Education Commons^™

Environmental Impact Assessment For Socio-Economic Analysis Of Chemicals: Principles And Practice (Technical Report No. 113), Peter Calow

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

This report describes the requirements for, and illustrates the application of, a methodology for a socio-economic analysis (SEA) especially as it might be adopted in the framework of REACH.

Socio-economic analysis weighs the costs of any restrictions on the production and use of chemicals against the benefits to human health and the environment.

The reasons why industry needs to understand the principles and practices of socioeconomic analysis are: (l) to carry out, where appropriate, a SEA as an argument for authorisation (this is an industry responsibility), and (2) to be able to contribute as stakeholders in socio-economic discussions with regulatory …

Office Of Research And Economic Development Annual Report 2010-2011

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Collaborations, Partnerships Drive Innovation 1

Discovery Could Spark Smaller, Faster Electronics 2

MRSEC Fosters Collaboration 3

Harnessing Laser Power Creates Precise Nanostructures 5

Nanohybrids Promise ‘Best of Both Worlds’ 6

Water for Food Institute Building Partnerships 8

World Water Expert to Lead Institute 9

Understanding Aquifer Recharge 10

Targeted Research Investments Hedge Against Food Crisis 11

Uncovering New Perspectives on Whitman 12

Civil War Washington Going Digital 14

Humanities Grants Support Language, Digital Initiatives 15

Improving Children’s Reading Comprehension 16

Transforming Early Childhood Education 17

Bullying: Filling Gaps Between Research, Practice 18

Preparing Military Kids for Success in School 19 …

Major Sponsored Programs And Faculty Awards For Research And Creative Activity: July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

This tenth annual “Major Sponsored Programs and Faculty Awards for Research and Creative Activity” booklet highlights the successes of University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty during the fiscal year July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011. It lists the funding sources, projects and investigators on major grants and sponsored program awards received during the year; published books and scholarship; fellowships and other recognitions; startups and intellectual property licenses; and performances and exhibitions in the fine and performing arts. This impressive list grows each year and I am pleased to present evidence of our faculty’s accomplishments. Large grants in a diverse range of fields—from water, …

Macrocyclic Fragrance Materials—A Screening-Level Environmental Assessment Using Chemical Categorization, Daniel Salvito, Aurelia Lapczynski, Christen Sachse-Vasquez, Colin Mcintosh, Peter Calow, Helmut Greim, Beate Escher

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

A screening-level aquatic environmental risk assessment for macrocyclic fragrance materials using a “group approach” is presented using data for 30 macrocyclic fragrance ingredients. In this group approach, conservative estimates of environmental exposure and ecotoxicological effects thresholds for compounds within two subgroups (15 macrocyclic ketones and 15 macrocyclic lactones/lactides) were used to estimate the aquatic ecological risk potential for these subgroups. It is reasonable to separate these fragrance materials into the two subgroups based on the likely metabolic pathway required for biodegradation and on expected different ecotoxicological modes of action. The current volumes of use for the macrocyclic ketones in both …

Office Of Research And Economic Development Annual Report 2009-2010

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Planting Seeds for the Future 1
New Institute Focuses on Water for Food 2
Probing the Evapotranspiration Equation 3
Yield Potential Key to Food Security 4
Water-smart Sensors Going Underground 6
Lakes Showing Signs of Warming Climate 7
Informed Choices–Assessing Green Features 9
Powering Roadways with Solar and Wind 10
Improving Sustainable Energy Technologies 11
Biosensor Work Aims for Simple HIV Test 12
Developing Stronger Nanomagnets 14
Peering into Ultra-fast Molecular World 15
Getting the Skinny on Dietary Fat 17
Novel Approach Targets Tuberculosis 18
Pathways to Homelessness for Women 19
Bison Books–50 Years of Great Reading 21
Historian Weaving …

2009 Major Sponsored Programs And Faculty Awards For Research And Creative Activity

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

From discoveries in nanoscience, nutrigenomics and software engineering to innovative initiatives in math achievement, child welfare, water and climate change, UNL faculty are engaged in meeting the challenges of a changing world.

This eighth annual “Major Sponsored Programs and Faculty Awards for Research and Creative Activity” booklet highlights the successes of University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty during 2009. It lists the funding sources, projects and investigators on major grants and sponsored program awards received during the year; published books and scholarship; fellowships and other recognitions; start-ups and intellectual property licenses; and performances and exhibitions in the fine and performing arts.

