Summary of Proposal
Host institution name

Kyushu University

Head of host institution Setsuo Arikawa (President, Kyushu University)
Center director

Petros Sofronis

Administrative director

Takaaki Kurasaki

Title of center projectCenter name

Project Summary

Research fields

Research objectives

Carbon-Neutral Energy Research Institute:
The Grand Highway for a Carbon-Neutral Energy Fueled WorldInternational Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research,
Kyushu University
To provide sufficient energy for future generation requires a holistic
approach to energy production, storage and usage that utilizes renewable
resources, is sustainable and leaves no carbon footprint. Success requires
rapid technological breakthroughs of unprecedented magnitude innumerous disciplines. The proposed Carbon-Neutral Energy ResearchInstitute based on hydrogen seeks to determine the fundamental nature ofthese barriers and to discover solutions to overcoming them. Challenges
facing implementation include production of sufficient quantities ofhydrogen, delivery and storage of the hydrogen and capture andsequestration of any CO 2 generated during the production process. The
Institute at Kyushu University along with the satellite institute at the
University of Illinois will provide the facilities and environment needed tofoster the inter- and multi-disciplinary research between national andinternational scientists. The leadership and management system of thisInstitute constitutes a paradigm shift for Japanese research centers that willtransform our research enterprise.
Research field:
Multi/Inter-disciplinary research that involves chemistry, physics, materials
science, mechanics, geo-science, oceanic science, and biomimetics
Significance of the proposed project:
The impact of global warming, the rising cost of fossil fuels as well as the
anticipated decline in supply provide societal, economic and technology
driving forces for developing an alternate energy source or carrier.
Hydrogen gas is a potential energy carrier that could address these issues
provided that technologies are developed for producing a sufficienthydrogen supply that utilizes an energy source that either does not involve
generation of CO 2 (e.g., solar or nuclear) or includes strategies for
capturing and sequestering in the ocean or geologically or converting the
CO 2 to a more useful form.
The importance of the proposed Institute is that it will help to developscience-driven technological solutions to enable the realization of ahydrogen-based energy economy (society) that is sustainable andenvironmentally friendly. The research agenda of the Institute addresses
specifically the scientific barriers/challenges for efficient and low costhydrogen production; hydrogen storage; design of hydrogen tolerantmaterials; efficient and reliable fuel cells; material conversion; and carbon
capture, ocean sequestration and geological sequestration as well as
energy-efficient conversion to more useful forms.
The overarching objective of the Institute is to establish the fundamental
science underlying the technology of innovative, safe, and reliable systems
for the production, storage and utilization of hydrogen, as well as forseparation of CO 2 , carbon oceanic and geological sequestration andconversion to more usable forms. To reach this objective requires
establishing a fundamental-science understanding at the atomic level ofsuch phenomena as adsorption, absorption, dissolution, diffusion, reaction

characterizing interaction of hydrogen and CO 2 and materials in theframework of multi-phase fluid and solid systems. The research objectives
toward a carbon-neutral energy fuelled society are summarized as follows:•
Development of innovative and sustainable hydrogen production
processes such as photocatalytic water splitting.
•
Development of hydrogen-embrittlement resistant structural materials
for the design of a safe and reliable hydrogen infrastructure.
•
Development of next generation fuel cells through novel materials anddevices.
•Development of novel hydrogen storage materials with a storage
capacity larger than 6wt% H 2 .
•Development of high efficiency waste-free material transformation
processes.
•
Development of low-energy carbon separation and concentration
processes•
To inform and educate the public about the scientific benefits of CO 2
sequestration technologies and of transitioning to a carbon-neutralenergy fuelled economy (society).
The research culture and management style of the Institute are intended to
be a model for restructuring the Kyushu University on the basis of the
Director’s academic experience in the US and the general input fromprestigious international research universities and laboratories.
The Institute is established as an organization directly under the presidentof the Kyushu University. The structure of the organization is such that theInstitute Director has the authority to make decisions regarding the planningand operation of the research activities, the formation and composition of
the research program areas, and the budget implementation related to the
management of the Institute. On all these matters the director consults
the Steering Committee that is headed by the director and its members(science advisors) are the program area leaders of the Institute.
A vital component of the Institute is the External Advisory Committee which
Outline of management is composed of national and international leaders in the field. This
Committee reviews all aspects of the Institute annually, including theleadership and management, the research progress being made in eachprogram area, and the plans for any initiatives.
The Director is assisted by the Associate Director for the management of
the Institute’ research activities. The Office of the Director is supported by
the Administrative Director, head of the office of the Institute’s Management
Department whose purpose is to provide administrative support to theresearch personnel of the Institute. The official language of the Institute’s
Management Department is English.
The Director of the Institute, Professor P. Sofronis, is a faculty member at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A satellite office will beestablished at Illinois to serve as the hub for collaborations in the US and tostrengthen international research activities.
We plan to have 30 Principal Investigators (11 researchers from overseas),
130 researchers (54 researchers from overseas), and a total of 204
research scientists by the end of 2013.
Main Principal Investigators: P. Sofronis, Y. Murakami, T. Katsuki, Y.
Naruta, T. Ishihara, C. Adachi, A. Takahara, S. Ogoh, K. Kusakabe, Z.
Horita, N. Nakashima, Kazunari Sasaki, E. Akiba, M. Okada, T. Yanagi,
B.P.Somerday, L. Schlapbach, R. Ritchie, H. L. Tuller, L. J. Gauckler, J. A.
Researchers and other
Kilner, P. Chen, C. A. Chen.
center staffs
Partnering institutions for collaborative research are: Tohoku University(JPN), University of Tokyo (JPN), National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (JPN), University of Illinois (USA), University ofCalifornia, Berkeley (USA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA),
Sandia National Laboratories (USA), Imperial College of London (UK),
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (SUI), Tsinghua University(China), and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (China).

To drive the research mission and to ensure each program area has theneeded expertise, the Director along with the Principal Investigators will
invite periodically scientists and engineers from around the world to submit
a white paper addressing how they could contribute to critical mission
issues. The Director may seek input from the members of the External
Advisory Committee as to the merits and value of these white papers to theoverall mission of the Institute. This approach will ensure that the research
environment remains dynamic and staffed with scientists and engineers thathave the needed expertise.
The Director will organize a program review meeting on an annual basis
and, in addition to the members of the External Advisory Committee, will
invite leading scientists and engineers in each of the thematic areas toreview the entire program, including the leadership and management of theOutline of researchoverall Institute. The Principal Investigators of each funded program will
environment
present the achievements of their program, describe synergistic activities
with other members of the Institute and with partnering institutions, andconclude with planned future activities. The program review committee will
provide a written evaluation of the achievements and future plans of eacheffort. The Director, in consultation with the External Advisory Committee
and Steering Committee, will use these evaluations to determine future
funding for each program and theme. The Institute will organize
international conferences, symposia, and specialized workshops to engage
the scientific community from academia, industry, and national laboratories
and to inform the society on the benefits of a carbon-neutral energy fueled
world.
To facilitate research at the Institute, the Kyushu University will build a new
facility with equipment for cutting edge research
The Institute’s visibility and global standing will be measured by i) the quality
and impact of the Journal publications, especially joint publications; ii)
invited, keynote, and plenary lectures at international conferences; iv)
symposia organization in international conferences by Institute researchers;v) trend setting workshops and symposia that attract participation of
Outline of indicators for national agencies such as MEXT, JSPS, US NSF, US DOE, European
evaluating the Institute’s Commission; vi) participation of the Institute’s researchers in international
global standing
conferences; vii) invitations to the Institute’s researchers for participation ingovernment panels and national laboratory efforts; viii) patents andtechnology accomplishments.
Lastly, an indicator of the Institute’s international outreach will be thenumber of international visitors and international researchers in residence
at Kyushu for an extended period of time.
Amount of the research funding won by the main Principal Investigators
Securing researchover the past five years is over 21.5M dollars per annum on average.
funding
Similar level of funding is expected for the coming years.
The university’s strategic vision is summarized in: “position the university asa center of global research and education” and “promote the developmentof new academic fields by pursuing multi/inter-disciplinary research throughfostering an academic environment that attracts excellent researchers.” In
this framework, the Kyushu University will embrace and support the Institute
Summary of hostwith all its resources. More specifically, the Kyushu University will
institution’s commitment
enthusiastically: i) assist to establish the Institute’s administrative structure
for research and budget implementation; ii) work with departmental units toaccommodate participating researchers in the Institute; iii) revise theinternal system so that English in the language for international affairs, andiv) re-examine the personnel compensation system.

Research Center Project
Host Institution
Kyushu University
Name
Head of Host
Setsuo Arikawa (President, Kyushu University)
Institution
Title of Center International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research: The Grand Highway for a
Carbon-Neutral Energy Fueled World
Project
Center Project International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research<CENTER PROJECT>○

For green energy innovations, alternate fuels to petroleum-based energy sources
are required to provide reliable and sustainable energy sources for future
generations. The alternate energy carriers must be produced and consumed
without leaving an imprint on the environment. One such potential energy carrier
is hydrogen gas; however, the transition to a hydrogen-based economy faces
many challenges in terms of production, storage, delivery to end-user stations, andenergy generation. A grand challenge amongst the many in this transition is the
management of the CO 2 accompanying hydrogen production from promisingtechnologies such as natural gas or carbon reformation. In order to realize acomplete carbon-neutral energy fueled society based on a hydrogen economy,
major advances in technologies of CO 2 capture and sequestration (CCS) are
required. An international effort centered at Kyushu University will be mounted toovercome the challenges. The research effort will be focused on the fundamental
science underlying development of technologies for CO 2 capture andsequestration and the realization of the hydrogen economy. In particular, theKyushu effort will focus on the problems associated with carbon-free hydrogenproduction, development of hydrogen storage materials, hydrogen embrittlement
resistant materials, fuel cells, material transformation, CO 2 separation andconcentration, and geological storage and ocean sequestration of CO 2 .
Understanding the fundamentals of these problems will enable the development ofsolutions against global warming through a carbon-neutral hydrogen economy.

○

If one considers the future international energy landscape, there is no more
opportune time for such an international research project to be undertaken. The
FutureGen project in the U.S. for electricity and hydrogen production throughefficient coal burning and CCS and the ongoing industrial efforts on CCS andphotoelectrochemical hydrogen production, funded by the U.S. Department ofEnergy, are key science and technology strategies for energy independence andsustainability. The fundamental science objectives of the Kyushu ResearchInstitute will address similar technological challenges and will serve as a platform
for coordinated research between Japanese and U.S. institutions. We aspire toestablish a “Carbon-Neutral Energy Research Institute” as a center of excellence inwhich top-level researchers collaborate, cooperate, share knowledge andexchange ideas, and discuss and debate the science issues and their impact onsociety.

