Grant Category:	Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Program
Field of Specialization:	Biofuels
Name:	Mr. John Round
Official Address:	University of Pittsburgh, Graduate Pennsylvania
Indian Host Institution:	Indian Institute of Chemical Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Duration of Grant & Start Date :	Duration: 9 months August 2011

Brief Bio:

Mr. John Round received his B.S. in biomedical engineering, as well as a second major in international studies, from Northwestern University in 2006.  Following graduation, he worked in Cambridge, MA at Biogen Idec for three years, manufacturing clinical drugs for various autoimmune disorders and cancers.  Mr. Round left Biogen Idec to enroll in the University of Pittsburgh's dual degree MBA/MS-Bioengineering program through the Katz School of Business.  During the two year program, he pursued several entrepreneurial projects while holding a marketing research fellowship at the university's health care technology licensing department, including a summer internship with Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC where he worked on biofuel business and technology development.  The majority of his free time is spent organizing low budget ski trips and playing tennis. Mr. Round's Fulbright-Nehru research will examine the potential for a sustainable, Jatropha-based biofuel system in Hyderabad, India with support from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and Reliance Life Sciences. Biofuel represents not only an environmentally sustainable source of energy but also a growing economy that is uniquely suited for developing countries with warm climates and large amounts of marginal land. The Indian government recognized this potential in 2009 when it passed the National Biofuel Policy that has called for a 20% blend of biofuel in all diesel fuels by 2017. This policy has stimulated investment that makes India the premier location to determine whether agriculturally-supported biodiesel is a sustainable energy alternative to fossil fuels.