Precourt Institute for Energy Seed Grants
The Precourt Institute invites proposals for seed funding of projects that, if successful, could equip investigators to obtain funding for follow-on research from other sources. Such projects inevitably involve risk; the evaluation of the proposals will attempt to balance the risk and potential impacts of a successful project. This research funding is intended to encourage faculty to move into interdisciplinary energy research that is a departure from ongoing work in their research groups.
This call from the Precourt Institute includes the Bits & Watts initiative, and the Sustainable Finance Initiative. Topic areas of interest and within each call are:
I. Precourt Institute for Energy
- Game-changing Energy Concepts
- Access to Affordable and Clean Energy for Developing Economies
- Global Carbon Management
- Innovations in Public Policy
- Pre-seed Idea Development (funding for up to $75,000 for one year).
II. Bits & Watts
- Reliability and Safety of the Electric Grid
- Electric Mobility.
III. Sustainable Finance Initiative
- Risk Metrics and Management
- Stranded Assets
- Restructuring Legacy Systems.
For more details on topic areas and to submit your letter of intent, click here.
- energy research
- departure from ongoing work in your research group
- interdisciplinary research
- equip investigators to obtain funding for follow-on research from other sources
Stanford faculty
Participate in the annual Precourt seed projects workshop in the Fall (October 2, 2019). Submit to annual and interim reports on your work that summarize research findings, publications, etc.
The source of funding is gift funds; therefore, no project may charge indirect costs, even if non-Stanford investigators would complete some part of the project. The budget should include direct costs plus the university infrastructure burden of 8%. Awarded projects will be funded through a newly created and designated PTA(s) less the 8% infrastructure charge; the infrastructure charge for the award will be paid directly by The Precourt Institute. Budgets should identify the level of effort committed to the project. Principal Investigator (PI) effort is not required on University Research awards. Follow-up funding in subsequent years is not anticipated.
