Greetings,
We are excited to share this funding opportunity from The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard Unidersity. The Salata Institute Energy and Climate Research Clusters program represents Harvard’s investment in the University’s potential to help the world further address the pressing needs that arise from climate change, environmental and ecosystem degradation, and the energy transition. This announcement is labeled as short notice because the concept proposal deadline occurs in fewer than two weeks. More information about the award can be found in the synopsis and links below. For a full list of currently open opportunities that have been announced through our office, please visit our Current Opportunities web page. As a reminder, our Research Development team is available to provide proposal development support to FAS ladder faculty.
- Concept Proposal Deadline: September 28, 2026; in-person networking session October 2, 2026
- Revised Concept Proposal Deadline: October 16, 2026
- Full Proposal Deadline, if invited: January 8, 2027
- Award Amount: Up to $600,000 per cluster, per year, for a period of up to three years. Two awards are anticipated.
Program Overview
The Salata Institute Energy and Climate Research Clusters program represents Harvard’s investment in the University’s potential to help the world further address the pressing needs that arise from climate change, environmental and ecosystem degradation, and the energy transition. The program seeks to use funding provided by the University to support research opportunities that promise to make transformative contributions. The Salata Institute requests ambitious proposals that stimulate or deepen research grounded in STEM fields and that draw upon cross-School and interdisciplinary expertise. Proposals must be conceived in ways that have the potential to build research capacity for the long term, and to better position Harvard to make even more powerful contributions after the grant period.
Priority Areas
- Priority will be given to research in:
- energy technologies, markets, and systems; or
- remote sensing and climate/environmental measurement with applications to physical, ecosystem, and human impacts, risk assessment, risk mitigation, and adaptation.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications are invited from individuals who hold a tenured or tenure-track (ladder) faculty position with principal investigator (PI) rights at a Harvard School, whose grants are managed by that School, and who are employed by Harvard University.
- Each accepted and launched Energy and Climate Research Cluster must have a PI and co-PI(s) who represent at least two Schools. Preliminary concept proposals (Step 1) do not need to have co-PIs from multiple Schools but should explain what other School(s) and other disciplinary area(s) could be part of the Cluster.
- Clusters will comprise Harvard ladder faculty, postdocs, other researchers, and students. They may also include visiting scholars, practitioners, and external collaborators where appropriate to accomplish the research, however:
- No sub-awards are allowed.
- Researchers at other institutions may not receive salary support from this funding.
Proposal Process
- Step 1: Concept Proposal (500 words) – due September 28, 2026; In-person networking session October 2, 2026
- Applicant Principal Investigators (PIs) should submit an initial concept proposal that states the problem; describes sample research questions to be explored; and explains why that research could lead to or underpin impactful real-world outcomes.
- Applications for Step 1 will be submitted via the ECRC online application portal.
- The Salata Institute will invite all PIs to make one-slide presentations of their concept notes and to network with their peers at an event, scheduled on October 2, 2026. The Salata Institute’s Faculty Research Committee will engage with first-round proposers to explore collaboration across other proposed clusters, and, if necessary, to modify the scope of the proposal. PIs may subsequently opt to merge their proposed projects with those of others, as broad collaborations will be encouraged.
- Step 2: Revised Concept Proposal (up to 1500 words) – due October 16, 2026
- All teams, which could include new or reorganized teams based on researcher interactions in Step 1, will then be invited to submit a second-round proposal that includes and expands on the information provided in the Step 1 proposal.
- Teams selected to submit a full proposal will be notified by October 30, 2026.
- Step 3: Invited Full Proposal – due January 8, 2027
- Awards will be announced by the end of February 2027.
Selection Criteria
- Scope and ambition
- Interdisciplinary and cross-School collaboration
- Potential for impact
- Portfolio fit
- Financial viability
Additional Information and Resources
Applicants are encouraged to review the FAQs for more information. Applications for Step 1 will be submitted via the ECRC online application portal. Research funds should normally be spent at Harvard (see the FAQ on research expenditure guidance). Project activities should include engagement through conferences, convenings, or other forms of structured exchange, both inside and outside the University. Staffing support for such engagement activities, for example events management and communications, will be provided by the Institute.
Proposals that closely duplicate ongoing Salata Institute-funded research, or major research projects funded by Schools, are unlikely to be competitive; applicants are encouraged to review the existing Salata Institute research portfolio.
Questions from FAS or SEAS faculty about this opportunity may be directed to James Clem, Salata Institute Associate Director. |
