The College of Science and Engineering received nearly $17 million from the Dow Chemical Company last week in a new partnership that will strengthen research and enable the expansion of Amundson Hall.

The partnership is part of DowâÄôs new long-term investment of $25 million per year over a decade in 11 U.S. colleges, including the University of Minnesota.

CSEâÄôs Chemical Engineering and Materials Science department will receive about $2.3 million a year for the next five years for research. Dow has also pledged $5 million to expand Amundson Hall.

âÄúThe $5 million for the expansion of Amundson is an enabling gift that will allow us to have the best facility possible for students and faculty,âÄù said Frank Bates, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

Rhonda Zurn, a spokeswoman for the college, said the partnership is unlike any other she has seen in recent years because Dow researchers will interact with the schoolâÄôs faculty and students.

âÄúItâÄôs not like other grants where the money is received and the school does its thing and the sender goes on without following up on where the money goes,âÄù she said.

Researchers from the school will meet with Dow weekly to discuss projects funded by the grant.

The focus of the projects will be on developing materials used in photovoltaic devices, polymers that target electronic devices, floor coatings and the delivery of pharmaceuticals.

Students in CSE will have opportunities to get involved in the research that is funded by the grant, Zurn said. They could also be rewarded with jobs and internships with Dow.

CSE has a long history of collaborating with the company on research projects. Many of CSEâÄôs doctoral candidates receive job offers from the company.

Bates said, âÄúDow has probably hired more PhD students from our school than anywhere else in the country in the past several years.âÄù