This …

Office Of Research And Economic Development -- Annual Report 2008-2009

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Contents

New Perspectives 1
Self-aligning Nanotubes 2
Harnessing Nanotechnology’s Potential 4
Grad Program Wades into Water Issues 6
Water for Food: A Global Challenge 7
Sensor System Detects Track Troubles 8
Better Packing Peanuts 10
Precast Pole System Eases Installation 10
Investigating Blasts’ Impact on Brain 11
Partnering on Math Achievement 12
Improving Child Welfare Services 14
Exploring Complex Social Dynamics 15
Focusing on Rural Schools’ Unique Needs 16
A Gut Feeling 18
Of Mice and Health 19
Deciphering Nutrigenomics Puzzle 20
Shear Heads NU Press 22
Anderson Leads Industry Relations 22
Supercomputing Power Expands 23
Shaping Climate Change Research …

Will There Be Enough Water To Grow Enough Food?, David Molden

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Global food production has outpaced population growth since 1960, but meeting growing demand for food and water in the future will be challenging. "There is an intimate link between food and water," said David Molden, deputy director general for research at the International Water Management Institute and an internationally known expert on water management. In his public lecture, "Will there be Enough Water to Grow Enough Food?" Aug. 27 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Molden said the answer to this critical question is "no, unless we change the way we think and act on water issues."
PDF output of the …

National Center For Research On Rural Education (R2Ed): Fact Sheet

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has received a nearly $10 million five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences to establish the nation's only National Center for Research on Rural Education at UNL. This center's cutting-edge research will address the unique needs of rural education to improve student learning in reading, science and math.

Invasions And Extinctions As A Consequence Of Climate Change, Mace Hack, Rick Kearney, Chad Smith, Scott Taylor, Craig R. Allen

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Invasions and extinctions are occurring at a rate that is unprecedented in historical time. These phenomena are a kind of biological extreme at each end of the spectrum, and both are responses related to landscape and environmental conditions, which also link to climate change. Research shows that species change their ranges in response to climate change and to general predictable trends, but individual responses seem to be idiosyncratic, said moderator Craig Allen. Because of this, there is a need to explicitly anticipate and think about ecological surprises and the unanticipated consequences of global change. Ecological systems often exhibit nonlinear threshold …

Watering The Next Century: Sustaining A Resource For The Future, Curt Brown, Steve Gaul, Eugene Glock, Jim Meismer, Bob Snoozy, Bob Swanson

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Each panelist has many years of experience in dealing with water issues and each brings a perspective from a different area of expertise. These include natural resources management at the state government level, research and administration for a federal agency, farming and ranching, public water policy advocacy, staffer for a Nebraska U.S. senator, and irrigation research and development in the private sector.

Effects of climate change: Managing water resources to provide the quantity and quality to meet the needs of agriculture, industry, recreation and urban use is one of the key challenges throughout the western U.S. and certainly in the …

Sustainability In A Time Of Climate Change: Developing An Intensive Research Framework For The Platte River Basin And The High Plains. Proceedings From The 2008 Climate Change Workshop, May 19-22., University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Office Of Research

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are developing a research partnership to better understand, adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change in the Platte River Basin and the High Plains. The Climate Change 2008 Workshop, “Sustainability in a Time of Climate Change: Developing an Intensive Research Framework for the Platte River Basin and the High Plains” was designed to inventory our mutual research strengths and resources in this area and to bring key stakeholders and decision-makers into the process to build further partnerships.

The native grasslands and farmlands of Nebraska comprise one of …

Sustainability In A Time Of Climate Change: Keynote Address And Conference Charge, Tom Armstrong

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

In the world we live in today, I can tell you that the Nebraska landscape is a sensitive landscape. I’m not here to try to convince you today that climate change is real. That’s for you to decide. But I will tell you my own opinion on this as a scientist and as a manager of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, a 13-federal-agency consortium that spends about $2.2 billion a year on science and assessing the state of science regarding climate change. For many years this program has really dealt with the issue: Is climate change real or not? …

Climate Change Challenges Facing The Electric Industry, Ron Asche

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Climate change – a real interesting area for the electric utility industry. We’re kind of at a crossroads right now of how we go forward in the future with a new issue that appeared on our radar scope only four or five years ago. Climate change is getting much, much discussion in our industry, across the entire country, and we’re watching very closely what Congress is doing in that regard. Our understanding is that Congress is going to debate the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill in the next few weeks, and you can be assured that the electric industry is very, …

Integrating Crop, Livestock And Irrigation Technologies To Ensure Food Security And Environmental Quality, Jerry Hatfield, Don Batie, Jon Holzfaster, Mike Kelly, Rick Koelsch