○

From a fundamental science viewpoint, a pervading theme in all areas of the
proposed research is the lack of understanding of a range of phenomena occurringat the interface between materials/rocks/ocean turbulence-eddies and gasses suchas hydrogen, oxygen, and CO 2 . By way of example, we do not understand i) the
mechanisms by which hydrogen is adsorbed in materials making it difficult todesign alloys resistant to hydrogen degradation of mechanical properties or how todesign a light-weight on board storage medium with the desiredhydrogenation/de-hydrogenation properties; ii) the properties and behavior ofhydrogen and CO 2 under extreme pressures; iii) the triple-phase rocks/water/CO 2
interactions and the stability of geological traps; iv) the interaction of supercritical
CO 2 with ocean turbulence in order to predict how ocean weather affects theefficiency of CO 2 sequestration at the bottom of the ocean. From this abbreviatedlist, it can readily be surmised that the phenomena to be addressed involve
disparate length and time scales ranging from nanometers to thousands ofProject
Summary1

kilometers and from nanoseconds to centuries. The proposed research willaddress the issues as they pertain to all time and length scales, from atomic to theglobal scale, i.e., from the atom and molecule, to meso/macro-scale crystalline
materials, to devices, up to geological formations and oceanic systems. The
phenomena, although occurring at different media and disparate time and lengthscales, often evolve on the basis of the same processes (e.g., species adsorption,
absorption, dissolution, diffusion, reaction, conduction) and are characterized bysimilar scientific principles. Thus, the Kyushu approach will cross-cut disciplinary
boundaries
throughajudicious
integrationof
informationfromatomistic/microscopic/macroscopic time and length scales for phenomena
occurring at the interface of chemistry, physics, materials science, mechanics,
geo-science, oceanic science, and biomimetics.
○

The administration and management of our project will involve a constant peer
evaluation and review of the research activities and outcomes in terms of efficiency
and feasibility of each individual research project area as well their progress towardattaining the overall project objectives, that is, the realization of a hydrogen
economy and the elimination of the CO 2 footprint. We will adopt a rigorous
approach as we assess our research progress that will be predicated on how ourscience advances technology development and how we impact the removal of
roadblocks to a carbon-neutral energy society, such as the lack of amechanism-based understanding of fatigue of materials or the stability issues
associated with supercritical CO 2 at the bottom of the oceans. Lastly, the Kyushu
project will pay serious attention to the dissemination of research results and its
scientific culture in the society over several fronts. Tapping into the Illinois
academic expertise, we will institute societal educational outreach programs. We
will leverage the expertise of the HYDROGENIUS Institute at Kyushu in organizing
international development to engage the scientific communities of industry andnational laboratories through specialized workshops. We plan to inform society atlarge through the development of web-based learning tools for all age levels,
museum exhibits, as well as other strategies. This effort will pave the way forenriching public understanding of scientific achievements and at the same timeteach our scientists needed communication skills.

○

In summary, the Kyushu effort will carry out research on fundamental scienceissues underscoring the removal of roadblocks toward a hydrogen economy withzero carbon emissions through carbon capture and sequestration.

<RESEARCH ORGANIZATION>
The research effort will be organized around high profile research teams of Universityof Kyushu faculty. The Institute will also rely on top-level domestically andinternationally recognized researchers in the fields of chemistry, physics, materials
science, mechanics, geo-science, oceanic science, and biomimetics. An importantcomponent of the organization will be the Satellite Institute at the University of Illinois
which will promulgate and administer research activities in the U.S.

<PROJECT MANAGEMENT>One of the main goals of the Institute is the restructuring of research management at
the Kyushu University. This new approach to research administration will rely heavily
on the management style, academic experience, and scientific achievements of theInstitute director whose duties will include the research team formation, the recruitmentof the international research participants, the establishment of international
collaborations and interactions with top research Institutions, the administration of thepeer evaluation process of the Institute’s research output, potential teamreorganization and redirection of efforts in response to the feedback from the annual
review of the Institute, review of the research personnel, and the observance of
research expenditures.
The Institute is established as an organization directly under the president of the
Kyushu University. The structure of the organization is such that the Institute Director2has the authority to make decisions regarding the planning and operation of theresearch activities, the formation and composition of the research clusters, and thebudget implementation related to the management of the Institute. On all thesematters, the Director is assisted by the Steering Committee (headed by the Director)
and its members will be program area leaders of the Institute although the Director may
invite additional members as deemed appropriate.
A vital component of the Institute is the External Advisory Committee composed ofnational and international leaders in the field. This committee will be convened
annually or, if deemed necessary by the Director, more frequently at Kyushu
University. The committee will review all aspects of the Institute, including leadershipand management, research progress being made in each activity, and plans for any
initiatives. The committee will provide the Director with a written report on theirfindings and recommendations. The final decision regarding Institute activities anddirections will be the responsibility of the Director.
The Director is assisted by the Associate Director for the management of the Institute’s
research activities. The Office of the Director is supported by the Administrative
Director, head of the Institute’s Administrative Office, whose purpose is to provide
administrative support to the research personnel of the Institute. The official languageof the Institute’s Administrative Office is English.
To ensure efficiency and
expediency of operations in the Administrative Office, we will opt for post-doctoral
researcher employees so that carrying out of the operations is done by personnel that
understand the research activities of the Institute.

President of Kyushu University
International Institute for
Carbon-Neutral Energy Research
Director : Prof. Sofronis

Advices

Associate Director :Prof. Kazu. Sasaki

Program Review
Meeting

Steering Committee
Administrative Office(Administratiive Director: Prof. Kurasaki )i) General affairs & human resourcesii) Accounting & contractingiii) Research support & international affairsiv) Public relations

External Advisory
Committee--- Team formation & reorganization--- Assessment and evaluation ofresearch plans--- Salaries

Research Teams

Fig. Administrative structure of the Institute<COLLABORATIONS W ITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS>○

To carry out its mission, the Institute will seek to establish collaborations withinternationally recognized research centers, universities, as well as national andinternational laboratories. These collaborations will involve and promote researchinteractions and researcher exchanges and visits between institutions. The
framework will be in the form of a Satellite Institute in the case of the University of
Illinois and collaborating institutions for the all other cases.
a) Satellite Institute (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
• The Director of the WPI Institute, Professor P. Sofronis, is a faculty
member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, and isan internationally recognized expert on the effects of hydrogen on themechanical properties of materials. Other research activities at Illinois
mirror parts of the proposed program, therefore, a satellite office will beestablished at Illinois to facilitate cooperative research activities as well as
personnel exchanges.
In addition to conducting Institute-related
research, the Satellite will serve as the base for identifying and engaging
key research programs and faculty at national and international3

universities and institutions. As Director of the WPI Institute, Professor
Sofronis will also serve as Director of the Satellite Institute. In this latter
capacity he will report directly to the Dean of the College of Engineering at
the University of Illinois. Appropriate agreements between Kyushu
University and the University of Illinois, other than an exchange of students
which is already in place, will be negotiated if the Institute is funded. Bothparties have expressed interest and support for establishing this satellite
institute at the University of Illinois.
b) Collaborating Institutions• We plan to engage in collaborative research with distinguished scientists
from internationally recognized institutions. This includes site visits tofacilitate research by leveraging research capabilities.

<Kyushu University><University of Illinois>- A leading world institution on Hydrogen Research- The best equipped and funded laboratory in the world- Social certification field in the Fukuoka Prefecture- International acclaim on contribution to research onhydrogen embrittlement & materials over past 30 years- Research activities mirror parts of proposed program“International Institute for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
Research”“Satellite Organization”

President Arikawa
Director: Prof. Sofronis

Associate Director: Prof. Kazu. Sasaki- Facilitate collaboration and personal exchange- Identify key research programs and faculty atuniversities and Institutions internationally

Collaboration, Research personnel exchange
Other Collaborating Institutions
U.S. Collaborating Institutions

・Tohoku University (JPN)
・University of Tokyo (JPN)・Nat. Inst. Adv. Ind. Sci. and Tech. (JPN)
・Imperial College of London (UK)・Swiss Federal Institute ofechnology (ETHZ)
・Tsinghua University (China)
・Dalian Institute of Chemical
Physics (China),
etc.

・University of Illinois (US)・University of California-Berkeley (US)・Massachusetts Inst. of Technol. (US)・Sandia National Laboratories (US),Fig. Collaborations with other institutions(1) Research Field
Research field:
Fundamental science for an economy based on carbon neutral energy.
(Multi/inter-disciplinary Science integrating Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Mechanics,
Geoscience, Oceanic Science, and Biomimetics)
Significance of the proposed project:○○○

There is a vital need to develop sustainable sources of energy without CO 2 emissions, and toestablish safe and reliable carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems for the realization of acarbon-neutral energy society.
From the viewpoint of limited fossil fuel resources, energy security, capital outflow, and economic
instability due to increasing oil prices, there is an urgent need to establish a flexible energy system
which integrates a diverse range of energy sources with no dependence on fossil fuels.
In particular, due to the unique properties of hydrogen energy described below, there are increasing
expectations for hydrogen fuel to play a very important role, not only as a leading and ultimate
choice for an alternative energy source for the establishment of sustainable development and acarbon-neutral energy society, but also as a promising energy carrier that can be produced from adiverse range of energy sources. The benefits of a hydrogen-fueled economy used in conjunction
with CCS systems are summarized as follows:a) Hydrogen does not produce any CO 2 when it is utilized (burnt).
b) Hydrogen fuel cells are significantly more efficient when compared to the ordinary/existing4

energy generation systems based on the combustion of fossil fuels—the chemical energy
stored in fossil fuels has to be converted to heat to obtain the useful electrical energy, a process
which produces wasted heat energy, i.e., not all energy stored in fossil fuels can be utilized.
c) Hydrogen can be produced by using a diverse range of technologies such as electrolysis,
nuclear heat utilization, reforming of fossil fuels, and/or photocatalytic water splitting.
Especially, the energy in natural recourses, which is stored at low densities, can be converted
to a concentrated chemical form in hydrogen energy systems.
d) Hydrogen energy (i.e., chemical energy) can be efficiently converted to electrical energy, andvice versa, by using technologies such as electrolysis and fuel cells.

