apply for grants for implementation of assessment recommendations at up to 50% of qualifying* project costs with a maximum of $300,000 per grant.
See Complete Announcement
Grant Program - Open Solicitation
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 Center Detail
A Study on Compressed Air System Performance: Evaluating the Role of Master Controllers in Energy Efficiency and Cost Reduction
Arizona State University
Students Sumedh Shukla & Joseph Elliott
Director Dr. Patrick Phelan
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Ryan Milcarek
University of Alabama Center Detail
Noninvasive Water Flow Measurement in Industrial Cooling Towers
University of Alabama
Students Ramon Peruchi, Pacheco da Silva, Riley Marchand & Stella Day
Director Joseph Carpenter
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Forooza Samadi
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Center Detail
Harnessing Organic Waste Streams for Efficient Hydrogen Production and Water Treatment
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Students Walaa Saadeh, Cheikh Kada & Mohammad Maache
Director Ryo Amano
West Virginia University Center Detail
Energy Impact on Manufacturing Aggregate Planning for SME under Conditions of Dynamic Pricing of Utilities
West Virginia University
Students Roseline Mostafa
Director Dr. Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan
University of Illinois, Chicago Center Detail
Planning and Operation Co-Optimization of PV-battery System in Manufacturing Facilities
University of Illinois, Chicago
Students Sharon (Jingwen) Wang & Lucia Valenzuela
Director Lin Li
University of Dayton Center Detail
Development of a Machine-Learning Basis for Assessment of Compressed Air System Performance Conditions
University of Dayton
Students Sean Kapp
Director Dr. Jun-Ki Choi
San Diego State University Center Detail
Application of the cold stream of a Ranque-Hilsch vortex flow for Nox reduction while using the hot air stream to enhance combustion efficiency
San Diego State University
Students Edgar Diaz
Director Dr. Asfaw Beyene
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Joaquin Camacho
University of Utah Center Detail
Increasing the Accessibility of Industrial Electric Load Profile Data: Tools for Organization and Benchmarking
University of Utah
Students Blake Billings, Lesslie Moposita & Sovit Bhetwal
Director Dr. Kody Powell
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Julie Sieving

2022 Student Research Awards

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

2020 Student Research Awards

University of Massachusetts Center Detail
Design of Latent Thermal Energy Storage Heat Exchangers for Combined Heat and Power Plants
University of Massachusetts
Students Kedar Prashant
Director Dr. Beka Kosanovic
University of Utah Center Detail
Improving the Economics of Industrial Battery Storage: A Proactive Policy and Management Approach.
University of Utah
Students Anne Dougherty, Blake Billings and Nestor Camacho
Director Dr. Kody Powell
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Julie Sieving
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Center Detail
The Power Reclamation of Utilizing Micro-hydro Turbines in the Aeration Basins of Wastewater Treatment Plants.
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Students Alaa Hasan, Abdel Rahman Salem and Ahmad Abdel Hadi
Director Ryo Amano
Texas A&M, College Station Center Detail
Peak Electrical Demand Reduction in Fluid Distribution Systems through Load-shifting using Model Predictive Control.
Texas A&M, College Station
Students Rafael J. Dugarte
Director Bryan Rasmussen
University of Illinois, Chicago Center Detail
Framework for Net-Zero Wastewater Treatment Plant.
University of Illinois, Chicago
Students Xochitl Menchaca
Director Lin Li
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Patrick Brown
Boise State University Center Detail
Piyush Basnet and Anson Lunstrum
Boise State University
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 Center Detail
Confined Tube Aeration – Increasing Efficiency of U.S. Wastewater Treatment
University of Alabama
Students Roohany Mahmud
Director Joseph Carpenter
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. David MacPhee
University of Utah Center Detail
Implementation of Machine-Learning-Based Optimization of Industrial Cooling Towers
University of Utah
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 Center Detail
Solar Energy / Energy Storage Discharge Models and Analysis of Regional Electricity Utility Usage Based on Interval Data in West ITAC Region
San Diego State University
Students Andrew Benedict-Phillip and Daniela Cantor
Director Dr. Asfaw Beyene
Staff Advisor(s) Dr. Joaquin Camacho

2017 Student Research Awards

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

2014 Student Research Awards

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

2013 Student Research Awards

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

2012 Student Research Awards

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