Research projects are expected to cover a range of emerging technologies, and will take advantage of the university’s capabilities in renewable energy, battery technologies and power grid modeling. Core strengths in advanced computing, environmental management, and additive manufacturing may be applied to improve the efficiency of delivering traditional energy sources.

The University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute fosters interdisciplinary study of critical energy questions, leveraging expertise across several schools and colleges, including the Jackson School of Geosciences, Cockrell School of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences. This strategic engagement will utilize an umbrella agreement framework to facilitate collaborative research between ExxonMobil and the university.

ExxonMobil will expand its collaboration with the university’s Gulf Coast Carbon Center, a multidisciplinary group that has specialized in geological sequestration of carbon dioxide since 1998. This research will complement ExxonMobil’s recently announced partnership with FuelCell Energy, Inc. to advance carbonate fuel cell technology to enhance the affordability of carbon capture from natural gas-fueled power plants.

ExxonMobil has collaborated with more than 80 universities worldwide in researching breakthrough energy technologies. Last year, the company joined Princeton’s E-filliates Partnership, a corporate affiliates program administered by Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.

E-ffiliates fosters collaboration with industry in pursuing energy and environmental innovation. ExxonMobil committed $5 million over five years, the largest financial commitment the program had received. In 2014, ExxonMobil became a founding member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative, investing $25 million over five years toward research and graduate-level energy fellowships.