Energy Sources andMaterials

Energy Sources

Materials

Renewable: Solar, Wind
Nuclear

Energy in the form of carbon(Carbon, Natural gas, Biomass)
Production

EnergyCarrier

Waste

Electricity

Energy Conversion

Heat

CO2

（Waste of Energy）（Waste of material）

CO2 Capture & Sequestration orconversion to a fuelFig. A Carbon-Neutral Energy Fueled System
The production of hydrogen and the CCS process require energy inputs. It will defeat the purposeof a clean/sustainable energy system, if the energy input (e.g., the energy generated from fossil
fuels) exceeds the chemical energy extracted from hydrogen, or if the CO 2 emission from theenergy utilized in a CCS process exceeds the actual CO 2 captured and stored. Moreover, as
stated above, carbon-based energy sources (e.g., fossil fuels and biomass) require a combustion
process to produce useful electrical energy and heat. This process produces waste heat energy
and emits CO 2 byproducts. Electrical energy and heat energy are also generated from renewableenergy sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy. The final byproduct of theseprocesses is also waste heat energy due to the inefficiencies in the conversion process.
Therefore, it is vital that we develop an optimum/economical holistic energy system which
minimizes overall CO 2 emission and waste heat energy, with flexible but appropriate combinationsof the following technologies:a) Highly efficient production of hydrogen from existing energy production systems (thermal
electric power generation and nuclear power generation systems) with both fossil fuels andrenewable energy sources, in combination with reuse of waste heat energy within the systems.
b) Highly efficient energy conversion between hydrogen (chemical) energy and electrical energy.
c) Highly efficient carbon capture and storage.
Thus, it is important to approach the research issues underlying the development of hydrogenenergy and carbon capture and storage from a holistic viewpoint and a careful examination of theinterdependencies between the components and stages of the entire energy system.
Japan has been one of the world’s pioneers in the field of renewable/clean energy technologies
such as fuel cells for residential application, fuel cell vehicles, and hydrogen stations, and we,
especially the Kyushu University, have a strong research record and cutting-edge research facilities
in these fields. For example, Kyushu University is internationally recognized for its research
activities related to hydrogen energy from fundamental science issues to the assessment andevaluation of actual fuel cells and hydrogen stations. Thus, the existing research foundations and5accomplishments of Kyushu University provide a valuable and advantageous setting for launching
the proposed international effort. Although the research on carbon capture and storage has been
intensively undertaken worldwide, there are still a number of critical issues to be addressed in termsof the long-term safety and reliability of CCS systems. Thus, it is crucial to strengthen thescientific foundation underpinning these technologies for its practical application. In the area offundamental research for geological storage, the Kyushu University has ongoing research activities
on the effect of SO x on the CO 2 storage capacity and the physicochemical behavior of CO 2 inshallow ocean beds. In addition, in the area of ocean sequestration, Kyushu University is currently
pursuing the development of ocean circulation models and virtual moorings systems for monitoring.
○

To remove the roadblocks to the realization of a carbon-neutral hydrogen economy, the proposed
research will focus on: hydrogen production; hydrogen storage materials; hydrogen-induced
material degradation; fuel cells; material conversion; carbon capture; ocean sequestration; andgeological storage. To achieve the breakthroughs needed to develop the required technologies, it
is essential to understand the fundamental processes and reactions occurring at the interface
between materials and hydrogen, oxygen or CO 2 . This project will undertake research acrossmultiple temporal and spatial scales on phenomena characterized by a commonality of challenges,
e.g., issues of absorption, adsorption, dissolution, diffusion, reaction, and conduction. Therefore,
solving the current energy and environmental problems will necessitate the integration of atomistic
to macroscopic approaches.

○

To achieve these research goals, it is essential for scientists and engineers from various research
fields, such as chemistry, physics, materials science, mechanics, geoscience, oceanic science, andbiomimetics to conduct research together on the same topics. The synergy generated willconsequently result in a positive influence on the overall research outcome, and lead to thedevelopment of innovative technologies.

(2) Research Objectives○

Our ten-year research goal is to establish innovative, safe, and reliable technologies for the
production, storage, and utilization of hydrogen (hydrogen production; hydrogen storage materials;
hydrogen embrittlement resistant materials; fuel cells; material conversion), as well as for CO 2
separation and concentration, CO 2 geological storage, and ocean sequestration. To attain thisgoal, our approach will involve multiple disciplines such as chemistry, physics, materials science,mechanics, geoscience, oceanic science, and biomimetics in order to investigate phenomena suchas species diffusion taking place at the interface of interactions between materials and hydrogen,oxygen, and CO 2 at all scales, from the atomic to those for oceanic systems and fromnanoseconds to decades. We also aspire to contribute to the societal debate by informing andeducating the public on ocean sequestration and geological storage through sound scientific dataand on the benefits of transitioning to a carbon-neutral energy society. In the following, an outlineof our individual research objectives is presented followed by a detailed description of the related
research methodologies:• Development of high efficiency material conversion processes without any by-products such aswaste and CO 2 .
• Development of innovative and sustainable hydrogen production processes, such as
photocatalytic water splitting;• Development of novel hydrogen storage materials with storage capacity of over 6wt% H 2 ;• Design of hydrogen-embrittlement resistant materials for the development of a safe andreliable material infrastructure;• Development of next generation fuel cells by the research on novel materials and devices;• Development of low-energy carbon separation and concentration processes;• Development of CO 2 geological and ocean sequestration by understanding CO 2 behavior;• Increase public awareness for hydrogen technologies and long-term CO 2 behavior in each
earth and ocean;6Fig. Interfaces in this multi/inter-disciplinary research programin the Carbon-Neutral Energy Research Institute<EXAMPLE OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY>
1) Artificial photosynthesis through complete photocatalytic water splitting by the Z-scheme
type excitation mechanism○

Artificial photosynthesis, specifically photocatalytic water splitting, is a promising approach forinnovative hydrogen production without CO 2 generation; however, currently, complete water
splitting has not been achieved.

○

We will investigate the generation of hydrogen through complete photocatalytic water splitting
and apply these principles to i) innovative solar cells development, and ii) conversion of CO 2 tofunctional compounds in combination with electrolytic techniques mimicking dark reactions.

○

Our research will contribute to the development of a hydrogen production technology without
CO 2 emission and the conversion of CO 2 to functional compounds using sunlight, through the
integration of molecular chemistry, biomimetics, green chemistry, and surface chemistry.

2) Hydrogen materials compatibility: mitigation/remediation strategies against hydrogen
embrittlement○

Hydrogen embrittlement is a severe environmental type of failure that can cause a sudden andcatastrophic failure under normally safe working loads in almost all materials. Information
regarding the wide spectrum of pathways through which hydrogen degrades material properties
depends upon the in-service conditions remains insufficient.

○

Assessing component lifetime, developing mitigation or remediation strategies, or designing
smart structural materials for employment in a hydrogen environment are not yet feasible.

○

The proposed effort seeks to fulfill this challenge by devising a program that employs
synergistic experimental and computational methodologies over multiple spatial and temporalscales.

7○The objective of the proposed research is to i) remediate the problem of hydrogen
embrittlement in existing materials by developing mitigation strategies and possibly suppressing
it altogether; ii) design materials that are not susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement over a wide
range of operating conditions through employing experimental and computational
methodologies.

3) Materials for the next generation fuel cells: fundamentals of high efficiency energy
conversion systems and development of novel devices○

Fuel cells can efficiently convert chemical fuels, such as hydrogen, to electricity, and are thecore technology in a hydrogen energy society. However, there has been no practicalapplication of such fuel cells due to the restricted operational conditions of fuel cell materials.
Therefore, a breakthrough in the development of innovative materials for fuel cells is crucial.

○

In this project area, the goal is to develop innovative electrolyte materials, electrode materials,
and new devices for fuel cells, based not only on established research methodologies, but by
resorting to the fundamental studies of the chemistry and electrochemistry of solids at materialinterfaces and in nano-regions.

○

In particular, we will carry out research on the development of electrolyte materials andelectrode materials for the next generation of fuel cell devices. The research for thesematerials are based on the following fundamental investigations: (i) nano-electrochemicalmeasurements of parameters such as electrical, electrochemical and catalytic properties ofnanostructures materials with strong meta-support interactions; (ii) computational science tocalculate microscopic processes such as surface adsorption and diffusion, and macroscopic
processes such as ionic and electronic conduction, mass and heat transport; and (iii) molecularchemistry, surface science, and materials research to understand surface and interfacialtransport phenomena in model surfaces and interfaces.

4) Thermal and flow properties of hydrogen and CO 2 under extreme pressures○

Development of hydrogen and CO 2 storage technologies requires the knowledge offundamental thermophysical properties of hydrogen and CO 2 under extreme pressure
conditions, e.g. 100MPa. Properties, such as PVT-relation, specific heat capacity, thermal
conductivity, and heat transfer characteristics are not available at high pressures, and values
extrapolated from low pressure measurements are currently used.

○

Research will be conducted on conversion rates between orthohydrogen and parahydrogen,the thermal properties and heat transfer characteristics of supercritical carbon dioxide, and theadsorption and desorption properties of carbon dioxide to develop accurate thermophysicalproperty database for a wide range of temperatures and pressures.

5) Hydrogen storage materials: development of high-efficient hydrogen transport and storage
technologies.
○

The volumetric energy density of hydrogen gas is significantly small for gaseous storage to beconsidered as an efficient means, development of a compact, safe, inexpensive, and highly
efficient hydrogen storage technology is required; currently, so far the highest worldwidehydrogen storage capacity of 3wt% H 2 has been achieved. However, we maintain that
improvement in mass energy density of hydrogen storage is still possible.

○

By applying a diverse range of approaches to molecular chemistry, surface science, solidmechanics, solid-state physics, and materials science, we will investigate i) the bond property
between hydrogen and storage materials for the control of reaction temperatures; ii) the positionof hydrogen in the storage materials that is potentially associated with the highest hydrogenstorage capacity; iii) the new structures by various methods such as extreme pressure method;and iv) the transport properties of hydrogen, we aim at developing materials with the storage
capacity of over 6wt% H 2 .

86) Asymmetric oxidation for material transformation : toward discovery of a catalyst process fora "zero-waste/no-carbon" reaction○

A large number of functional material substances used in everyday life are derived by chemicaltransformations from fossil fuels. These chemical reactions require substantial energy
expenditures and usually result in the creation of huge amounts of waste as well as theemission of unwanted CO 2 . Therefore, development of new and efficient approaches tochemical reactions for material transformation will help in the direction of diminishing thesociety’s carbon footprint and assist in energy sustainability given the limited availability of fossil
fuels. We will undertake this task of “greening” chemical reactions for material conversion byfocusing on the development of asymmetric oxidation through employing atom-efficientoxidants.

○

By integrating various fields such as green chemistry, molecular chemistry, surface chemistry,
charge-mass-thermal conversion, and biomimetics, we plan to create i) an asymmetricoxidation system without proton-electron transfer; ii) photooxidation of water and CO 2
photoreduction catalyst system; and iii) activation system of hydrogen, oxygen, water, nitrogenand CO 2 , and create sustainable energy transformation system.

○

Our goal is to develop new molecular catalysts and efficient material transformation methods
based on oxidation and reduction.

7) Fundamentals of advanced CO 2 separation and concentration systems: toward an efficientand low cost CO 2 separation and concentration technology○

Currently, a large number of methods exist for the separation of CO 2 produced in the
combustion of fossil fuels; however, none of them have found practical application due to thelarge amount of energy required for the separation processes.

○

In this project area, we will carry out fundamental research in order to improve adsorption andabsorption of CO 2 in membranes and develop a highly efficient and low-cost electrochemical
CO 2 separation process.

○We propose that a CO 2 absorption process be used in conjunction with water electrolysis
through ion exchange membranes, where CO 2 is absorbed by the alkaline solution produced
from the process and the produced hydrogen can be captured to be utilized. Further, for theabsorption and adsorption processes, we plan to investigate an optimum structure of adsorbent
as a novel and unique adsorptive material which can easily desorb the absorbed CO 2 .

