DENVER — Researchers from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University were among eight groups to split $3 million in the latest Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine funding round.
The CO-WY Engine was designated a Regional Innovation Engine by the National Science Foundation, making the collaborative effort eligible for as much as $160 million in federal funding over the next 10 years.
“Colorado is leading the way in addressing climate change and using innovative solutions to become more resilient in the face of its impact. I’m thankful for Wyoming and Governor Gordon’s partnership and openness to work together to drive innovation, strengthen public-private partnerships, and make the region more climate resilient,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a prepared statement. “These projects will help secure our water future, protect Coloradans from wildfire dangers, and protect our air and I am excited to see them in action.”
The CO-WY Engine initiative, led by Fort Collins-based accelerator program Innosphere, with participation from CSU and CU, will “create technologies and tools needed to combat global climate changes, and develop a new climate economy, locally and nationally, through: 1) identifying climate challenges, including needs in measurement, standardization, and barriers to equitable technology adoption and implementation; 2) funding and providing strategic partnering for the selected technologies, developed via use-inspired and translational research; and 3) implementing new programs that align the regional workforce,” according to CO-WY Engine documents.
The recent $3 million funding round provided Use-Inspired and Translation Grant opportunities to accelerate the research, development, and commercialization of innovations into tangible products, services, or solutions that address climate resiliency.
“The CO-WY Engine received nearly 50 proposals across two areas: R&D, which focuses on catalyzing the commercialization of university-based projects, and Translation/Startups, which supports bringing early-stage commercial solutions to scale,” the organization said in a news release.
The research projects that received Use-Inspired Grant funding were:
Soil carbon capture data and analytics
Project title: Developing soil pyrogenic carbon monitoring and modeling capabilities to improve prediction of wildfire impacts and biochar management on ecosystem resilience and C sequestration.
Principal investigator: Francesca Cotrufo
Lead institution: Colorado State University
Key partners: University of Wyoming, National Ecological Observatory Network
Methane emissions analysis
Project title: Evaluation of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) technology for cattle feedlots.
Principal investigator: Sara Place
Lead institution: Colorado State University
Key partner: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Water security/extreme weather prediction
Project title: Weather extremes and water resource climate transitions in Colorado and Wyoming.
Principal investigator: Bart Geerts
Lead institution: University of Wyoming
Key partners: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Colorado Climate Center, Wyoming Water Resource Data Service, US Forest Service, Intertribal Council of the Wind River Indian Reservation
Wildfire risk and prediction
Project title: Mapping Vulnerability: Assessing the Built Environment’s Susceptibility to Wildfires through AI and Big Data.
Principal investigator: Virginia Iglesias
Lead institution: University of Colorado
Key partners: CoreLogic, CyVerse
Wildfire risk and prediction
Project title: Predicting Regional Wildfire Risk through Climate-Wildfire-Power-System Interactions.
Principal investigator: Qiuhua Huang
Lead institution: Colorado School of Mines
Key partners: University of Wyoming, Xcel Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission, Fire Adapted Colorado
The research projects that received Translation Grant funding were:
Soil carbon capture data and analytics
Project title: CO-WY Biochar
Principal investigator: Rowdy Yeatts
Company Name: High Plains Biochar
Key partners: Colorado State Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Biochar Co-Op, Carbon Pilot, Yellow Barn Farms, Ollin Farms
Complex earth sensing/soil carbon capture data and analytics
Project title: Next-Gen Soil Monitoring: Wireless Printed Sensors for Agriculture
Principal investigator: Elliot Strand
Company name: Page Technologies
Key partners: Syngenta Group, University of Wyoming, 3 Rocks Ranch, Colorado State University, Growing Gardens, MeshComm Engineering
Methane emissions analysis
Project title: Commercialization of an enhanced methane leak detection platform
Principal investigator: Babur Ozden
Company name: Aquanta Vision Technologies Inc.
Key partners: CSU METEC, SeekOps, CSU Strata, Chevron Studio, Rose Rock Bridge
These projects represent a critical step forward in strengthening climate resilience across both states. We anticipate another round of grant awards in early 2025.
