UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Institutes of Energy and the Environment and the Materials Research Institute at Penn State have partnered on a new seed grant program. Titled “Materials for Enhancing Energy and Environmental Stewardship,” the call for proposals aims to challenge Penn State faculty and researchers to make positive impacts on the following areas:
- Smart and Adaptive Energy Systems
- Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Crystal Structures from Mid-IR and/or Microwave Photo-Voltaic (PV)-Cells
- Biological Processes Enabling Low CO2 Production of Infrastructural Materials such as Bricks and Concrete
- Low-Cost Environmental and Food Sensors for Real-time Seasonal Field Monitoring and Food Storage
- Novel Concepts and Materials in Energy Conversion
- Advancing Energy Storage
At least $500,000 in funding is available. The deadline for applying is 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22.
The program is in support of the University strategic plan thematic priority on "Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources." The goal of this call is to embrace and support high-risk concepts and engage Penn State faculty in new directions.
To encourage the establishment of new collaborations and enhancement of networks, larger grants will require innovative partnerships of investigators from multiple colleges and/or campus locations. Funds up to $15,000 can be awarded for a single investigator project; up to $25,000 for two or more faculty from the same college (University Park) or Commonwealth Campus; and up to $40,000 for multi-college (across University Park) and multi-campus (between campuses) collaborative grants.