○The research will be carried out by integrating approaches from various disciplines such as fluid
mechanics, surface science, charge-mass-heat transfer theory, and electrochemistry. In
addition we will collaborate with other research groups in the Institute, e.g., hydrogenproduction, fuel cells, and CO 2 storage groups.

8) CO 2 geological storage: understanding CO 2 behavior in underground reservoirs and thedevelopment of numerical prediction models○

CO 2 geological storage is carried out in underground reservoirs over around one thousand
meters below the surface. There have been a limited number of studies on the long-term safety
and reliability of CO 2 geological storage, and as a consequence issues related to thedissolution and trapping of CO 2 to water, oil, rocks and coals in highly pressurized porous
layers, and CO 2 gas diffusion through faults near the ground surfaces remain poorly
understood.

○

Our research approach is to integrate a diverse range of disciplines such as molecularchemistry, surface science, green chemistry, solid mechanics, physics, biomimetics, andgeoscience to understand dissolution, transformation, and mineralization of CO 2 at the triple
phase boundary of rocks/coals, water/oil and CO 2 in micropores under high pressure. We will
also investigate the microbial CH 4 conversion mechanisms. The ultimate goal is to develop a9numerical simulation tool for CO 2 diffusion, by testing and evaluating the diffusion behavior of
CO 2 from the underground reservoirs to the ground surface including both saturated andunsaturated layers.
9) CO 2 Ocean sequestration: informing the public on ocean sequestration○

Ocean absorption helps to naturally remove CO 2 from the atmosphere; however, due to theever-increasing rate of CO 2 emission into the atmosphere, we are at a stage where the rate of
CO 2 emission exceeds the removal rate. In order to meet CO 2 emission reduction targets,
CO 2 ocean sequestration is expected to play an important role. However, there are still many
unresolved issues that need to be addressed, e.g., the stability of the ocean/CO 2 system in thepresence of meso-scale eddies and the upwelling and environmental and biological impact ofacidification of the oceans.

○

This project area will evaluate the stability of CO 2 and the impact on the oceanic and global
environments. Further we will analyze and determine the risks of CO 2 injection and monitoring
systems in order to increase our understanding and inform the public on the advantages or
disadvantages of ocean sequestration.

○

In particular, we will investigate the behavior of CO 2 in the presence of meso-scale eddies andthe upwelling and environmental and biological impact of acidification of the ocean by using thetools of fluid mechanics and oceanic science. For analysis, the ocean current model
developed by Kyushu University will be used in conjunction with a carbon circulation model.

10) Carbon neutral energy fueled society○

In terms of the key technologies supporting the carbon-neutral energy society, we plan to carryout our research activities through constant evaluation of the research performance with regard
to the efficiency and feasibility of each of the project areas and their potential contributions to
the elimination of CO 2 emissions. We will assess the research progress of the Institute andclarify the meanings and importance of our developed technologies from the public’s
perspective.

(3) Managementi)

Director
Name: Petros Sofronis (Age 53)
Position Title, Affiliation: Professor, University of Illinois, USA
Specialties: Solid mechanics, Finite element methods, Micromechanics of materials, Elastic-plastic
fracture mechanics, Hydrogen embrittlement.

Suitability as Institute Director:
Prof. Sofronis’ education and research orientation are in the area of mechanics of materials that
includes the disciplines of elasticity, viscoelasticity, plasticity, fracture mechanics, andmicromechanics of defect interactions.
Professor Sofronis has been active in the field of environmental degradation of materials for nearly
30 years. Since 1991, Sofronis has been a principal investigator in the interdisciplinary
environment of the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign.
Sofronis has investigated phenomena of hydrogen embrittlement ofmaterials by coupling mechanics of materials with experimental observations at the atomistic scale.
His theory on the hydrogen-induced shielding of defect interactions to explain the mechanism ofhydrogen enhanced localized plasticity for embrittlement is the first proposed rational explanation of
the hydrogen-induced fracture given worldwide. Recently, Sofronis is working on materials for the
new hydrogen economy in collaboration. His research aims at developing and verifying a lifetime
prediction methodology for failure of materials used in hydrogen gaseous environments.

10Development and validation of such predictive capability and strategies to avoid material
degradation is of paramount importance to the rapid assessment of the suitability of using thecurrent natural gas pipeline distribution system for hydrogen transport in the new hydrogen
economy and of the susceptibility of new alloys tailored for use in hydrogen related applications
Professor Sofronis’ expertise on the interaction of materials with severe chemomechanicalenvironments is extremely relevant to the fields that constitute the main theme of the proposed
research Institute: gas interactions (H, O, and CO 2 ) with matter. Therefore, it is expected that his
internationally recognized scientific credentials will enable him to administer the Institute’s research
activities by applying and requiring the highest standards for high quality research.
The research objectives of the Institute cover a broad range of research areas and this requires
expertise that cross-cuts discipline boundaries. The overarching goal is to establish thefundamental science underlying the technology of innovative, safe, and reliable systems for the
production, storage and utilization of hydrogen (hydrogen production; hydrogen storage materials;
hydrogen embrittlement resistant materials; fuel cells; material conversion), as well as forseparation of CO 2 , carbon oceanic and geological sequestration and conversion to more usable
forms. To reach this goal requires establishing a fundamental-science understanding at theatomic level of such phenomena as adsorption, absorption, dissolution, diffusion, reaction
characterizing interaction of gases and matter in the framework of two-phase fluid and solid
systems. By publically disseminating research findings we expect and aspire to contribute to thesocietal discourse on the scientific soundness of ocean sequestration and geo-sequestration.
The research organization of the Institute will be theme based. Four broad-based divisions areenvisioned initially: Hydrogen Production and Delivery; Hydrogen Storage; CO 2 capture,
sequestration and conversion; and energy and society. Each will be lead by a science advisor
who will be responsible for setting the scientific objectives and goals and for the day-to-day
management. In addition, each division will be staffed by outstanding research faculty and staff
who will be drawn from Kyushu University as well as other national and international universities
and national laboratories. To drive the research mission and to ensure each program area/division
has the needed expertise, the Director along with the Principal Investigators will invite periodicallyscientists and engineers from around the world to submit a white paper addressing how they could
contribute to critical mission issues. The Director may seek input from the members of theExternal Advisory Committee as to the merits and value of these white papers to the overall missionof the Institute. This approach will ensure that the research environment remains dynamic andstaffed with scientists and engineers that have the needed expertise.
Professor Sofronis has a large number of ongoing synergistic research activities and collaborations
with researchers from the US Academia (e.g., Berkeley, Penn), national laboratories (e.g., Sandia,
Los Alamos), and Industry (e.g., ExxonMobil).
This research network experience is ademonstrable example of how capable he is on carrying out and administering collaborative
research efforts.

ii)

Administrative Director
Name:Takaaki Kurasaki（Age 48）
Position Title, Affiliation: Professor, Office for Strategic Research Planning, and Vice Director,
International Research Center for Hydrogen Energy, Kyushu University
Prof. Kurasaki has worked on the design and promotion of R&D projects at the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. At Kyushu University, he has been
directing and supporting external research grant applications and assisting in the development ofresearch supporting operations. Recently, he was involved in the development of a researchsupport system for a professor of the Kyushu University who had won the research grant, “Funding
Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology.” Prof. Kurasaki also
serves as Vice Director of the International Research Center for Hydrogen Energy in Kyushu
University and is extremely knowledgeable of the entire hydrogen research enterprise at Kyushu
University. He has been coordinating the development of this WPI grant application from its
nascent stage, and managing the communications with the Institute Director, Prof. Sofronis.
According to Prof. Sofronis, Prof. Kurasaki is a very competent and efficient administration manager
equipped with the requisite social skills.

11iii) Composition of Administrative Staff
○

○

○

○

In order to efficiently respond to the requests from the Institute Director and researchers, andalso to provide an ideal research environment, there will be an Administrative Office specially
set up for this Institute. The office will consist of 1) general affairs and human recourses
section; 2) accounting and contracting group; 3) research support and international affairs; and4) public relations.
The administrative officers in the Administrative Office of the Institute will get support from otheradministrative officers in the Kyushu University who have competent English language skills.
Personnel outside the Kyushu University with competent technical knowledge, experience, andEnglish language skills will also be employed in the Administrative Office. The official
language in the Administrative Office will be English.
Further, it is vital that personnel in the Administrative Office have some technical knowledge inits support role for the international activities of the Institute, such as the preparation of grantapplication documents, presentation of research findings, project designs and agreement forcollaborative research work, and application for and management of patents. For such an
efficient and competent research support system, we are to appoint postdoctoral fellows as
Research Administrators (RAs). These fellows will help in the formation of a research
environment such that researchers in the Institute will be able to concentrate on their research
activities. This will also help establish the RA concept, which is fairly uncommon in Japan, as a
new attractive career path for postdoctoral fellows.
The Institute will offer support to international researchers for their research activities as well asother services both within and outside the University, in close cooperation with the existing
International Student and Researcher Support Center of the Kyushu University. The Institutewill offer full-time support including visa applications, accommodations, airport pickups,
administrative procedures at the University, alien registrations, paper work and processes
required for banking, school attendance, etc., and the purchasing of essential items such as
mobile phones, and related payments.

Below are the main tasks allocated to each of the departments:
1) General Affairs and Human Resources
General management of the Institute, preparation of meetings, management of Institute policy,
human resource management such as employment, salary and business trips, safety
management, and support services for international researchers2) Accounting and Contracting
Compiling of budget, resourcing of Institute facilities, equipment and other goods, payments
for goods, salary, business trips etc., and general accounting
3) Research Support and International Affairs
Preparation of grant application documents, presentation of research findings, project designs
and agreement for collaborative research work, application for and management of patents (inconjunction with the office for Intellectual Property), etc…
4) Public Relations
Public relations, advertisement, management of home page, support of international visitors,organization of international conferences, etc.
iv) Decision-Making System○ It is vital to provide the Institute Director with sufficient authority to work toward restructuring theuniversity system and management based on his multi-year experience and interactions within
the U.S. academic community. Examples of areas in which such authority is needed are:researcher recruitment, joint-research with top-class research institutes, rigorous evaluation
processes of research findings and plans, research expenditures, and personnel salarycompensation.
○ The Institute will be established as an organization under the direct management of thepresident of the Kyushu University. The system will be set up for the Institute Director to beable to make decisions on research plans, research framework, and budget implementation in
consultation with the Steering Committee that consists of the Institute Director and program
area leaders (science advisors) and any other additional members that the Director may invite
as deemed appropriate.
○ The Director will be assisted by the Associate Director. An External Advisory Committee

12composed of national and international figures in the field will review the Institute annually andprovide input and recommendations.
v) Allocation of authority between the center director and the host institution’s side
○ The appointment/dismissal of the Institute Director and authorization for employment of the
Principal Investigators must be authorized by the head of the host institution, the President of
Kyushu University. The Institute Director has the authority for the other administrative
operations such as the human resource management and the implementation of budget.

