Research Collaboration Fund Call for Proposals 2026

For 2026, the UGPN is calling for proposals that:

• Advance clean and reliable energy solutions
• Develop interdisciplinary research collaborations
• Address at least two SDGs
• Engage early career faculty

Clean and reliable energy solutions are critical to protecting human health, mitigating climate change and ensuring long-term energy security and economic stability. The 2026 RCF call will focus on innovative and sustainable energy solutions. Thematic priorities include, but are not limited to:

• • • Next generation energy sources: Creating innovative, scalable technologies capable of significantly reducing carbon emissions. Examples include advanced renewables such as bioenergy, geothermal, green hydrogen, hydropower, nuclear, solar or wind.
    • Energy storage and the built environment: Addressing needs for greater energy storage capacity and more efficient management of intermittent energy sources over extended periods of time. Includes the development of smart grid technologies, cyber-secure energy networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for clean energy systems and demand-side response. May also include solutions for carbon capture or reduction within the built environment. Examples include ultra-efficient building materials, integrated smart energy management systems, low-carbon heating/cooling technologies or charging infrastructure for electric transport.
    • Energy access and policy: Expanding access to affordable and reliable clean energy for communities around the world. Examples include improvements in regulatory structures, economic models, governance and public policy.