The University of Chicago’s Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) is pleased to invite proposals for Seed Grants and Faculty Research Grants. CSEi Grants will be awarded twice a year by the CSEi Executive Committee, based on research merit and anticipated contribution to building the climate systems engineering research cluster.

The goal of CSEi is to advance understanding of the benefits, risks, and governance of technologies that might reduce the impacts of accumulated greenhouse gases, and to educate students who will face the challenges of managing industrial civilization on a fragile planet. We invite research proposals that address CSEi’s topical scope of open-system carbon removal, sunlight reflection methods (SRM), and interventions to limit loss of glacial ice, including the human and social dimensions, policy, ethics, and governance of these technologies.

We welcome research from across fields including the sciences, humanities, social sciences, public policy, law, and other fields. Grants can support any research activities permitted under UChicago policies, including the hiring of research staff, retention of consultants and contractors, purchase of data, laboratory equipment and supplies, travel, etc. CSEi will provide support for administration, programming, communications, and further fundraising.

Seed Grants

Seed grants are intended to ignite new areas of investigation and applicants need not have prior experience with climate systems engineering. It is anticipated that Seed Grant awards will be made for a maximum of $150,000, with a performance period of one year or less.

Faculty Research Grants

Faculty Research Grants are intended to make a significant contribution to the field of climate systems engineering. We seek ambitious, collaborative projects with the potential to answer important questions that will advance the field. It is anticipated that Faculty Research Grant awards will be made for $150,000-$500,000 per year, with a performance period of 1-3 years.

Eligibility

All UChicago tenure-line faculty, academics, and staff with PI status are eligible to apply. Only one application per PI per cycle.

Selection Criteria

CSEi leadership and the Selection Committee will evaluate proposals according to a variety of criteria, including:

• Relevance to CSEi focus areas of open-systems carbon removal, sunlight reflection methods, and interventions to limit loss of glacial ice.
• Intellectual merit
• New work
• Collaborative work, particularly new cross-disciplinary collaborations.
• Possibility of growth and future funding

Key Dates

Grants will be awarded twice per year, for projects starting as soon as the next quarter and as late as the next fiscal year. Deadlines for the autumn 2025 application cycle are as follows:

• 13th October 2025 – Letter of Intent deadline
• 13th November 2025– Invitation to submit full proposals
• 12th December 2025– Proposal deadline
• 26 January 2026– Announcement of grant awards

Please be on the lookout for an announcement regarding key dates for winter/spring 2026 application cycle.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should respond by the application deadline by emailing all materials to info-csei@uchicago.edu. The application should include:

• CVs of PI, co-investigators, and other relevant personnel.
• Project title and letter of Intent, of no more than 250 words for a seed grant and 500 words for a faculty grant, outlining the idea and its relevance for CSEi.
• Letters will be reviewed by CSEi leadership, and the most promising projects will be invited to submit full proposals by a secondary deadline.

Terms and Conditions

• Across both seed and research grant programs, individuals may participate in a maximum of two letters of intent per cycle, only one of which may be as PI.
• Progress reporting: Submit a 200–500-word summary of your findings and financial report at the end of each academic year throughout the duration of the project.
• CSEi community: Grantees are expected to attend CSEi dinners and, to the best of your ability, actively engage in the life of the CSEi, via its events and activities.
• Publicity and outreach: Provide copies of, or links to, materials resulting from the supported project, such as reports, publications, photographs, or videos, for inclusion on the CSEi website. Policy and communications staff will work with researchers to disseminate research results as appropriate.
• Attribution: Presentations and publications intended for the public domain, including academic papers, policy briefs, press releases, blogs, and newsletters that emerge from projects should credit the CSEi. When appropriate, the CSEi logo should be included, subject to each prior approval.
• Co-funding and IP: Any anticipated external source of support for the proposed project or existing IP relevant to the proposed project must be declared at the time of full proposal submission. Associated Conflicts of Interest must also be reported.
• Awarded funds: Funding for selected proposals will be transferred to the PI’s home unit. PIs who receive awards will provide the name and email address of their University of Chicago department financial administrator. Award funding will be transferred by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth finance team to the Chart of Account (COA) segments provided by your financial administrator. Funds will be paid out according to the approved project budget and relevant project milestones set forth by the Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) team.
• Unspent funds must be returned at the close of a project unless written approval of an extension is granted.
• If your proposal and budget involve a portion of the award being allocated to external partners or entities to carry out part of the research, it is your responsibility to contact and coordinate with URA (University Research Administration) to establish an ORS (Other Research Services) agreement.
• If you plan to include summer salary in your proposal budget, you must first obtain approval from your unit Dean or Chair. Documentation of this approval should be secured prior to submission and be included in the proposal. Proposals that include summer salary without prior approval may be returned for revision or may not be accepted for review.
• If the award funds involve the acquisition of data, associated costs should be included in the budget and the University of Chicago and the data provider must enter into a Data Use Agreement (DUA) to acquire and access data for the research project. For questions about DUAs, contact your financial administrator.