(4) Researchers and Other Center Staffi) The “core” to be established within the host institution :a) Principal Investigators (full professors, associate professors or other researchers of comparable
standing)
Numbers
Final Goal
Beginning
End of FY 2010
(month, year)

Researchers from within
the host institution
Foreign researchers invitedfrom abroad
Researchers invited from otherJapanese institutions
Total principal investigators

16

16

11

11

3

3

30

30

16
(March, 2011)11(March, 2011)3(March, 2011)30(March, 2011)b) Total members
Numbers
Final Goal

Beginning

End of FY 2010

71
(21, 30%)92(36, 39%)130(54, 42%)

30(11, 37%)

30(11, 37%)

30(11, 37%)

41(10, 24%)

62(25, 40%)

Research support staff

32

37

Administrative staff

23

23

Total number of people forming the“core” of the research center

126

152

Researchers(Number of foreign researcher andtheir percentage)
Principal investigators(Number of foreign researchers
and th ir percentage)
Other researchers(Number of foreign researchers
and their percentage）(Date: month, year)(March, 2011)100(43, 43%)(March, 2014)

51(March, 2013)23(March, 2011)
204ii) Collaboration with Other Institutions○ To achieve success, collaborative and coordinated research efforts central to the mission of theInstitute will be conducted in partnership with faculty and staff at other national and international
institutions. This activity will involve not only research collaboration but also exchange of
personnel. Regular meetings of all team members will take place through use of internet
conferencing tools. Broadening the research base from Kyushu University will further promote
the Institute activities and help establish it as center of excellence.
① Satellite Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA○ The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a top-world institution in the field of hydrogenenergy and materials research in the USA. In addition to conducting Institute related research,13

the Satellite Institution will serve as the base for identifying and engaging key research
programs and faculty at national and international universities and institutions. As Director of
the Institute, Professor Sofronis will also serve as the Director of the Satellite Institute. In thislatter capacity he will report directly to the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University
of Illinois. Appropriate agreements between Kyushu University and the University of Illinois,other than an exchange of students which is already in place, will be negotiated if the Institute isfunded. Both parties have expressed interest and support for establishing this satellite
institute at the University of Illinois.
②Cooperative Institutions○ We envision engaging in collaborative research with distinguished scientists from internationallyrecognized institutions. This includes site visits to facilitate research by leveraging researchcapabilities. Key institutions are the following:・Tohoku University (JPN)・Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute of the University of Tokyo (JPN)・National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (JPN)
・University of California, Berkeley (USA)・Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)・Sandia National Laboratories (USA)・Imperial College of London (UK)・Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (SUI)・Tsinghua University (China)
・Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)(５) Research Environment1) Provide an environment in which researchers can devote themselves exclusively to researchby exempting them from other duties and providing them with adequate staff support to handle
paperwork and other administrative functions.
○ In order for Institute researchers to focus exclusively on their research, we will employ anefficient and competent administrative office to execute the all required administrative
work needed for a world-class Institute. This will involve planning of the Institute’s
budget, purchasing of equipment and goods, procurement procedures, business trips
procedures and preparation support, grant application preparation and submission
processes, support for presentations, assistance for joint research projects and launchingof new initiatives, handling of contracts, patent applications, publications processes, andfacilitating visitors. We are determined to build a strong support infrastructure so that theInstitute can pursue its mission with no hindrances whatsoever.
○ In addition, we will consistently work toward improving the skills of the technical staff
employed in the support of research operations, facilities maintenance, and equipment.
○ Furthermore, we plan to decrease the teaching academic load for the Instituteresearchers and set up a rewards system for teaching substitutes.

2) In order to facilitate Institute researchers and invited researchers from external institutions tofocus on their research—with no need for immediate engagement on grant application
preparation for research funding○ We will provide the necessary research facilities and equipment as possible so that the
researchers can start and/or continue their research. We are also planning to set a
system such that the Institute Director can decide and provide initial research funding to
the researchers as deemed appropriate.

3) As a rule, fill postdoctoral positions through open international solicitations.
○ To recruit well-qualified post-doctoral research associates, advertisements for the
positions will be placed on the Kyushu University website, the Kyushu University Offices
overseas in Great Britain, California, Washington D.C., Munich, Korea, Beijing, etc., at the14○Satellite Institute’s website in Illinois, and major international academic magazines andrelated magazines in Japan. The recruitment process will be supervised by the Institute
Director in consultation with the Steering Committee. The corresponding recruitment
practices at the University of Illinois will be used on all Institute research personnel hiring.
The Kyushu University has already carried out a recruitment campaign for its projects on“Young Researcher’s Independent Research Environment Maintenance and Promotion
Program” and “Next Generation Research Training Program.”4) Establish English as the primary language for work-related communication and appoint
administrative personnel who can facilitate the use of English in the work process.
○ We will adopt English as the primary language for work-related communications.
○ In order to foster an English-speaking environment, we will employ administrative officepersonnel from Kyushu University who are fluent in English.
○ Periodic training opportunities will be offered for the administration work force.
○ The Administrative Office will oversee the translation from English of the expenditure
supporting documents for business trips, purchasing goods, salary compensation, anddaily life activities in order to make the daily life of non-Japanese people at the Institute aseasy as possible.

5) Adopt a rigorous system for evaluating research and a system of merit-based compensation.
○ As stated in the document delineating the Institute Director’s vision, all aspects of theInstitute shall be evaluated on an annual basis, or more frequently if deemed necessary
by the Director, by the External Advisory Committee. The Committee will review all
aspects of the Institute, including the leadership and management, the research progress
being made in each activity, and the plans for new initiatives. The Committee will
provide the Director with a written report on their findings and recommendations.
○ Based on the recommendations of the External Advisory Committee and input from theSteering Committee, the Institute Director will plan the allocation of research funds andsalary adjustments to cultivate and foster a productive research environment by
rewarding success.
○ Kyushu University currently has a system in place that sets salary ranges based on
individual researcher contributions to the interests of the University. As Institute needs
and activities begin to arise, the Kyushu’s salary system will be re-examined.

6) Provide equipment and facilities, including laboratory space, appropriate to a top world-levelresearch center.
○ The Kyushu University is relocating its campus to Ito on the western part of Fukuoka.
This relocation decision was made to serve our new strategic goal for an open university
at the forefront of cutting edge research in an educational institution.
○ Currently, the Ito Campus houses the International Research Center for Hydrogen
Energy, the Research Center for Hydrogen Industrial Use and Storage(HYDROGENIUS), and the Inamori Frontier Research Center. The Ito Campus isindeed a unique place with the largest Hydrogen Research Institute in the world forhydrogen related cutting edge research and facilities.
○○○

In order to continue developing its research environment and visibility toward becoming aworld renowned institution, Kyushu University, under an initiative by the president, plansto build a research facility with cutting edge equipment specifically for this WPI program in
the Ito Campus. While building the facility, we will be able to provide accommodations orlaboratories for the WPI Institute’s national and international researchers.
We will ensure sharing of open space and laboratories amongst researchers from various
fields to encourage open meetings, discussion, and debate.
We also plan to promote exchange and discussion among Kyushu University, Satellite
Institute, and collaborating institutions through video-teleconferencing.

7) Hold international research conferences or symposiums regularly (at least once a year) to15

bring the world’s leading researchers together at the center.
○ For the last four years, we have held the “International Hydrogen Energy Development
Forum” once a year at Kyushu University, Fukuoka. World leaders in their fields ofexpertise have presented their work and have interacted with the scientific and industrial
community of Japan.
○ By capitalizing on the experiences gained from organizing this Global Forum, we areconfident that we will easily organize and host international conferences and specialized
workshops with active participation from world famous researchers and institutions on aregular basis and on all aspects of the research activities of the Institute. Examples ofconference and symposia themes are hydrogen energy and fuel cells, hydrogenproduction by photocatalytic water splitting, sustainable material conversion systems,
innovative CO 2 capture, CO 2 geological storage and ocean sequestration, and systemeconomic analysis and evaluation.
○ By fostering information exchange, vigorous debate, and exploration of new initiatives andcollaborations, these conferences and workshop presentations will assist the Institute inits mission to contribute to the society’ efforts on countermeasures for global warming.
8) Other measures to ensure that top-caliber researchers from around the world can comfortably
devote themselves to their research in a competitive international environment, if any.
○ We have four university facilities available to accommodate invited national andinternational researchers. We have also made arrangements for private apartments
designated for university use. Comfortable and fully-furnished accommodations will be
provided for invited researchers so they may concentrate on their research activities.

(6) Indicators for Evaluating Institute’s Global Standing○○○

As stated in the Director’s vision statement, indicators and metrics for evaluating the Institute’s
standing and visibility are i) the quality and impact of journal publications; ii) the extent of joint
publications as demonstration of the enabling value of the Institute; iii) invited keynote andplenary lectures; iv) symposia organization in international conferences by Instituteresearchers; v) trend-setting workshops that attract participation of national agencies such as
MEXT, JSPS, U.S. NSF, U.S. DOE, European Commission; vi) organization of international
conferences and participation of the Institute’s researchers in international conferences; vii)
invitations to the Institute’s researchers for participation in government panels and national
laboratory efforts; viii) patents and technology accomplishments; and x) the numbers of visitors
to the Institute, especially, the visitors from overseas is a key indicator of the Institute’s
visibility.
The Director, in consultation with the Steering Committees and External Advisory Committees,
will coordinate actions to be taken for the Institute to achieve and maintain excellence. This
includes prompting the principal investigators to enhance their visibility and hence, theInstitute’s visibility by taking action on all Institute standing indicators listed above. In
particular, international awards for Institute researchers and the number of article citations theInstitute’s work receives will be used as a metric to evaluate overall standing and visibility. In
this regard, a particularly revealing index of the Institute’s quality will be considered the degreeof citation of the work of young faculty and researchers—it is well known that it usually takessome time for young faculty to get their work recognized. Lastly, funding for program areas
will be commensurate to the individual area’s level of participation in the Institute’s activities tomeet its goals and visibility as a world premier institution.
The primary goal by the time of the interim evaluation (5 years from the Institute inception) isthat the Institute has established its reputation as an international center of excellence forfundamental research toward meeting its mission for a carbon-neutral energy society.
Indicators for meeting this goal shall be well recognized breakthroughs in fundamental
research (e.g., discovery of how hydrogen promotes fatigue of materials or discovery of new
catalysts for material transformation through asymmetric oxidation). Such breakthroughs on
fundamental science will allow the Institute to expand its second term mission objectives (6th to10th year) to include directions addressing technology development.

The 10-year overarching goal is the completion of fundamental research for technology

16development. By way of example, specific goals include design of new alloy for hydrogen
resistant materials, new alloys for on-board hydrogen storage, technologically viable
production of hydrogen through artificial photosynthesis, new low-cost catalysts for fuel cells,
and demonstration projects for ocean- and geo-sequestration of carbon.

