After the passage of the 2005 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill in Congress this past Saturday, November 27, RPI received $500,000 in federal grants.
The purpose of a portion of the funds is for the Center for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences. The center is researching the possible integration of experimental bioscience with advanced methods of computationally predicting biological functions.
The appropriation bill also makes appropriations for the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, the Delta Regional Authority, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of the Inspector General, and the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board totaling some $28 billion.
The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board is primarily tasked with the completion of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage project. It is hoped that through innovation in the biosciences that governments can change the way nuclear waste is handled and stored—as the current casks being employed are seen as short term solutions.
In 2005, David Duquette, professor and chair of Material Sciences and Engineering at RPI continues his service on the board, offering his expertise in the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of metals and alloys.
