Mechanisms of light harvesting and light-induced charge separation; photosynthesis; organic semiconductors; bioinspiration (learning from novelties in nature), chemistry powered by light, quantum effects in molecular-level function

Interfacial modifiers in organic photovoltaics; interface chemistry; surface modification of polymer or inorganic conductor or semiconductor surfaces as a means to enhance performance of devices as diverse as diodes, organic transistors, or biosensors; strong interfaces between implant or tissue scaffold surfaces and biomolecules in the context of enhancing tissue integration with a prosthetic device

Simulations of materials, interfaces, and processes in photo- and electro-catalysis

Behavioral interventions; reasoning, judgment, and decision-making, and issues related to behavioral economics, with an emphasis on descriptive studies of how people make judgments and decisions in situations of conflict and uncertainty

Earth’s environmental history; interactions among climate, ocean biogeochemistry, and atmospheric carbon dioxide; the global nitrogen cycle, today and in the past

Mathematical methods for the localized analysis of scalar and vectorial satellite data, monitoring of ice sheets from time-variable gravity, statistical analysis of multivariate multidimensional stochastic fields, inverse modeling for global and exploration seismology, and design of autonomously floating multi-sensor oceanic platforms.

Energy-efficient software in cloud computing and large-scale computing

Game-theoretic models of energy and emissions markets, with emphasis on policy implications; economics of exhaustible resources, including modeling of shifts in energy markets toward intermittent alternative sources such as solar and wind technologies; dynamic models to help design incentives for greener fuel production; financialization of energy and commodities markets; risk quantification of electricity grids under increased stochasticity from renewables penetration.

Urban environments, hydrology and meteorology; extreme floods, including the impact of urban environments, environmental sensor systems