16th Call for Proposals
Submission Deadline : January 31, 2025
Awards Announcement: June 15, 2025
Scheduled Project Start Date: July 1, 2025
Click on the image to submit your proposal
The MI seeks project proposals that strive to make transformational impact towards a smarter and more sustainable AUB campus through innovative solutions in coordination with campus units for implementations. Projects towards realizing a Carbon Negative Campus are sought under the following themes:
- AI for energy sustainability
- Clean energy generation and storage
- Innovative and smart solutions in utilization of buildings and outdoor spaces towards net-zero
- Sustainable waste and waste-water management
The MI supports the development and implementation of innovative technologies that can lead to significant reduction in carbon emissions in AUB campus addressing clean energy generation, smart and energy efficient heating and cooling systems, and reduced waste. Therefore, in the present call, projects that demonstrate direct applicability as showcases within the AUB campus for transitioning to net-zero and net-negative emissions are given priority, with the potential for replication and scalability in other communities.
ELIGIBILITY & GRANT RULES
Full-time faculty members at any regular professorial rank (assistant, associate, and full professors) are eligible to apply. Faculty members who are on a leave without pay for more than one semester during the grant's award period will not be eligible for funding. Visiting faculty members, faculty members in the non-professorial ranks, and faculty members in their terminal year at the University are not eligible for funding.
We seek diverse interdisciplinary
projects from all disciplines. Teaming up with an AUB non-academic relevant
unit for implementation of show cases at AUB are highly encouraged.
The funding is up to $50,000 of fresh USD over two years. The grant rules are as follows:
- Up to $10,000/year/project of fresh USD can be paid to project investigators as summer salary pay.
- Purchase of needed supplies/minor equipment using external funds rates as per university regulations
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Faculty members are required to adhere to the following guidelines when submitting their grant applications:
- Project Summary
- Project Management Plan including list of participants and AUB non-academic units (i.e., PPD, EHS&RM, facility units at faculty level & AUBMC) concerned with sustainability
- Motivation and Background
- Specific objectives and contributions
- Methodology
- Preliminary studies and results, as applicable
- Expected outcomes and Impact
- Budget
- Capacity building plan of how the Principal Investigator and their team (if applicable) will be enhancing the abilities of individuals, units, and systems towards Net-Zero campus
- Communication plan
All proposals must be received at MI online submission system by 5:00 PM, January 31, 2025. No exceptions or extensions will be granted.
Proposals should not have major overlap with previously funded projects, and should not be submitted to other funding sources at the same time including AUB internal funding sources. URB rules apply for acceptable budget items.
*Note that the proposal transmittal form should be completed and sent to OGC as per regular internal URB funding routing process.
REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
Proposals will be evaluated internally and externally based on scientific merit, originality and appropriateness of the intended objectives and methods proposed in the context of the current call.
Funded projects will commence on July 1, 2025 and will be required to submit an annual report to the institute email at masri-i@aub.edu.lb or upload on the website.
The funded research projects are expected to generate quality publications that should acknowledge the support from the Munib and Angela Masri Institute of Energy and Natural Resources
Renewal of funding will depend on the research progress. Progress report is to be submitted before June 15, 2026.