As part of the 2019 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) Principal Investigators’ Meeting, the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences (DOE BES) sponsored a Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research Video Contest II.  Following the EFRC tradition, during each meeting there is an optional contest designed to educate, inspire, and entertain an intelligent but not expert audience about the extraordinary science, innovation and people in the EFRCs. After a hiatus of 8 years, the video contest returned!  The 46 EFRCs were challenged to highlight a scientific breakthrough, tell a story of a big idea, show collaboration in action, give a window into the life of a scientist or student, or illustrate the impact on society of an EFRC’s mission. 

The entry that received the most votes from the public from June 24 to July 24, 2019 11:59 pm was given the People’s Choice Award at the Principal Investigators’ Meeting on July 29, 2019.

Nuclear Energy Waste and WastePD

Nuclear energy is emission free that can mitigate climate change. However, nuclear energy produces radioactive waste which requires durable materials for a safe disposal in environment. WastePD’s core mission is to study the science behind the corrosion of nuclear waste materials to improve the...
WastePD

Votes:218

Capacity – the Potential and Power for Change

Li-ion batteries are a central part of the clean economy, as they enable the utilization of renewables, electric vehicles, and portable devices. This video give a glimpse into how the NorthEast Center for Chemical Energy Storage (NECCES) helps in the push for a more sustainable future through...
NECCES

Votes:187

Future of Energy Storage

A short story of human-centered progress from the challenges of the ancient times to modern day’s energy storage sciences.
FIRST

Votes:93

Salt for the Earth

Salt has been key to human survival and now we want to use it to preserve the environment. The mission of the Molten Salts in Extreme Environments Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) is to understand the fundamental properties of molten salts for use in a new generation of reactors that will...

Votes:90

Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research

The daily challenges and rewards of performing cell wall biology research is highlighted through interviews with CLSF scientists.
CLSF

Votes:60

Turning Down the Heat

Researchers at the Center for Thermal Energy Transport under Irradiation are working towards uncovering a new paradigm for predicting and ultimately controlling the flow of heat in materials with evolving microstructure. By turning down the heat, their findings can pave the way for the next-...
TETI

Votes:40

Collaborating for a Better Future

ICDC junior investigators highlight the importance of collaboration between computational and experimental chemists, chemical engineers, and material scientists in the study of metal organic frameworks, catalysts, and chemical reactions relevant to natural gas liquefaction.
ICDC

Votes:37

Dancing with Heat and Spin

The video describes the basic idea and the social impact of the research projects led by SHINES. It portrays how this EFRC studies heat management and magnetism in devices, and briefly presents the life of young scholars who have been carrying out excellent work in these areas.
SHINES

Votes:22

Water in Silica Nanopores – Superman to the Rescue

The video shows simulations and TEM micrographs of naturally occurring and architected nanoporous materials and their interaction with confined liquids. An animated section to the sound of Pressure by the rock band, Muse, who shares our eponymous EFRC, accompanies the video animation.
MUSE

Votes:7

Acid Gases in Energy-Related Research

We're surrounded by materials. This video explains why the UNCAGE-ME EFRC studies material/acid gas interactions and what it means for energy research.
UNCAGE-ME

Votes:2

Contest

Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research

The daily challenges and rewards of performing cell wall biology research is highlighted through interviews with CLSF scientists.

Future of Energy Storage

A short story of human-centered progress from the challenges of the ancient times to modern day’s energy storage sciences.

Nuclear Energy Waste and WastePD

Nuclear energy is emission free that can mitigate climate change. However, nuclear energy produces radioactive waste which requires durable materials for a safe disposal in environment. WastePD’s core mission is to study the science behind the corrosion of nuclear waste materials to improve the…

Collaborating for a Better Future

ICDC junior investigators highlight the importance of collaboration between computational and experimental chemists, chemical engineers, and material scientists in the study of metal organic frameworks, catalysts, and chemical reactions relevant to natural gas liquefaction.

Salt for the Earth

Salt has been key to human survival and now we want to use it to preserve the environment. The mission of the Molten Salts in Extreme Environments Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) is to understand the fundamental properties of molten salts for use in a new generation of reactors that will…

Water in Silica Nanopores – Superman to the Rescue

The video shows simulations and TEM micrographs of naturally occurring and architected nanoporous materials and their interaction with confined liquids. An animated section to the sound of Pressure by the rock band, Muse, who shares our eponymous EFRC, accompanies the video animation.

Capacity – the Potential and Power for Change

Li-ion batteries are a central part of the clean economy, as they enable the utilization of renewables, electric vehicles, and portable devices. This video give a glimpse into how the NorthEast Center for Chemical Energy Storage (NECCES) helps in the push for a more sustainable future through…

Dancing with Heat and Spin

The video describes the basic idea and the social impact of the research projects led by SHINES. It portrays how this EFRC studies heat management and magnetism in devices, and briefly presents the life of young scholars who have been carrying out excellent work in these areas.

Turning Down the Heat

Researchers at the Center for Thermal Energy Transport under Irradiation are working towards uncovering a new paradigm for predicting and ultimately controlling the flow of heat in materials with evolving microstructure. By turning down the heat, their findings can pave the way for the next-…

Acid Gases in Energy-Related Research

We're surrounded by materials. This video explains why the UNCAGE-ME EFRC studies material/acid gas interactions and what it means for energy research.