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Find similar grantsEnergy Seed Grant Program is sponsored by Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI²). Supports the translation of university energy research into new clean energy companies in Maryland.
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Energy Seed Grant | Maryland Energy Innovation Institute "I’m impressed with the breadth of cutting-edge research MEI2 is involved in and the partnerships it has established in clean energy innovation both in Maryland and globally. MEI2 has proven to be a sound investment for Maryland and I look forward to continuing our partnership in advancing our clean energy economy.
- Maryland State Delegate Lily Qi Energy Seed Grant Program The Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI 2 ) is focused on translating university energy research into new clean energy companies in the State of Maryland and thus simultaneously benefiting our environment and creating high paying jobs to help our State economy.
The MEI 2 energy seed grant program to bridge the gap between academic transformative laboratory research results and prototype demonstrations to obtain investor interest. The annual call supports multiple seed grant awards with a maximum award ceiling of $100,000 USD as well as potential Phase 2 awards with a maximum ceiling of $200,000 USD for those projects that received a prior seed grant.
Applications for FY26 will be accepted beginning September 1, 2025 . Click here for the full application. The deadline is November 30, 2025 .
The Maryland Energy Innovation Institute is also accepting applications for the Energy Bridge Fund . Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will require a different process. Awards will be distributed on a rolling basis and dependent upon receipt of the non-dilutive funding.
Should a recipient not receive the follow-on funding, the award funds will remain with the MEI 2 Investment Committee to be redistributed. Funds may be used as operating funds while waiting for the non-dilutive funded project to begin. An annual progress report should be provided to the MEI 2 Investment Committee.
These awards are meant to provide and support companies that: (a) need cost share for federal or state proposals/awards; (b) need operating funds for work and payment prior to receiving their award funding. For more information, see below. MEI 2 Energy Seed Grant FAQ (as of January 2026) 42 Seed Grants Awarded (34 Phase I; 9 Phase II) Total Funding Awarded by MEI 2 : $4,235,500.
00 Economic Development by the Numbers with MEIA (as of August 2025): 291 F/T and P/T Jobs created $98. 9M Private Investments Eligibility : All full-time tenure-track or professional track faculty members at any higher education institution with graduate program(s) and relevance to energy technology within the state of Maryland or Maryland based companies affiliated with and commercializing inventions created by those faculty.
Program Focus: The intent of the program is to foster commercialization by translating energy research into a prototype device or process through technology development, creation and/or advancement of university start-up companies within the state of Maryland. Expectations: The project should advance energy technology and economic growth in Maryland.
The device or process should have appropriate intellectual property protection (invention disclosure, patent application, or patent) filed with the applicant institution. At the end of one year, a report that describes work done and includes a plan for the next steps toward commercialization will be the final deliverable for the project.
The plan should include: 1) clear assessment of technical readiness (including ultimate cost and scalability) of the product; 2) a survey of potential customers for the product; and 3) a strategy for next steps in financing the plan. Review: Funding for the seed grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. The MEI 2 Investment Committee will review and select proposed projects.
Applicants should not expect detailed written critiques of their proposals. Proposals will be reviewed for: 1) innovation and technical merit, 2) the likelihood of attracting follow-on funding, and 3) potential for commercialization.