(7) Securing Research Funding○

Past record: The research funding acquired by Japanese principal investigators in the past
five years is as follows:• Fiscal 2005: 3.7 million dollars• Fiscal 2006: 21.7 million dollars• Fiscal 2007: 24.6 million dollars• Fiscal 2008: 29.2 million dollars• Fiscal 2009: 28.5 million dollars○

Prospects after establishment of the center:• The total amount of research funding acquired by main Japanese Principal
Investigators in the past five years is over 21.5 million dollars per annum on average.
The goal is to leverage the Institute for more funding to be secured in the coming years.

Others○○○

The activity of this research Institute will continue after the end of the grant period. Instituteresearch will continue to be promoted since we expect that the scientific breakthroughs over the
next 10 years will open new research pathways associated with the impact from technologies
developed by the Institute’s research contributions.
The concept and project of this research Institute will be promoted as an example of theinternationalization of research and education mission of the Kyushu University as described by thepresent-year mid-term goals and strategic plans of Kyushu University. The research environment of
this Institute, in which world-leading researchers collaborate, will remain and similar research
activities which serve national and social needs will spread through the entire Kyushu University.
This Institute is the first example of a foreign researcher to be selected as the Institute Director. It
is expected that other units and organizations of the Kyushu University will benefit from theacademic administration system of this Institute, which will be morphed according to the academic
stature of the Institute Director. We expect that the Institute mode of operation will serve for theentire Kyushu University as a role model for recruiting researchers, establishing and promotinginternational collaborations with top-class research institutions, vigorous peer evaluation ofresearch and faculty productivity, allocation of research resources and personnel financial
compensation according to academic qualifications, scientific visibility, and established researchrecord, etc.

17Center Director's VisionInternational Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research－ The Grand Highway for a Carbon-Neutral Energy Fueled World －Multi/Inter-disciplinary research on the interface between hydrogen/CO 2 and matter
April 23, 2010
Petros Sofronis
Professor
University of Illinois<Summary>
Achieving and even exceeding CO 2 emission reduction targets requires not only
strategies for capturing and either sequestering or converting CO 2 to a useful fuel but also
developing high efficiency and effective methodologies for producing an alternate energy
carrier such as hydrogen gas. The challenges require a paradigm shift in our approach toresearch that bridges not only multiple spatial, molecular to miles, and temporal scales,
nanoseconds to decades, but it also necessitates bringing together scientists andengineers from disparate disciplines such as chemistry, materials and geoscience to work
cooperatively and synergistically. The International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy
Research will provide the foundation, environment and framework to stimulate novel
research endeavors between leading experts in diverse research fields such as chemistry,
physics, materials science, mechanics, geoscience, oceanic science and biomimetics.
The Institute activities will lead to fundamental science discoveries underlying thedevelopment of innovative, safe, and reliable systems for the production, storage andutilization of hydrogen as a fuel in a hydrogen-based economy as well as for either captureand storage of CO 2 or its conversion to a useful product. In addition, it will provide thenation and the international community with the next-generation of scientists andengineers needed to address such complex and critical technological and societal
challenges.
The approach that will be adopted will be integrative multi- and inter-disciplinary that
focuses on physical chemistry and dynamics to discover, control and manipulate theinteractions between materials and hydrogen or CO 2 , which will lead to hydrogenproduction and material transformation with no CO 2 emission; hydrogen storage materials;
hydrogen embrittlement resistant materials; high efficiency fuel cells; and safe carbon
capture, ocean sequestration and geological storage or efficient conversion of CO 2 to CO
and O. The ultimate vision for the Institute is to create and use hydrogen as a fuel thatenables the realization of a carbon-neutral energy fueled society through Green Innovation.
The Institute will be launched by the Kyushu University in collaboration with the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Both institutions are internationally recognizedcenters for research in the area of hydrogen and materials. An agreement for student andfaculty exchanges between the two universities was signed in 2008.

1

Total Energy System ―Toward 25% reduction of CO２ emission by 2020 ―CO2 Capture & Sequestration
Hydrogen Science and Technology
Nuclear
Solar

Artificial
Photo-synthesis

Electricity

Heat

Water

Heat Energy
Use

Fuel Cell Car

Hydrogen Station

Fuel Cell

Hydrogen Storage
Materials
Hydrogen Structural
Materials
Next Generation
Fuel Cells

Geological
Storage

Wind

H2
Steam
Reforming

CO2
Separation

Ocean
Sequestration

Heat

Material
Transformations

Ironworks

Materials

Fossil Fuel (cost, petroleum, nat. gas)

ThermalPower

ChemicalFixation

Thermophysical properties of H2, CO2
H, C, O at Interface

1. Preface
There is no more opportune time for the Kyushu University in collaboration with the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to mount such an unprecedented international
effort for an institute on carbon-neutral energy. The Kyushu University is a leading world
institution on hydrogen research and fuel cell technology. Its institute for hydrogen
industrial use and storage is the best equipped and funded laboratory in the world forresearch on hydrogen-induced degradation and materials for the next generation fuel cells.
The prefecture of Fukuoka is well known for its strong support for sciences and its ability tomove rapidly and put science in the use of society by developing new technologies. The
University of Illinois research contributions to research on hydrogen embrittlement andmaterials over the past 30 years have won it international acclaim. Significantly there is anagreement already in place between the Kyushu University and the University of Illinois forstudent and research personnel exchange. All these factors warrant a sustained
institutional and local government support for research at the planned International
Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research by a team of researchers with recognizedresearch records and ongoing collaborations. Such a sustained research environment andcommitment to quality research will enable the Kyushu Institute to attract and engage
world-class researchers in all fields of its mission.
More specifically, success of the Institute requires that it:••••

Has a well-defined vision and a strategic plan to achieve its mission and goal
Attracts and supports world-class researchers, both nationally and internationally.
Provides its researchers with the facilities and tools needed to achieve the researchgoals
Establishes a management and administrative plan that fosters multi- and interdisciplinary research.

The grand vision of the Institute is to produce and distribute efficiently andeffectively a fuel that ultimately leaves no carbon footprint. To achieve this vision requires2

addressing several grand challenges including the efficient production of hydrogen, ideallyusing energy sources and processes that generate no harmful emissions; capture andsequester or convert to fuel any CO 2 generated by the production or use of the fuel;delivery and storage systems to enable effective use of hydrogen as an energy carrier; aswell as design and construction of high-efficiency fuel cells for applications in a hydrogenbased economy.
To address the technological challenges and to accomplish the mission, theInstitute must provide the resources, facilities and environment to attract and retain top
scientists and engineers, both nationally and internationally, from a wide range of scienceand engineering disciplines. Additionally, the Institute will establish collaborative programs,
including joint research efforts with national and international research institutions anduniversities that will involve not only collaborative efforts but a two-way exchange of
personnel.
The Director will provide leadership and overall management of the Institute. To
assist the Director, Steering Committee and External Advisory Committees will beestablished.
Key members of the Steering Committee will be program area leaders(science advisors) although the Director may invite additional members as deemed
appropriate. The External Advisory Committee will be composed of national andinternational leaders in the field. This Committee will be convened annually or, if deemednecessary by the Director, more frequently at Kyushu University. The Committee will
review all aspects of the Institute, including the leadership and management, the research
progress being made in each activity, and the plans for any initiatives. The Committee will
provide the Director with a written report on their findings and recommendations. The final
decision regarding Institute activities will be the responsibility of the Director.
The Institute will promote the activities and achievements of the Institute through anannual progress report which will describe research highlights, significant
accomplishments and future directions, newsletters to highlight achievements on a moreregular basis, scholarly publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals, participationand organization of symposia at international meetings as well as a biannual workshop at
Kyushu University or a partnering research institution.
A more detailed description of each of these topics is provided in the following
sections.

2. Critical Research Initiatives
The impact of global warming, the rising cost of fossil fuels as well as the
anticipated decline in supply provide societal, economic and technology driving forces fordeveloping an alternate energy source or carrier. Although these issues are vital to the
future well-being of Japan, success has global societal and economic implications. Moving
to and implementing a non-fossil based energy carrier system, especially one in which the
production is independent of foreign sources, is highly desirable. Hydrogen gas is apotential energy carrier that could address these issues provided that methodologies are inplace for producing a sufficient hydrogen supply that utilizes an energy source that either
does not involve generation of CO 2 (e.g., solar or next generation nuclear systems) or
includes strategies for capturing and sequestering in the ocean or geologically orconverting the CO 2 to a more useful form. To make a hydrogen-fueled economic system
viable, the scientific and engineering challenges of delivering and using hydrogen will need
to be overcome. This means that materials with a high tolerance to hydrogen-induced
degradation will need to be developed for production, delivery and application systems;
effective and efficient hydrogen storage media will need to be developed for a multitude of3

applications and the efficiency of fuel cells will need to be increased.
Hydrogen has several attractive features as an energy carrier that could remove
our dependence on fossil fuels and at the same time reduce the levels of CO 2 that are
being produced. For it to be a truly carbon-neutral energy source, methods for producing
large quantities of hydrogen using energy sources that either generate no CO 2 or are usedin conjunction with CO 2 capture technologies need to be developed. The mission of theInstitute will be to develop science-driven technological solutions to enable the realizationof a hydrogen-based energy economy that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Therefore the research agenda of the Institute emphasizes critical issues in the areas of:hydrogen production; solid-state hydrogen storage; hydrogen tolerant materials; efficientand reliable fuel cells; material transformation; CO 2 capture, ocean sequestration andgeological storage as well as energy-efficient conversion to more useful forms.
Furthermore, it is essential to understand the various phenomena occurring at theinterface between materials and hydrogen, oxygen, and CO 2 (and their underlying
mechanisms) to enable the scientific and engineering breakthroughs needed to realize acarbon-neutral energy fueled society. The Institute activities must be broad based,
bridging multi-dimensional spatial (atoms to molecules to crystals, to geological formations
and to oceanic systems) and temporal (nanoseconds to many tens of years and beyond)scales.

