Funding Opportunities
A curated list of funding opportunities in a variety academic disciplines working on climate change.
Penn Opportunities
Penn Climate Innovation Seed Grants
Penn Climate is excited to announce an open call for proposals for the Climate Solutions Hub Innovation Seed Grants, which will fund up to two $400,000, multidisciplinary, research-focused projects to create climate solutions by leveraging Penn’s existing strengths. These seed grants will engender creativity and collaboration across Penn and support initiatives that are poised to launch into longer-term, sustainable efforts.
Deadline: LOI – June 30
PPA Renewable Energy Research Grant
Supporting proposals for research and workforce development projects, funded by the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between the University of Pennsylvania and energy company AES. (Applications are closed for 2026.)
External Grants and Prizes
Penn Climate shares the following opportunities as a service to our community. We are not involved in the review or selection of proposals, and cannot offer specific information about any of these grants.
Ending Wasted Food in a Generation
Opportunity to deploy and scale climate technologies.
Average grant size: $300,000 USD
Deadline: September 1, 5:00 p.m. ET
IGNIITE 2026 - ARPA-E
Inspiring Generations of New Innovators to Impact Technologies in Energy 2026 (IGNIITE 2026) empowers early-career innovators to turn bold, unconventional ideas into transformative energy technologies. The program advances solutions across the energy spectrum, with focus areas including supply chain security (critical minerals), advanced nuclear (fusion and fission), geothermal, grid resilience, and American manufacturing competitiveness.
Individual Award Amount: Up to $500,000
Deadline: May 29, 9:30 am
AI-Ready America-NSF
Solicitation for state/territory coordination hubs to expand AI knowledge, tools, training, and capacity so that everyone can participate and benefit from the AI economy. The goal is to expand AI education beyond the classroom. Coordination hubs’ role is mainly to connect and amplify rather than develop curriculum.
Amount: up to $1,000, 000 USD for 3 years
Deadline: LOI June 16
Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants – Burroughs Wellcome Fund
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund aims to stimulate the growth of new connections between thinkers working in largely disconnected fields, who, together, may change the course of climate change’s impact on human health.
Deadlines for upcoming cycle: July 23
Frontiers Planet Prize – 5th Edition
Penn Climate invites researchers to submit their most innovative and impactful work for consideration of the Frontiers Planet Prize 5th Edition—one of the world’s leading awards for breakthrough research on planetary boundaries. As a registered National Nomination Body for the Frontiers Research Foundation, Penn may nominate three outstanding research publications to the National Academy of Sciences. Selected nominees will represent Penn at the national competition.
Deadline: September 30, 2026
NSF-DFG Lead Agency Opportunity on Collaborative Research on Climate Change (NSF-DFG GEO)
US-German collaborations are invited to submit joint proposals in the areas covered by NSF/GEO participating programmes (see NSF Dear Colleague Letter NSF 23-113) and the DFG’s review boards (Fachkollegien) 313, 314, 315, 316, 317-01, and 318 of the DFG’s subject classification. The proposals must focus on research on climate change and provide a clear rationale for the need for a US-German collaboration, including the unique expertise and synergy that the collaborating groups will bring to the project.
Deadline: Continuous enrolling
Penn Climate is pleased to share these funding opportunitites from groups within Penn and a curated list of government and foundation grants that may be of interest to the Penn community working in climate and the environment.
If your organization has any grant or funding opportunities that you would like to have posted on this page, please send details including eligibility requirements and deadlines with “Funding Opportunity to Share” in the subject line.