Professor in McWhorter School of Building Science receives prestigious grant

Dr. Salman Azhar, J.E. Wilborn endowed associate professor and graduate program chair in the McWhorter School of Building Science, was selected to receive a three-year grant under the Pakistan-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation Program. Work on the project approved for funding will start in early September, 2015.

The proposal entitled “Capacity Building in Research, Education and Practice for High-Performance Energy-Efficient Buildings and Homes,” was submitted to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS), in cooperation with Dr. Muhammad A. Khan of the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. The aim of this collaborative project is to facilitate design and construction of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings and homes in Pakistan through capacity building of academia and industry in related research, education, and practice. The project will provide opportunities for both academic institutions to develop expertise in research and practice of high- performance energy-efficient buildings and homes.

According to Katherine Matheson, Associate Program Officer of Policy and Global Affairs Division at NAS, Dr. Azhar’s proposal was one of only 13 projects selected from among 231 applications received.

The cooperative program implemented by NAS in the U.S. and by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Pakistan, is intended to increase the strength and breadth of cooperation and linkages between Pakistani scientists and institutions with counterparts in the United States. Pakistan has designated $160,000 for the project and U.S. is providing $149,121. More details about this program can be found here.