Industrial Assessment Centers

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will result in the selection of 20 to 30 universities as Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) based on a competitive selection process. The Federal Government has been funding the IAC program ? formerly called the Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Center program ? since 1976. The IAC program is a major workforce development initiative aimed at creating the next generation energy engineers possessing a unique mixture of engineering and energy management expertise, combined with hands-on experience obtained by working directly with small and medium sized industrial and manufacturing facilities across the country. Each IAC will provide extensive training for undergraduate and graduate engineering students in industrial processes, energy assessment procedures, and energy management principles. Led by IAC-related faculty and staff, these IAC students will perform energy assessments for small and medium si zed manufacturers in their geographic region, which will result in energy savings, waste reduction, and sustainability and productivity improvements for the manufacturers and real-world experience for the students. Moreover, the students will interact with plant and corporate management; prepare executive-level briefings and plant-specific reports containing detailed recommendations for operational and energy management improvement; and through follow-on activities, facilitate continuous improvement in energy management at these facilities.