Prairie Research Institute – Center for Digital Agriculture Joint Research Program (PRI-CDA)
The Prairie Research Institute (PRI) and The Center for Digital Agriculture (CDA) are embarking on a new partnership by creating a joint Research Program. This is an exciting opportunity to unite the Prairie Research Institutes’ scientific expertise in geology, ecology & biodiversity, archaeology, hydrology and water, weather and climate, pollution prevention, and sustainable energy with the agricultural and digital focus of the Center for Digital Agriculture.
The goal of this request for proposals is to connect PRI and CDA researchers by providing the funding needed to allow these teams to begin to work together to find innovative solutions for important societal challenges. The proposed research should work toward solutions using AI/ML or other digital technologies to enhance agriculture sustainability. This could include but is not limited to improving the operational efficiency of systems, gathering information (estimating land use, crop type, predicting flood risk, etc), forecasting (energy demand, etc), tools for speeding up simulations (emulating parts of climate models, etc), and accelerating scientific discovery.
Funding: $30,000
Award Duration: 1 year
Open Date: February 6, 2024
Due Date: March 15 at 5PM CST
Program Contact: Brian Pianfetti, PRI Associate Director for Research (bpianfet@illinois.edu)
Strategic Research Initiative (SRI)-Prairie Research Institute (PRI) Joint Sustainability Engineering Program
The Grainger College of Engineering SRI program provides funding for faculty teams to move forward with multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary, convergence research leading to large-scale, multi-investigator centers and institutes. These centers and institutes will continue Illinois’ world-renowned research that historically impacts engineering, science, and society.
Joint funding and support from Grainger Engineering and PRI for this Joint SRI will promote cross-institution collaboration among researchers to help PIs and Co-PIs embark on larger-scale efforts, resulting in substantial federal, industrial, or other external support.
Funding: $75,000
Award Duration: Phase I – 1 year
Open Date: Next Cohort Fall 2024
Due Date: Closed- FY25 call will be released Fall 2024
Program Contact: Don Takehara, Grainger Engineering Director for Research (dtakehar@illinois.edu)
Center for Advanced Climate Solutions
Joint Climate Solutions Research Program
The goal of this request for proposals is to spark new interdisciplinary collaborations across campus departments and institutes by providing seed funding for innovative and cross-cutting climate solutions. These initiatives will be focused on enabling advances in climate solutions, creating opportunities for students and postdoctoral researchers to combine fundamental research with real-world problems, and developing partnerships and pathways to implementation. Projects are expected to address climate solutions in at least one of four CACS priority areas:
- Preparing for and responding to climate hazards
- Climate resilience in urban and peri-urban environments
- Climate change and OneHealth (human health aspect)
- Decarbonizing the economy
Funding amount: $100,000 (4 awards)
Award Duration: 2 years
Due Date: Closed- FY25 call will be released Fall 2024
Program Contact: Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist (twford@illinois.edu)
Sustainability Engineering Joint Research Program
This request for proposals aims to develop a shared research environment connecting PRI and The Grainger College of Engineering researchers by providing necessary funding for these teams to work collaboratively to find innovative solutions for important societal challenges. These initiatives will focus on enabling advances in science and engineering, creating opportunities for students and postdoctoral researchers to combine active research with solving real-world problems and developing partnerships and pathways to implementation.
Funding amount: $100,000 (5–6 awards)
Award Duration: 2 years
Open Date: Cohort 2 round will be opened 10/24
Due Date: Closed – FY25 call will be released summer 2024
Program Contact: Brian Pianfetti, PRI Associate Director of Research (bpianfet@illinois.edu)