South Dakota Mines is now home to two research centers that aim to create new battery technology, which could revolutionize the energy storage market.

The Center for Solid-State Electric Power Storage (CEPS) at Mines is backed by $2.25 million in funding through the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) grant. A vital part of CEPS funding also comes from numerous industry partners that support pre-competitive research. The center is planning an industry advisory board meeting this fall and interested companies can find a contact for more information here. The state of South Dakota supported this initiative and invested an additional $3.9 million to establish the “Governor’s Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage” that involves Mines and South Dakota State University (SDSU).

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Quinn Qiao and a research team from the College of Engineering and Computer Science received a $1.5 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and industry members to develop an Industry/University Collaborative Research Center (IUCRC) for solid-state electric power storage with a site at Syracuse University. The University will partner with South Dakota School of Mines and Technologies and Northeastern University to build this NSF-sponsored center. The center will focus on developing eco-friendly, safe and economically feasible all-solid-state energy storage technology for portable and medical applications, automotive industry, centralized and decentralized electric grids, military applications, and energy security.