Topics of Interest and Funding Levels

This call seeks to support projects with potential to become sustained, collaborative, interdisciplinary research efforts towards solutions to key problems in energy production, use, management, and environmental impacts. Of particular interest are proposals addressing priority topic areas identified by external funding agencies, such as those enumerated (for example) in the Department of Energy’s Earthshots Initiative, last year’s Dear Colleague Letter from the National Science Foundation on clean energy technologies (NSF 23-109), or the Sloan Foundation’s Energy and Environment grants program.

Two categories of projects will be awarded:

• Seed Project, led by one or two principal investigators (PIs) and funded at up to $150k for one or two years. Seed projects should explore high risk, high reward fundamental research ideas and/or seed new collaborative directions (for projects involving multiple PIs).
• Convergence Project, involving two or more PIs and funded at up to $450k for one or two years. Convergence projects draw together a collaborative, interdisciplinary team (i.e., representing different departments or clearly distinct disciplines) to address a multi-dimensional problem requiring different avenues of investigation. These projects should have potential to grow into sustained research programs that could form the basis of an externally funded center or other large-scale, multi-institutional research efforts.

The Andlinger Center anticipates funding up to two compelling submissions from this proposal call.

Proposal Requirements, Evaluation, and Submission

Proposal Requirements

SEED PROJECTS: The total proposal length for seed projects should not exceed three (3) pages excluding the cover page, references, and budget rationale. Proposals must include the section elements in the order listed below.

• Cover page (not included in page count). This consists of a project title, list of PIs, requested budget, anticipated start date, project duration, and project abstract (150 words max).
• Background (approximately 0.5 page). Explain the target research questions and problems and the significance in the realm of energy and the environment.
• Objectives and approach (approximately 2 pages). Describe the research objectives, general plan of work, preliminary findings, and methods to be used.
• Expected outcomes and future plans (approximately 0.5 page). Explain the key expected outcomes, how they will advance knowledge or otherwise address the target problem, and outline future directions for the research (particularly how it might grow collaborations and interdisciplinarity and lead to potential external research awards).
• References (not included in page count).
• Budget rationale (not included in page count). State the amount of funds requested and provide an explanation of how the funds would be spent. If awarded, a budget and budget justification will be required.

CONVERGENCE PROJECTS: The total proposal length for convergence projects should not exceed four (4) pages excluding the cover page, references, and budget rationale. Proposals must include the section elements in the order listed below.

• Cover page (not included in page count). This consists of a project title, list of PIs, requested budget, anticipated start date, project duration, and project abstract (150 words max).
• Background (approximately 0.5 page). Explain the target research questions and problems and the significance in the realm of energy and the environment.
• Objectives and approach (approximately 2 pages). Describe the research objectives, general plan of work, preliminary findings, and methods to be used.
• Team members’ expertise and roles (approximately 0.5 page). Describe the investigators expertise, their project roles, and how they will collaborate.
• Expected outcomes (approximately 0.5 page). Explain the key expected research and other outcomes, noting how they will advance knowledge or otherwise address the target problem.
• Future plans (approximately 0.5 page). Outline plans for project growth towards large external proposals, noting team building efforts that will be pursued during the project, specific funding opportunities of interest, and how the efforts would complement those of existing centers (if any) in the U.S.
• References (not included in page count).
• Budget rationale (not included in page count). State the amount of funds requested and provide a brief explanation of how the requested funds would be spent. If awarded, a budget and budget justification will be required.

Proposal Evaluation

Both Seed and Convergence projects will be peer reviewed by the following criteria:

1. To what extent does the project suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts in the realm of energy and the environment?
2. Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale?
3. Are the expected outcomes reasonable, and would they constitute notable progress towards addressing the stated target problem?

Seed projects will be evaluated by the additional criterion:

• Are the plans for future directions logical and compelling with regard to research thrusts and paths for growing interdisciplinarity?

Convergence projects will be evaluated by the additional criteria:

• Is the team well-structured with respect to expertise and interdisciplinaity?
• Are the plans for future growth logical with regard to (a) building a multi-pronged research effort, (b) assembling an interdisciplinary team, and (c) prepare the team to compete for large center level proposals from funding agencies?

Proposal Submission

Proposals should be submitted through InfoReady using the following link:

https://princeton.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/1940881

Eligiblity

Only full-time Princeton faculty or senior research scholars are eligible to serve as a PI or co-PI. Researchers who have received a Convergence award from the previous two cycles of this program are ineligible to serve as PI but may serve as a co-PI. Investigators who have previously received grants from the Andlinger Center must be up-to-date with report submissions before submitting a proposal in response to this call. All things being equal, preference will be given to proposals submitted by PIs who are not currently receiving funding from either the Andlinger Center’s Fund for Energy Research with Corporate Partners or the Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows Programs.

Requirements for funded projects

• Reports: For all projects, a summary report will be due at the conclusion of the funding term. For multi-year projects, a progress report will be due at the end of year one. Report requirements will be communicated to PIs of awarded projects.
• Participation in Andlinger Center annual meeting: During or soon after the award period, the PI and relevant team members will be invited to present the research results in a poster or panel session at an appropriate Andlinger Center event.

Prospective PIs who are interested in submitting a proposal are requested to send an email of intent briefly describing the project idea and listing the PI and co-PIs by September 9, 2024, to the Andlinger Center’s assistant director for research, Charlie Sharpless (csharpless@princeton.edu). Sharpless is available to answer general or technical questions, and provide guidance on topic selection or research strategy.