In early 2000, leaders in the land grant university community began discussing the need to strengthen efforts to harness the land grant research and extension system to build a bioeconomy based on…

In early 2000, leaders in the land grant university community began discussing the need to strengthen efforts to harness the land grant research and extension system to build a bioeconomy based on renewable fuels, products, and power. One of the key outcomes of this effort would be the revitalization of rural economies through job creation and industry growth based on the products of rural america. One approach to realize this goal was to structure the land grant universities into five biogeographical regions, each with a leading university center. This organization made IT possible to address the vision of the national bioeconomy while recognizing regional differences and then strategically targeting each region's potential. Ultimately, this vision evolved into the sun grant initiative, and five universities stepped forward to serve as regional sun grant centers, providing leadership for this new initiative. Since its inception, the sun grant initiative has worked closely with federal agencies, national laboratories, research and education communities, and the private sector to support the development of alternative transportation fuels (ground and air), bioproducts, and renewable infrastructure materials to support growth of the bioeconomy. Since 2002 and with support from the U.S. Departments of agriculture, energy, and transportation, the sun grant initiative has managed and implemented more than 330 research and education projects with collaborating scientists in more than 90% of the states and funding of over $100 million.