Energy Innovation Awards

Eligible applicants should aim to submit their one-page applications in October for a period of performance beginning no earlier than December. Applications can be submitted by eligible faculty members (or students with an eligible faculty sponsor) via email to the Center Coordinator on a rolling basis. However, the selection committee meets around November to formally evaluate all applications received, so applications received between December and September with a period of performance during the same academic year may miss out. Contact the Center Coordinator by email: kelly_craig@uml.edu with any questions about CEI grants and for the application template.

Faculty may apply for multiple grants, but only one award per faculty member will be made during the current academic year. Award recipients will be expected to give a short impact report presentation to CEI Leadership sharing their outcomes at the end of the award period.

UMass Lowell (UML) faculty who are not currently participating in CEI research are invited to join our efforts and gain eligibility through research collaborations or by designating research investment funds (RIF) for energy-related projects to the Center for Energy Innovation. Please contact us to get involved with the center so that you can be eligible for future awards! We would love to collaborate with you.

Award selections will be made by a committee of CEI Leadership and senior faculty in the Center, with selections made each fall around November based on annual available funds. Any CEI leader or faculty member who applies for an internal grant for themselves or their student will not participate in that year's selection committee, and other senior faculty members will be invited to participate in the selection committee in their stead.

When evaluating grant applications, we align with UML's focus on student success, prioritizing student fellowships and paid research opportunities (though not to the exclusion of other application types). Priority will be given to support the recruitment of graduate students, especially Ph.D. students, and to support student retention through bridge funding if justifiable. When awarding grants that don't provide direct student support, we give priority to applications that would have the broadest impact on campus, benefit as many CEI members as possible, and/or support the successful proposal of larger grants from other funding sources. Would your internal award application be beneficial for multiple research proposals or projects? Would it support collaborative or interdisciplinary research efforts? Would it fill a need expressed by external collaborators or sponsors that would set UML researchers apart as desirable partners? All of these considerations influence the selection of awards.

Contact the Center Director by email: Christopher_Niezrecki@uml.edu with any questions about the mission-driven relevance of your proposal to the Center for Energy Innovation's goals.

1. Graduate Student Fellowships: To support the recruitment of incoming graduate student candidates, the CEI will offer fellowships to cover summer costs up to $17,500 per student. Support for retention of existing graduate students is also acceptable with justification. Preference will be given to Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) candidates. A Fellowship will cover the summer following their first semester as a Master of Science (M.S.) or Ph.D. student at UML. Justification needs to be provided regarding why the student should receive financial support from the CEI. In addition to the one-page application, the candidate's Curriculum Vitae (CV) is required.
   
   
2. Undergraduate Research Fellowships: A Fellowship will cover a paid research experience (supervised by CEI Faculty) of up to $5,000 per academic year or $8,000 per summer. The Fellowship will support undergraduate students during their enrollment at UML for research relevant to the CEI's focus, mission and values. This is an especially beneficial opportunity for students who are interested in graduate programs at UML upon completion of their Bachelor's degree.
   
   
3. Seed Funding (Open to Faculty and Students): The CEI may choose to support project proposals between $5,000 and $17,000 for new, proof-of-concept ideas that would demonstrate feasibility for transformative research or innovation and would have a high likelihood of future funding, if successful. The research projects must be relevant to the CEI's core mission and values. Incremental research projects related to ongoing research or concepts are not desired. Applications must clearly describe the project objectives, the significance of the project's anticipated outcomes, and the potential for further funding and specific societal impacts in the future. A brief budget outline of how the funds will be used is required. Any students submitting a proposal should be advised by an eligible faculty member and should include their CV with the application.
   
   
4. Conference Travel (Open to Faculty and Grad Students): Applicants must clearly specify how attendance at a given conference will benefit the CEI broadly and expand UML's energy research enterprise. Funding requests for conference travel should be no more than $3,000 per trip. Support for presenting prior research results that does not lead to future collaborative opportunities or proposals will not be supported.
   
   
5. Travel to Meet New Collaborators and Funding Agencies: These proposals should lead to strategic partnerships in support of funding pursuits. Examples include but are not limited to: team building for multi-university center-level grants, establishing collaboration with potential industry partners, or visits with funding agencies and program managers. Applications should specify the expected outcomes resulting from the proposed travel.
   
   
6. Equipment Purchase Support: Funds may be made available to assist with research equipment purchases on a case-by-case basis. The equipment requested must be leveraged by multiple faculty, not just a single investigator. The application must describe the equipment and its functions, the need for the equipment, and how it will be utilized in research by multiple faculty to contribute toward the CEI's goals. Equipment purchases with cost-sharing will be considered more readily than wholesale equipment purchase requests. Please discuss details with the CEI Director prior to the submission of any equipment request applications.
   
   

While the CEI Grants are not the only internal seed funding awards available at UML, ours are uniquely targeted towards achieving the center's mission to create sustainable energy solutions. The CEI's internal seed funds are intended to build the foundation, literature, and proof-of-concept to justify larger future research projects. If you have an idea for a novel research project that would fuel energy innovation, you can find your professor(s) among our eligible Research Faculty and connect with them to see if they would be willing to sponsor your application and serve as Principal Investigator for the project.