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Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi)

Advancing our understanding of the potential benefits and risks of climate systems engineering.

About the Climate Systems Engineering initiative

The University of Chicago is working to better understand the science, technology, and public policy of Climate Systems Engineering and to educate students who will inform how society navigates a warming planet in the years ahead.

Leadership

CSEi has an executive committee that reports to the University’s provost and oversees faculty recruitment, budget, engagement, and long-term planning. The committee is led by Geophysical Sciences Professor David Keith.

View of the University of Chicago campus

Faculty Jobs

The University is building CSEi into a world-leading initiative with multiple faculty hires researching sunlight reflection methods (SRM), open-system carbon removal, and interventions to limit loss of glacial ice.

CSEi Research Fellows Program

CSEi is pleased to announce the second year of the Postdoctoral Research Fellows Program, and invites top early-career scholars from across fields to join in advancing our mission of understanding the benefits, risks, and governance of technologies that might reduce the impacts of accumulated greenhouse gases. The application window for the 2026-2028 cohort of CSEi Research Fellows is now open through November 18, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET.

aerial view of the University of Chicago campus

Faculty Grants: Request for Proposals

CSEi is pleased to invite letters of intent from all UChicago tenure-line faculty, academics, and staff with PI status for Seed Grants and Faculty Research Grants. Seed Grants are designed to ignite new areas of investigation, while Faculty Research Grants are intended to make a significant contribution to the field of climate systems engineering. Letters of intent for the Winter/Spring application cycle are due February 3, 2026.

Latest News

News·Oct 23, 2025

CSEi Launches Inaugural Undergraduate Student Essay Contest

The Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) at the University of Chicago invites all undergraduate students in the college to take part in its inaugural CSEi Student Essay Contest. The contest asks one question: Should humanity deliberately deploy aerosols in the...

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News·Sep 29, 2025

CSEi Welcomes its Inaugural Cohort of Research Fellows

The 2025–2027 cohort brings together six leading early-career researchers from diverse fields to explore and evaluate climate interventions aimed at reducing the risks of a warming planet.

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News·Sep 8, 2025

The Arthur H. Compton Lecture Series Presents an Intro to Climate Systems Engineering

via The University of Chicago Physical Sciences Division

A series of free public talks will examine the science, technologies, and policy implications behind large-scale interventions such as sunlight reflection methods (SRM), open-systems carbon removal, and glacial preservation.

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