The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth is proud to award 18 grants to University of Chicago faculty generating the next big climate ideas and breaking down traditional academic boundaries across the University. With backgrounds in chemistry, economics, biological sciences, computer science, psychology, and more, the researchers will use their diversity of expertise to tackle the multilayered global climate and growth challenge.
The winning projects were chosen through a competitive process that drew applications from across the University of Chicago, including experts in other fields applying their knowledge and fresh perspective to the climate challenge for the first time. The awardees are part of two main funding programs—the Venture Fund and Seed Fund. The Seed Fund supports early-stage research with the potential to advance society’s understanding of the climate and growth challenge. The Venture Fund supports more advanced projects that demonstrate the capacity to scale into larger enterprises that produce solutions.
“Solutions to the climate and growth challenge will require ideas from all over. The Institute is using the Venture and Seed Funds to unleash an all of University of Chicago effort to find the solutions that the world urgently needs,” says Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth. “The creativity and innovativeness of these projects reflects what makes the University so special as they pursue ideas wherever they lead. We’re looking forward to working with the winners to share their insights with the world and to help them make the needed connections to scale their ideas into solutions that can be put to work.”
The Center for Organic Battery Innovation (COBI) was awarded a Venture Fund grant to develop next-generation batteries that are safer, more sustainable, and free from difficult-to-source critical minerals. This collaborative project with Argonne National Laboratory brings together experts in chemistry, engineering, computer science, and business to accelerate the commercialization of organic, recyclable battery technology. The team is also partnering with industry through the Energy Transition Network, which connects researchers with both startups and established companies to support product development and build a talent pipeline.
Seventeen of the winners received grants from the Seed Fund program, including four doctoral recipients—providing key support for the next generation of researchers.