The University of MinnesotaâÄôs Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment has selected seven projects to receive a total of $4.85 million in funding, the school said Monday. The projects were chosen after a long review process based on their potential for major breakthroughs on national and global scales. âÄúWeâÄôre convinced these investments will help position the University of Minnesota, the state and the broader region as a world leader in sustainable energy systems,âÄù Dick Hemmingsen, IREE director, said in a press release. This is the first time since 2005 the grants have been awarded, IREE spokesman Todd Reubold said. The seven projects, which will be researched over the next several years, will deal with topics ranging from developing plastics from renewable resources to using concentrated solar energy to turn biomass into fuel.