UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) announced its 2020–21 Seed Grant Program. The funding is intended to foster basic and applied interdisciplinary energy and environmental research that leverages faculty expertise across the University. The deadline to submit proposals is 5 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2021.
An informational webinar will be held at 9 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2021. Registration is required.
Researchers are encouraged to submit proposals that demonstrate interdisciplinary innovations in IEE’s research themes, which were recently updated to better demonstrate IEE’s endeavors. The new themes are climate and ecosystem change; health and the environment; integrated energy systems; urban systems; and water and biogeochemical cycles.
The addition of urban systems reflects the work of Penn State researchers developing materials and systems to improve buildings and infrastructure in and around cities. Integrated energy systems is a combination of IEE’s two previous energy concentrations, future energy supply and smart energy systems.
All Penn State faculty members — tenured, tenure track and fixed term — who hold an appointment of half-time or more at any Penn State campus are eligible to submit a seed grant proposal as a principal investigator. To encourage establishment of new collaborations and enhancement of networks, larger grants will require innovative partnerships of investigators from multiple colleges and/or campus locations.
The seed grant program strives to support researchers as they develop new interdisciplinary research teams and position them for substantial external funding success; pursue novel research in IEE’s research theme areas, especially high-risk proof of concept projects; and promote research development and mentorship between junior and senior faculty.
For more details as well as the full Request for Proposals (RFP), visit iee.psu.edu/seedgrant/2020.
This RFP is sponsored by IEE, which works to build teams of researchers from different disciplines to see how new partnerships and new ways of thinking can solve some of the world’s most difficult energy and environmental challenges.