Proposals are now being accepted for the Institute of Energy and the Environment's (IEE) 2027 Seed Grant Program. All proposals must align with at least one of IEE's five research themes: Climate and Natural Systems, Health and the Environment, Integrated Energy Systems, Equitable Communities and the Built Environment or Water Sustainability.
Special consideration will be given to proposals addressing at least one of IEE's strategic areas of emphasis:
- Energy storage systems applicable at electrical grid scale
- Critical minerals separations through sustainable processes
- Sustainable infrastructure and the impacts of climate and development in the Arctic
The deadline for proposal submission is 5 p.m. EST on Dec. 14, 2026, and all proposals must be submitted through InfoReady.
The program is open to Penn State faculty members, including tenured, tenure-track and fixed-term faculty, who hold an appointment of half-time or more at any Penn State campus. New teams of investigators will receive preference over those that have previously received an IEE seed grant.
The IEE Seed Grant Program helps Penn State faculty develop interdisciplinary research teams, pursue innovative basic and applied research, and position collaborative projects to successfully compete for external funding. The program supports high-risk, proof-of-concept research and critical activities or equipment that can help researchers advance promising ideas. Funding of up to $40,000 is available for collaborative projects involving multiple colleges at University Park or multiple Penn State campuses.
Since 2016, the IEE Seed Grant Program has consistently resulted in projects that have gone on to obtain external funding. The return on investment for the program is currently at 19:1 or $19 in external funding for every dollar invested by IEE with more than $100 million in related external funding.
