The CoLab program catalyzes novel interdisciplinary pan-University collaborations focused on climate change research with high potential for societal impact. The program facilitates the interdisciplinary connections needed to form sustainable research and multi-sector collaborations that serve the public good. Two Colabs will be funded each year.
Program Goals
CoLab Grants are designed to:
- Support research teams across two or more disciplinary strengths (i.e. draws knowledge from different fields of study within a single department or between departments)
- Advance a new conceptual area of work of an existing team or establishment of a new team
- Support projects with strong potential for external funding
- Advance UVA’s 2030 Strategic Plan priorities for environmental resilience and sustainability
Areas of Focus
The CoLab Grant program welcomes all interdisciplinary proposals that align with the mission of the Environmental Institute and represent opportunities for high-impact, solutions-driven research.
In this cycle, we encourage submissions in two research areas that reflect faculty momentum in the current Research Interest Groups.
Energy + Infrastructure: projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions across sectors, including but not limited to, renewable energy technologies, nature-based climate solutions, sustainable infrastructure, bioeconomy and low-carbon materials, negative emissions strategies, and behavioral approaches to climate action.
Environment + AI: projects that explore how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to address climate challenges, including but not limited to leveraging AI for data-informed solutions to reduce climate risk, and investigating the environmental, social, and ethical impacts of AI itself.
Funding Details
- Award Amount: Up to $100,000
- Project Duration: 2 years. A one-year no cost extension may be considered upon written request, with justification that includes an updated budget and work plan.
- Support: EI staff are available to help with team building, project design, and external grant proposal development
Application Deadlines
- May 16, 2025 (Funding begins July 1, 2025)
- October 17, 2025 (Funding begins January 1, 2026)
What Can Be Funded?
- Equipment, materials, websites, and computer time
- Meetings
- Graduate or undergraduate student stipends,
- Travel for stakeholder collaborations
- Up to 1 month of salary per year for 9- or 12-month Teaching Faculty and 2 months per year for Research Faculty
University Policy Compliance: All use of funds must follow UVA policy. Awardees must ensure compliance with university financial, conflict of interest, and research conduct policies—including any necessary approvals (e.g., IRB, IACUC, biosafety). Use of funds for sub-awards or contracts must follow institutional guidelines and may require prior approval.
Who Can Apply?
- Full-time, PI-eligible UVA faculty
- Projects must be interdisciplinary
How Proposals Are Reviewed
All proposals are reviewed by Environmental Institute leadership and external faculty advisors. Recommendations are made to the director of the Institute within two weeks of each submission deadline.
Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Has potential for societal impact; Articulates a pathway for connecting findings of the proposed research to an actionable solution. This could involve partnerships with external stakeholders (e.g., government agencies, non-profit organizations, industry, community organizations and more) that lead to policy interventions, management applications, market incentives, technological innovations, or individual behavior changes.
- Has likelihood that the proposed activity will lead to external funding; listing specific sources of funding for which the project would be competitive. This could include federal agencies, state funding sources, industry, foundations or private philanthropy.
- Includes a clear plan to build interdisciplinary collaborations and, where appropriate, collaborations with external stakeholders. Describes the contributions of the disciplines into an integrated research plan, and how the collaborative team effort will enable novel research.
Expectations for Awardees
Awardees are expected to:
- Generate impactful results – such as publications, patents, or open datasets
- Apply for external funding to continue the work
- Share outcomes broadly through newsletters, websites, white papers, and policy briefs
- Translate findings into action with agencies, NGOs, industry, and community stakeholders
- Build UVA’s research community through events, mentorship, and inclusive collaboration
- Acknowledge the Environmental Institute in all presentations or publications resulting from the award
- Email updates on outcomes (e.g., accepted publications, awards, invited talks, op-eds) to:
- Allison Carter – EI Communications Director (alb3v@virginia.edu)
- Jonah Fogel – Program Manager (jf3ku@virginia.edu)
- Submit a mid-term report and annual reports for a period of three years after the grant period
These reports help the Institute evaluate the success of the program and communicate its value to internal and external stakeholders. Tracking outcomes ensures the Environmental Institute can continue to invest in collaborative, high-impact research.
How to Apply
Submit a single PDF that includes:
- Project title and abstract (max ½ page)
- Research focus and alignment with EI priorities
- Project team qualifications describing what puts it in a strong position to make progress on its stated goals. Note any expected student involvement.
- Project description – goals, merit, research plan, and anticipated timeline.
- Plans for seeking external funding
- Detailed budget (table format) and justification presenting compensation, equipment, travel, participant support and ‘other’ direct costs
- Two-page CVs for PIs and co-PIs
- Proposals are limited to 3 pages (excluding references and CVs)
- Applicants are encouraged to note any use of generative AI in the proposal and describe how it was used. [The Institute follows UVA guidance on AI attribution.]
Questions?
Please contact Jonah Fogel (jfogel@virginia.edu), Program Manager, with questions.