15th Call for Proposals
Submission Deadline : January 31, 2024
Awards Announcement: June 15, 2024
Scheduled Project Start Date: July 1, 2024
Click on the image to submit your proposal
The MI seeks proposals for research on the energy challenges and major transitions in energy systems posed by climate change. Globally, researchers have a role to play in advancing affordable, resilient, and equitable solutions that can bring every sector of the developed and developing economies to net-zero carbon emissions. MI is committed to resilient decarbonization of the various sectors of the economy, including but not limited to energy (generation, services, and storage), building services and construction, transport, industrial, and waste. Through seed grant funding, MI supports faculty research that uses existing or deploys new tools of inquiry in science, computations, technology, economics, and policy to enable the transition of the society to carbon-free activities that promote the health and wellbeing of people. Proposals are sought for advancing human-centered, innovative, and sustainable solutions, technologies, and systems in response to the posed decarbonization challenge in the energy and other sectors.
Research collaboration and exchange of experiences with other societal actors of relevance to the project (such as other research teams, companies, civic society, etc.) who may contribute to ensuring the relevance of the project results and to realizing the potential of the project to contribute to the transition to a sustainable decarbonized sector or area are considered a strength in the project evaluation.
The MI promotes implementing innovations in clean energy generation as well as smart and energy efficient heating and cooling systems, with the aim of using AUB as testing ground for technological solutions that reduce carbon emissions. Therefore, in the present call, projects that demonstrate direct applicability as showcases within the AUB campus for transitioning to net-zero emissions are given priority, with the potential for replication and scalability in other communities.
These projects fall under the Masri Institute priority areas:
- Alternative energy and energy efficiency
- Water and mineral resources
- Energy management and resource planning
- Policy research, legislation development, and technology need assessment
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.
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.
Pay to Ph.D. students and RA’s would be in fresh USD.
- Purchase of needed supplies/minor equipment using external funds rates as per University regulations.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Faculty members are required to adhere to the following guidelines when submitting their grant applications:
- Project title
- Background, problem statement and justification
- Objectives of the research
- Research methods
- Expected results and explanation of how the research meets the objectives of the Masri Institute.
- Tentative schedule and budget. Note that multi-year long term projects are equally encouraged.
- Principal Investigator (PI) and study team information on expertise and previous work in the proposed research area for each member of the core research team
- Two-page CVs of PI and team members
All proposals must be received at MI online submission system by 5:00 PM, January 31, 2024. 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 such as Farouk Jabre Interfaculty Grants, Collaborative Research Stimulus, URB Grants, MPP Grants, etc. 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, 2024 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, 2025.