Carbon-Neutral Energy Fueled Society○ Burning of fossil fuels and biomass produces CO2 and waste of energy as heat
○ Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be produced from various sources (e.g., solar, carbon)○Non-fossil based energy system as a solution to global warming, rising costs, declining of oil supplies,
energy security, and independence by converting hydrogen to electricity with minimum CO2
production and waste of energy
Energy Sources andMaterials

Energy Sources

Materials

Renewable: Solar, Wind
Nuclear

Energy in the form of carbon(Carbon, Natural gas, Biomass)
Production

EnergyCarrier

Waste

Electricity

Energy Conversion

Heat

CO2

（Waste of Energy）（Waste of material）

CO2 Capture & Sequestration orconversion to a fuel3. Outline of research activities
The Kyushu Institute’s approach to science necessary for the development of a4

carbon-neutral energy fueled society will be to cross-cut disciplinary boundaries through a
judicious integration of information from atomistic/microscopic/macroscopic time andlength scales for phenomena occurring at the interface of chemistry, physics, materials
science, mechanics, geoscience, oceanic science, and biomimetics. The global nature ofthis challenge is obvious and we will launch a “International Institute for Carbon-Neutral
Energy Research” to work toward establishing it as the global leader for this work.
To achieve our mission of developing an carbon-neutral economy that issustainable and at the same time is environmentally friendly – key criteria for addressing
global warming and finding an alternate to fossil-based fuel systems – the following
research themes have been identified.
The concept of the interface betweenhydrogen/CO 2 /oxygen and matter is pervasive throughout all research themes. The
research topics identified initially as being critical to the move toward a sustainable, earthfriendly hydrogen-based economy are:
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

Artificial photosynthesis through autocatalytic water splitting.
-- Toward green hydrogen production.
Structural materials compatibility with hydrogen.
-- Toward designing a safe and reliable hydrogen infrastructure.
Materials for the next generation fuel cells.
-- Toward establishing the fundamentals for high efficiency energy conversion
and the development of new devices.
Fundamental thermophysical and flow properties of hydrogen, CO 2 hydrates, andcarbon dioxide under extreme pressure conditions, e.g. 100MPa.
-- Toward elucidating the hydrogen/matter interactions over a broad range oftemperatures and pressures and the stability of supercritical CO 2
Hydrogen storage materials-- Toward designing an effective hydrogen storage system.
Intelligent chemical transformations and catalysis.
-- Toward developing waste-free material transformation.
Advanced CO 2 separation and concentration processes.
-- Toward the development of an efficient CO 2 separation and concentration
technology.
CO 2 geological storage.
-- Toward understanding the underground behavior of CO 2 , e.g. chemicalinteractions and stability among three phase of CO 2 , water and rock.
CO 2 /Ocean-turbulenece interactions for ocean sequestration.
-- Toward understanding CO2 behavior in ocean.
Energy efficient and environmentally benign approaches to conversion of CO 2 to
CO and O and then to a usable energy form.
-- Toward a carbon-neutral energy fueled society.

The research program must be multi- as well as inter-disciplinary. In addition, it
must couple synergistically theory, computer modeling and simulation with experimental
methodologies that utilize state-of-the-art approaches to explore solid-gas interactions atappropriate length and time scales. Here it is envisioned that the efforts will becoordinated such that the experiments inform model development and the predictions of
the models are verified by appropriate experiments. Additionally, computer simulations
and models will be employed to enhance the interpretation of experimental observations.
For example, ab initio calculations might be used to determine the change in the electronic
states on surfaces and in the interior to enhance our understanding of the initial adsorption
and dissociation of hydrogen on the surface, which could accelerate development of a5solid-stage light-weight hydrogen storage medium or to ascertain the tolerance of internalinterfaces to hydrogen, which could suggest how to create a microstructure with low
sensitivity to high-pressure hydrogen environments.

A Multi/Inter-Disciplinary Research Program to
Achieve a Carbon-Neutral Energy System
Artificial
Photosynthesis

Effective
Hydrogen
Storage
Materials

Intelligent
Material
Transformations(green hydrogenproduction)

Hydrogen
Structural
Materials(low energy )separation)(waste-free)

Understanding Interface-gas reactions

CO2 Geological
Storageabsorption, adsorption,
dissolution, diffusion,
reaction, conduction, etc.

(long term
behavior of CO2)

Spatial scale

CO2 OceanSequestration(compatible withhydrogen)

Next Generation
Fuel Cells

CO2 Separation& Concentration

Atomic(novel materials
and devices)

Matter Macro
molecular - - earth, ocean(CO2/Oceanturbulenceinteraction)

Nanoseconds - - - decades
Temporal scale

Fusion of Multiple Disciplines

Biomimetics

Chemistry

Physics

Materials
Science

Mechanics

Oceanic
Science

GeoScience

4. Research objectives
The overarching objective of the Institute is to establish the fundamental science
underlying the technology of innovative, safe, and reliable systems for the production,
storage and utilization of hydrogen (hydrogen production; hydrogen storage materials;
hydrogen embrittlement resistant materials; fuel cells; material transformation), as well as
for separation of CO 2 , carbon oceanic and geological sequestration and conversion tomore usable forms. To reach this objective requires establishing a fundamental-science
understanding at the atomic level of such phenomena as adsorption, absorption,
dissolution, diffusion, reaction characterizing interaction of gases and matter in theframework of multi-phase fluid and solid systems. By publically disseminating ourresearch findings we expect and aspire to contribute to the societal discourse on thescientific soundness of ocean sequestration and geological storage. Thus, the research
objectives toward a carbon-neutral energy fueled society can be summarized as follows:• Development of innovative and sustainable hydrogen production processes,
such as photocatalytic water splitting.
• Development of hydrogen resistant alloys for the design of a safe and reliablehydrogen infrastructure.
6• Development of the next generation fuel cells through research in novel
materials and devices.
• Development of novel hydrogen storage materials with a storage capacity ofover 6wt% H 2 .
• Development of high efficiency material transformation processes without any
by-products such as waste and CO 2 .
• Development of low-energy carbon separation and concentration processes byinvestigating the mechanisms of CO 2 absorption.
• Educate the public about the scientific aspects of ocean sequestration andgeological storage so that the society decides on the benefits of moving toward
a carbon-neutral energy fueled word on the basis of sound scientificinformation.

5. Research organization and cooperation with related institutions(1) Research organization
The research organization will be theme based. Four broad-based divisions areenvisioned initially: Hydrogen Production, Delivery and Utilization; Hydrogen Storage; CO 2
Capture, Sequestration and Conversion; and Energy and Society. Each will be lead bya science advisor who will be responsible for setting the scientific objectives and goals andfor the day-to-day management. In addition, each division will be staffed by outstanding
research faculty and staff who will be drawn from Kyushu University as well as othernational and international universities and national laboratories. To drive the research
mission and to ensure each program area/division has the needed expertise, the Director
along with the Principal Investigators will invite periodically scientists and engineers fromaround the world to submit a white paper addressing how they could contribute to criticalmission issues. The Director may seek input from the members of the External Advisory
Committee as to the merits and value of these white papers to the overall mission of theInstitute. This approach will ensure that the research environment remains dynamic andstaffed with scientists and engineers that have the needed expertise.
(2) Cooperation with other institutions
To achieve success in our mission, collaborative and coordinated research efforts
central to the mission of the Institute will be conducted in partnership with faculty and staff
at other national and international institutions. This activity will involve not only researchcollaborations but also exchange of personnel. Regular meetings of all team members willtake place through use of internet conferencing tools. This capability may also be used todeliver and broadcast important research meetings between partnering institutions.
Broadening the research base from Kyushu University will further promote the Instituteactivities and help establish it as Center of Excellence in this area.
(Satellite Institution)
・University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, USA.
The Director of the Institute, Professor P. Sofronis, is a faculty member at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is an internationally recognized expert on
the effects of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of materials. Other research
activities at Illinois mirror parts of the proposed program. Therefore a satellite office will be7established at Illinois to facilitate cooperative research activities as well as personnel
exchanges. In addition to conducting Institute related research, the satellite office willserve as the base for identifying and engaging key research programs and faculty at
Universities and Institutions nationally and internationally. As Director of the Institute,
Professor Sofronis will serve as the Director of the satellite institute. In this latter capacity
he will report directly to the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois.
Appropriate agreements between Kyushu University and the University of Illinois, otherthan an exchange of students which is already in place, will be negotiated if the Institute isfunded. Both parties have expressed interest and support for establishing this satellite
institute at the University of Illinois.
(Collaborating Institutions)
We envision to engage in collaborative research with distinguished scientists frominternationally recognized institutions. This includes site visits to facilitate research byleveraging research capabilities. Key institutions are the following:・Tohoku University (JPN)・Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute of the University of Tokyo (JPN)・High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (JPN)・National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (JPN)
・University of California, Berkeley (USA)・Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)・Sandia National Laboratories (USA)・Imperial College of London (UK)・Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ)
・Tsinghua University (China)
・Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

6. Research evaluation and visibility
The Director will organize a program review meeting on an annual basis and, in
addition to the members of the External Advisory Committee, will invite leading scientists
and engineers in each of the thematic areas to review the entire program, including theleadership and management of the overall Institute. This meeting will be convened at
Kyushu University. It is envisioned that the science advisor of each theme will present an
overview of the activities, highlighting specific achievements and challenges, as well as
describing future research directions and activities. The Principal Investigators of eachfunded program will present the achievements of their program, describe synergistic
activities with other members of the Institute and with partnering institutions, and conclude
with planned future activities. The form of these presentations may be oral or in poster
format.
The program review committee will provide a written evaluation of theachievements and future plans of each effort. The Director, in consultation with theExternal Advisory Committee and Steering Commitee, will use these evaluations todetermine future funding for each program and theme. The final decision about program
funding level will be made by the Director of the Institute.
Metrics of the Institute’s visibility will be considered i) the quality and impact of the
Journal publications, ii) the extent of joint publications as demonstration of the enablingvalue of the Institute, iii) invited keynote and plenary lectures; iv) symposia organization in
8international conferences by Institute researchers; v) trend setting workshops andsymposia that attract participation of national agencies such as MEXT, JSPS, US NSF, US
DOE, European Commission; vi) participation of the Institute’s researchers in international
conferences; vii) invitations to the Institute’s researchers for participation in government
panels and national laboratory efforts; viii) patents and technology accomplishments.

7. Institute management
One of the goals of the Institute is to be a model for research management at the
Kyushu University. This new approach to research administration will rely heavily on the
management style, academic experience, and scientific achievements of the Institute’s
Director whose duties will include the research team formation, the recruitment of theinternational research participants, the establishment of international collaborations andinteractions with top research Institutions, the administration of the peer evaluation
process of the Institute’s research output, potential team reorganization and redirection ofefforts in response to the feedback from the annual review of the Institute, review of theresearch personnel, and the observance of the research expenditures.
The Institute is established as an organization directly under the president of the
Kyushu University. The structure of the organization is such that the Institute Director has
the authority to make decisions regarding the planning and conduct of the research
activities, the formation and composition of the research program areas or clusters, andthe budget implementation related to the management of the Institute. On all thesematters the Director consults the Steering Committee that is headed by the Director and its
members (science advisors) are the program area leaders of the Institute.
A vital component of the Institute is the External Advisory Committee which iscomposed of national and international leaders in the field. This Committee will be
convened annually or, if deemed necessary by the Director, more frequently at Kyushu
University. The Committee will review all aspects of the Institute, including the leadershipand management, the research progress being made in each activity, and the plans forany initiatives. The Committee will provide the Director with a written report on theirfindings and recommendations. The final decision regarding Institute activities will be theresponsibility of the Director.
The Director is assisted by the Associate Director for the management of theInstitute’ research activities.
The Office of the Director is supported by the
Administrative Director, head of the office of the Institute’s Administrative Office whose
purpose is to provide administrative support to the research personnel of the Institute. The
official language of the Institute’s Administrative Office is English. To ensure efficiency
and expediency of operations in the Administrative Office, we will opt for post-doctoral
researcher employees so that carrying out of the operations is done by personnel that
understand the research activities of the Institute.