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

The metropolitan areas of Denver and Omaha sit like bookends for the Platte River Basin and High Plains region. In the 500 miles between these metropolitan areas lies a vast, almost completely rural region where farming and ranching are the mainstays of the economy and the culture. Agriculture is not just the primary industry; it is a way of life. This way of life is very vulnerable to changes in climate. The perspectives of the people who work and live in this region are crucial to informing research on climate change. They are on the frontlines of climate change, as …

Biofuels, Water Resources And Climate Change: Solving The Sustainability Puzzle, Ralph Holzfaster, Duane Kristensen, Todd Sneller, Larry Tieszen, Kenneth Cassman

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Nebraska is now the second-largest producer of corn ethanol in the U.S. This is largely because of the state’s comparative advantages. For one, the state’s water resources enable a huge capacity for irrigation – Nebraska ranks second in irrigated crop acres, behind California. Nebraska is the third-largest corn producer in the U.S., with 75 percent of the crop irrigated. The state also produces nearly 5 million acres of soybeans, half of them irrigated. Both provide a large, dependable supply of feedstock for production of ethanol and other biofuels. Nebraska’s cattle feeding industry, with more than 4.5 million head on feed, …

America’S Water Crisis And What To Do About It, Robert Glennon

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

“We Americans are spoiled. Turn on the tap and out comes a limitless supply of high-quality water for less money than we pay for cell phone service or for cable television. We think of water as though it were like air, infinite and inexhaustible, when, in fact, water is very finite and very exhaustible. The United States is now facing a water crisis,” Robert Glennon said. “How can water be exhausted when water cannot be created or destroyed?” he asked. His answer: Some uses preclude the use of water by future generations. Every time a toilet is flushed in Los …

Future Of Water For Food: Proceedings Of The Future Of Water For Food Conference Held At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, May 3-5, 2009, University Of Nebraska–Lincoln Office Of Research And Economic Development

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

“Water is key. It’s a critical issue. In many cases, it’s a critical limitation. And we come together probably in some cases with different perspectives, but I think we can all agree that it’s a critical challenge, one that we must take on,” said Jeff Raikes, chief executive officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in his keynote address at the Future of Water for Food conference.

Hosted by the University of Nebraska and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the conference was held at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, May 3-5, 2009. The conference brought together more than 230 …

Water Science And Research Issues Associated With The Future Of Water For Food, Richard G. Allen

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

How can we manage the spatial and temporal distribution and redistribution of water to enhance food production? Better tools are the answer.

Microsupplies versus macrosupplies: Allen made a distinction between developing countries and developed countries. In developing countries, research should concentrate primarily on the microsupply systems, such as micro drip and mini sprinklers and the widely successful treadle pump. The treadle pump is an inexpensive way to bring water supplies to farmers who can only afford a $20 to $100 investment. The pump only works with a shallow groundwater system, but this rarely is a problem, especially in areas (such …

Future Of Water For Food: Policy And Human Dimensions Panel, Marc Andreini, Sandra L. Postel, Otto Szolosi, A. Dan Tarlock, Sandra Zellmer, John Owens

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

The panel discussion focused on the effects of water and agricultural policies on freshwater supplies, food production and security, the environment and the socioeconomic well-being of people at global, regional and local scales. Among the panelists were two lawyers, a civil engineer and an agricultural engineer, all of whom brought extensive experience in the field of global water management. The panelists gave brief overviews of their subject areas and then responded to questions from the audience.

Use Of Water For Agriculture In Pakistan: Experiences And Challenges, Simi Sadaf Kamal

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

“If you look at Pakistan from space, you’ll see this green kind of dragon moving down,” Simi Sadaf Kamal said, “and that green would not have been possible if we did not have irrigation and irrigation-based agriculture.” Ninety-two percent of Pakistan’s land area is arid or semi-arid, yet about 25 percent of Pakistan’s gross domestic product comes from agriculture. Most of Pakistan’s irrigated agriculture is in the Indus Plain, which comprises about 25 percent of the country’s total land area. The 85 percent of the cultivated area in the Indus Plain that is irrigated, indicated by the green area on …

The Significance Of Water To Nebraska, James Goeke

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

“The good life in Nebraska has its roots in our water supply. Author and scientist Loren Eiseley once said that if there’s magic on this planet, it’s contained in water,” Goeke said. “I assure you, there’s a lot of magic in Nebraska.”

