Auburn awarded $14.4 million federal grant for science and commerce center

Auburn University will receive $14.4 million in federal stimulus funds for construction of a science, technology and commerce research facility, university officials announced.

The competitive grant is from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. It will aid Auburn researchers working on standards, measurements and forecasting related to food safety, bioenergy technologies, aquaculture development and sustainability, and water and environmental quality.

The 68,000 square-foot center, to be located in the Auburn Research Park, will have 21 research laboratories for five major multidisciplinary research groups.

Research areas will include ecosystem health forecasting and marine aquaculture; biodiversity ecosystem maintenance; enhancement of commercially important marine species; sensors for detecting biological and chemical contaminants in water; biofuels that support large-scale commercialization; and advanced food safety sensors, including those that monitor and forecast plant and animal health.

"The grant is recognition of the expertise of Auburn researchers and scientists," said John Mason, Auburn vice president for research. "Bringing research clusters from across campus together in this facility will foster new discoveries on a larger scale that are transferred into the marketplace at a much faster pace."

The facility is expected to be completed by spring 2012.