8. Closure
We propose a research Institute with a mission to carry out fundamental science forthe removal of the technical barriers toward a carbon-neutral energy fueled society. The
9objective of the Institute is to develop the science required for the realization of a hydrogen
economy and enable the technological breakthroughs required for efficient CO 2 captureand sequestration in both the ocean and the earth. Research topics include artificial
photosynthesis for hydrogen production, efficient fuel cell catalysis, hydrogen storage anddevelopment of hydrogen resistant alloys, interaction of CO 2 with ocean turbulence andgeological formations, and thermodynamics and chemistry of crystalline and supercritical
CO 2 . The disparate length and time scales involved in these phenomena range from theelectron to that for oceans and geo-formations and this necessitates approaches that
judiciously bridge the temporal and spatial scales. The research will be interdisciplinary
and will cross-cut the boundaries of chemistry, physics, materials science, mechanics,
geoscience, oceanic science, and biomimetics. The effort will be international and will
involve industry and national laboratories. The Institute will operate in accordance to thehighest academic standards and through a rigorous peer evaluation and review process.
We expect that the scientific discoveries of the Institute will result in the reduction of thesocietal carbon footprint and the removal of barriers to a carbon-neutral society.

10Host Institution’s Commitment
Date : November 12, 2010
To MEXTName of host institution : Kyushu University
Name and title of head of host institution : Setsuo Arikawa, President
Signature
I confirm that the measures listed below will be taken faithfully if “International Institute for
Carbon-Neutral Energy Research” is adopted under the World Premier International Research Center
Initiative (WPI).
＜Provision in host institution’s mid-to-long-term plan＞
・Describe clearly the host institution’s mid-to-long-term strategy plan and how the center is positioned within thatstrategy.

○ Details of the mid-term goal and strategy plans for Kyushu University from the year 2010 are as
follows;
・ Mid-term goal: “Kyushu University will undertake research activity as a global research andeducation center, and reflect the results to the social development. We will have our academic
environment in a high-quality and attractive condition, where excellent researchers will gather
and share/grow their knowledge. The university contributes to the development and creation ofa new research area of integrated sciences.”・ Mid-term strategy plans for this goal are: “To promote the research and development activities
on the subjects which are in national and social demands, and to attain creative and advanced
research results by taking advantage of feature of a university.”; “To undertake interdisciplinary
and world leading researches in a wide range of subjects, from humanities and social sciences
to natural sciences and engineering, for attainment of outstanding achievement.”; and “Toestablish a research organization which can promptly, flexibly, and appropriately respond to thesocial needs of the times.”○ The concept of Carbon-Neutral Energy Research Institute is in close line with this new mid-termgoal and plans of Kyushu University. The Institute is organized directly under the president of
Kyushu University, and the support to the Institute Director Prof. Sofronis from the University
President and from the whole departments of Kyushu University will be guaranteed.
＜Concrete Measures＞
・Describe the concrete measures that the host institution will take to satisfy the following requirements.
(1) How it will support the center’s need to secure resources that match or exceed the project grant through suchmeans as competitive grants obtained by researchers participating in the project, in-kind contributions and otherforms of assistance by the host institution ( including partial payment of salaries, provision of research space),
and/or external donations.

○ In order to acquire large competitive research grants, Office for Strategic Research Planning andother related offices of Kyushu University will proactively support researchers, such as on
information gathering and strategic advice on grant applications. In addition, the university funding
will be effectively used to provide financial support to researchers.
○ For the provision of the world’s top-level research environment, a new research building for the
WPI project with advanced equipments and facilities will be constructed in the new ITO campus,
under initiative of the university president. Prior to the completion of the construction of this newbuilding, research rooms and spaces will be arranged for invited or newly employed researchers
from external organizations.
○ The Institute will proactively act on the attainment of financial supports from the local government
and industries in related areas.
(2)How it will institute a system under which the center’s director is able to make substantive personnel and budget
allocation decisions necessary to implementing the center project—a system, which in practice, allows the center
director autonomy in making decisions regarding the center’s operation.

1

○ The Institute will be established as an organization directly under the president of Kyushu
University. The system will be set up for the Institute Director to be able to make decisions on
research plans, research frameworks, budget implementation, that are related to the Institutemanagement, with the exceptions for the appointment/dismissal of the Institute Director andauthorization for employment of the Principal Investigators.
(3)The support it will provide to the center director in coordinating with other departments within the host institution
when recruiting researchers for the center, while giving reasonable regard to the educational and research
activities of those departments.

○ In regards to the researchers in Kyushu University contributing to the project, the university will
work in coordination with the parent departments, providing them with the supports for theemployment of substitutes for their educational and research activities, in order to maintain the
educational and research activities of the parent departments.
○ The university will provide flexible research infrastructures where international and national
top-class researchers can perform collaborative researches which reflect the social requirements.
(4)Its flexibility in applying, revising, or supplementing the host institution’s internal systems as needed for the centerto effectively implement new management methods (e.g., English-language environment, merit-based pay,
top-down decision making) unfettered by conventional modes of operation.

○ Kyushu University is currently implementing a project for internationalization of research andeducation in the University, under the initiative of the president. As a part of this plan, efforts havebeen made, in collaboration with International Affairs Division of Kyushu University; conducting
undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in English language; increasing the number ofinternational students and lecturers, preparing internal documents and the university webpage inEnglish; assisting students and staff members to improve their English language skills;
establishing international student and researcher support centers at every campus, in order tofurther accelerate the establishment of international educational and research environments.
○ The Institute will be established as an organization directly under the president of Kyushu
University. The system will be set up for the Institute Director to be able to make decisions on
research plans, research frameworks, budget implementation, which are related to the institutemanagement.
○ In regards to salary settings, there is already a system in Kyushu University to set the various
range of salary based on the abilities of researchers especially for ones from external institutes. As
needs arise, the system will be re-examined.
○ In addition, Kyushu University will work in cooperation with the Institute for flexible implementation,
adjustment, modification of the university’s internal systems, upon the requests from the Institute
Director, in order to ensure smooth management of the Institute.
(5) Its accommodation of the center’s infrastructural requirements (for facilities, e.g., laboratory space; equipment;
land, etc.).

○ For the provision of the world’s top-level research environment, a new research building for the
WPI project with advanced equipments and facilities will be newly constructed in the new ITO
campus, exclusively, under initiative of the university president. Prior to the completion of theconstruction of this new building, research rooms and spaces will be arranged for invited or newly
employed researchers from external organizations.
○ In ITO campus, there are already many advanced research facilities and equipments in the
research centers, for example the Central Analytical Center and High Voltage Electron Micrograph
Laboratory, and the preferential usages of those equipments will be arranged for the researchers
in the WPI project.
(6) Other types of assistance it will provide to give maximum support to the center in achieving its concepts andobjectives and becoming a world premier international research center in both name and deed.

○ Prof. Yukitaka Murakami, Vice Director of the Institute, will take on responsible roles as the chief
center-project officer for this WPI research Institute, to realize the concepts and to meet theobjectives of the Institute. After the establishment of the Institute, he will continue to take on
responsible roles as the chief center-project officer under the direction of the president of Kyushu
University, in order to effectively work in coordination with the relating departments of the2

university.
○ The promotion of the concept of this Institute as the model project for internationalization ofresearch and education in Kyushu University, and the application of the concept of this Institute to
the entire University body would contribute to reforming the university system and to training our
young researchers to be internationally recognized.

3

List of Principal Investigators

Name

1

2

Petros Sofronis

Current affiliation(organization, department)

University of Illinois,Department ofTheoretical and Applied Mechanics (US)Academic degree

Ph.D.,
Micromechanics ofmaterials,
Environmental
degradation ofmaterials
Dr. of Eng.,
Materials mechanics,
Metal fatigue,
Hydrogen energy

Yukitaka Murakami Kyushu University

Dr. of Science,
Sustainable chemicaltransformation,
Catalysis

3

Tsutomu Katsuki

Kyushu University, Institute for Advanced
Study

4

Yoshinori Naruta

Kyushu University, Institute for Materials
Chemistry and Engineering

Dr. of Science,
Catalysts, Inorganic
chemistry5

Tatsumi Ishihara

Kyushu University, Department of Applied
ChemistryDr. of Eng., Catalyst
and solid stateelectrochemistry6

Chihaya Adachi

Kyushu University, Department of Applied
ChemistryDr. of Eng., Materials
science and device
physics

7

Atsushi Takahara

Kyushu University, Institute for Materials
Chemistry and Engineering

Dr. of Eng., Surface
and Interface
Characterization

8

Seiji Ogo

Kyushu University, Department of Applied
ChemistryDr. of Science, Green
Chemistry19

Katsuki Kusakabe

Fukuoka Women’s University, Department Dr. of Eng., Reactionof Living Environmental Scienceengineering, Catalyst

10

Zenji Horita

Kyushu University, Department of Materials Ph.D., Dr.of Eng.,
Science and Engineering
Materials Science

11

NaotoshiNakashima

Kyushu University, Department of Applied
Chemistry

Ph. D., Nanocarbon
science,Supramolecularscience12

Kazunari Sasaki

Kyushu University, Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Fuel cell materials,
Inorganic materials

13

Etsuo Akiba

National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology, Energy
Technology Research InstituteDr. of Science,
Materials science

14

Braian P.
Somerday

Sandia National Laboratory (US)Ph. D., Materials
Science andEngineering

15

Masuo Okada

Ph. D., Hydrogen
Tohoku University, Department of Materials
absorbing alloys,
Science
Functional ceramics

16

Louis SchlapbachFederal Institute of Technology
Zurich(ETH)(Swiss)

17

University of California, Berkeley,
Robert O. Ritchie Department of Materials Science andEngineering (US)Dr. of Sc., Structural
materials,
Ceramic/metalinterfaces

18

Harry L. Tuller

Massachusetts Institute of Technology(US)

Eng.Sc.D., Functional
electroceramicmaterials

19

Ludwig J.
Gauckler

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (SUI)

Dr. of Sc.,Nonmetallic
Inorganic Materials

20

John A Kilner

Imperial College London (UK)

PhD., Materials forsolid oxide fuel cells
and electrolysers

2

Ph. D.,Materials
Science andenvironmental science21

Ping Chen

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics(China)Ph. D.,Materials
Chemistry

22

Saburo Matsuoka

Kyushu University, Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Dr. of Eng., Fatigue
and fracture ofmaterials

23

Yoshiyuki Kondo

Kyushu University, Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Dr. of Eng., Strengthof Materials

24

Joichi Sugimura

Kyushu University, Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Dr. of Eng., Tribology
and Machine Design

25

Yasuyuki Takata

Kyushu University, Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Dr. of Eng., ThermalEngineering

26

Xing Zhang

Tsinghua University (China)

Ph.D., Thermal
Science27

Masaki Minemoto

Dr. of Eng., Mass andKyushu University, Department of Chemical
Heat Transfer, Fluid
Engineering
Dynamics

28

Tetsuo Yanagi

Kyushu University, Research Institute forApplied Mechanics

29

Chen-Tung Arthur
National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan)
Chen

3

Dr.of Sc., Physical
Oceanography
Ph. D, Marine
biogeochemistry,
Ocean acidification,
global change