Groundwater in Nebraska: Goeke described the groundwater “magic” in Nebraska. Groundwater resources comprise less than 1 percent of the world’s total water supply, and more people are competing for that resource. The High Plains aquifer is one of the primary aquifer systems in the U.S., covering more than 174,000 square miles in parts of eight states. Seventy-seven percent …

Future Of Water For Food: Science And Technology Panel, Ramesh Kanwar, Brian A. Larkins, Judith C. N. Lungu, Vincent Vadez, Ron Yoder, Sheri Fritz

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

The panel explored key issues and challenges in the science and technology of water management to ensure an adequate food supply for the world. Panelists brought many years of experience and perspectives from different areas of expertise. The panelists gave brief overviews of their subject areas and then responded to questions from the audience.

Future Of Water For Food Conference: The Right Time And The Right Place, James B. Milliken

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

“All of life and all ecological processes are conditioned on the circulation of water on the planet,” said University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken, quoting from Jeffrey D. Sachs’ book Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet. “Since civilization began,” Milliken continued, “water has been central to life. We’ve established cities around it, fought wars over it, created myths about it and depended on it for food, power and transportation.” Maintaining an adequate supply of usable water has always been a challenge, but today a tangle of interrelated issues — rapid population growth, climate change, the introduction of …

Water, Food And The University, Harvey Perlman

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

In a state blessed with both significant surface and groundwater supplies and dynamic system of food production, the interrelationship of water resources and food production has always been a central topic of inquiry for the University of Nebraska. For more than a century the university has been a leader in research and education in water, agriculture and natural resources management. This experience has helped make Nebraska a global food producer.

It also has led the university to continually strive to find ways to maintain this high level of agricultural production while preserving water and soil resources for the benefit of …

Fighting Poverty With Water, Jeff Raikes

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

As CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a native Nebraskan, Jeff Raikes shared information about the foundation and its role and approach to fighting poverty with water, as well as his personal interest in the subject. Raikes intended his address to be provocative and to challenge the attendees to consider the actions that must be taken to address what he believes is a significant crisis but also a significant opportunity – the future of water for food.

Raikes’ personal interest in water and agriculture is rooted in his family’s history of farming in Nebraska since 1854. He …

The Role Of Irrigation In Meeting The Global Water Challenge, Peter Rogers

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

In addressing the role that irrigation might play in the global water challenge, Peter Rogers explained that precipitation falling on the earth’s surface is the ultimate source of water. He described its eventual separation into “green” and “blue” water, a concept first introduced by the Stockholm International Water Institute and further illustrated in Water for Food, Water, For Life: Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture published by the International Water Management Institute in 2007. According to IWMI, blue water is water in rivers, groundwater aquifers, reservoirs and lakes and is the main water source for irrigated agriculture. Green water …

2008 Major Sponsored Programs And Faculty Awards For Research And Creative Activity, Office Of Research, University Of Nebraska–Lincoln

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Awards of $3 million or more
Awards of $1 million to $2,999,999
Awards of $200,000 to $999,999
Early Career Awards
Arts and Humanities Awards of $50,000 or more
Arts and Humanities Awards of $5,000 to $49,999
Patents Issued
Intellectual Property Licences
Creative Works in Fine and Performing Arts
Books
Recognitions and Honors
Glossary of Federal Agency Abbreviations

Federal Research And Development Agenda For Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Green Buildings, National Science And Technology Council

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

The construction and buildings sector consumes enormous amounts of energy, clean water, and materials. Buildings use about one-third of the world’s energy — a proportion that will continue to increase as the population grows and becomes more urban and more affluent (Griffith et al. 2007). In the United States today, the buildings sector accounts for 40% of the primary energy use, compared to 32% for the industrial sector and 28% for the transportation sector. The use of electric power and heat in the buildings sector also accounts for about 40% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). If current trends continue, …

Office Of Research -- Annual Report 2007-2008

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Table of Contents
ANNUAL REPORT 2007–2008 1
A Time to Think Boldly 1
Lake Mud Holds Climate Secrets 2
Of Grass and Sand – Lessons in Resilience 4
Web Tools Aid Drought Decisions 6
Partnering on Climate Research 7
New Home Furthers Virology Collaboration 8
Innovation Campus in the Works 10
Projects Aim to Ease Research Space Shortage 11
Quilt Center Expanding Its Reach in New Building 12
Genetics Project Melds Biology, Nanotechnology 14
Strengthening Plant Science Research 15
Tiny Tools, Big Potential 16
Omaha and Ponca Dictionary Going Digital 18
Historian Influencing Digital Research 19
Building Longer-Lasting Bridges 20 …