Renewable Electricity-Based Ultrahigh-Temperature Plasma Heating for Rapid, Continuous Manufacturing of Graphite and Carbon Allotropes from Needle Coke and Plastic Waste (Phase II); Lead PI: Hamideh Soltani; Partnering Company: US Plasma Scalable Air-Sinterable Copper Ink for Printable Electronics (Phase II) ; Lead PI: Shenqiang Ren, Partnering Company: NewCopper LLC Development of Industrial Rare-Earth Separations using a Ditopic Ligand ; Lead PI: Mercedes Taylor; Partnering Company: TBD Novel Air-Cooled Heat Exchanger for Energy-Intensive Processes Cooling ; Lead PI: Michael Ohadi; Partnering Company: TBD Commercializing a High-Resolution Soil Moisture Intelligence System for Energy-Efficient Irrigation ; Lead PI: Mehdi Hosseini; Partnering Company: TBD High Temperature Shock Catalysts Reducing Methane Emissions ; Lead PI: Yunhui Gong, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: High-T Tech Reversible Electroadhesion as an Enabler for Sustainable Battery Use: Enabling the Recycling and Reuse of Li-ion Battery Packs ; Lead PI: Paul Albertus and Srini Raghavan, University of Maryland College Park Wood Vault as a Negative Emissions Technology ; Lead PI: Neng Zeng, University of Maryland College Park Validation of Universal 15-Minute Rapid-Full Charge Battery Technology ; Lead PI: Chunsheng Wang, University of Maryland College Park Low-cost Vacuum Insulated Glass ; Lead PI: Ratenesh Tiwari, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: NextGlass, LLC (Phase II) Development and Commercialization of Rechargeable Zn-ion Batteries from Crab Shell ; Lead PI: Xin Zhang, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: WH-Power, Inc (Phase II) Renewable Electricity-based Ultrahigh Temperature Plasma Heating to Rapid, Continuous Manufacturing of Battery Anode from Biomass ; Lead PI: Hamideh Soltani-Ahmadi, USPlasma, Inc Roll-to-roll Joule Heating Device for Electrothermal Upgrading of Carbon Fibers ; Lead PI: Canhui Wang, Johns Hopkins University; Partnering Company: Carbon Plus, Inc. Printed Ultra-Conductive Copper From Recycled Feedstock ; Lead PI: Colin Preston and Shenqiang Ren, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: NewCopper LLC Elastocaloric High Temperature Heat Pump ; Lead PI: Abimael Santos and Ichiro Takeuchi, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: Maryland Energy and Sensor Technologies, LLC Reducing laboratory energy waste with an fume hood monitoring and incentive system ; Lead PI: Kevin Tu, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Partnering Company: Sustainabli Natural Gas to Value-Added Chemicals Without Greenhouse Gas Emissions ; Lead PI: Eric Wachsman, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: Alchemity (Phase II) Low-cost Vacuum Insulated Glass ; Lead PI: Ratenesh Tiwari, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: NextGlass, LLC (Phase II) Advancing Technology for Commercialization of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production from Industrial Hemp Biomass ; Lead PI: Sadanand Dhekney, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Partnering Company: Atlantic Biomass (Phase II) Large-Scale Biofuel Production Using a Novel Cyanobaterium ; Lead PI: Viji Sitther, Morgan State University; Partnering Company: HaloCyTech LLC SulAnchor Cathodes for Solid-State Lithium Sulfur Batteries; Lead PI: Sara Thoi, Johns Hopkins University, Partnering Company: Lithinity, LLC Development and Commercialization of Rechargeable Zn-ion Batteries from Crab Shell ; Lead PI: Xin Zhang, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: WH-Power, Inc Machine Learning-Accelerated Development of Non-Flammable Silica Aerogels for Building Thermal Insulation ; Lead PI: Po-Yen Chen, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: Liatris Inc Large-Scale Biofuel Production Using a Novel Cyanobaterium ; Lead PI: Viji Sitther, Morgan State University; Partnering Company: HaloCyTech LLC Portable Hybrid Vertical-axis Turbine Technology for Efficient Aero-hydro Energy Harvesting; Lead PI: Meilin Yu, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Partnering Company: InoSonic LLC and Solar Oysters LLC Low-cost Vacuum Insulated Glass ; Lead PI: Junho Kim, University of Maryland College Park Scaled Electronic Inks as Transparent Conductors for the Solar Cell and Energy-Efficient Lighting Industries (PHASE II) ; Lead PI: Susanna Thon, Johns Hopkins University; Partnering Company: Nano Direct, LLC Insulating Wood Panels for Energy Efficient Wall Retrofits ; Lead PI: Amy Gong, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: Invent Wood LLC A Digital Twin For Lithium-Sulfur Battery Management ; Lead PI: Hosam Fathy, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Compnay: Digitalis Technologies Translation of UMD Research Findings into an AI Thermostat Prototype for Thermal Comfort and Load Sheading ; Lead PI: Jelena Srebric, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: Build Sci, Inc. Multi-Winding Planar Transformer for Energy Router in Smart Homes ; Lead PI: Alireza Khaligh, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: AmpX Technologies, Inc. Mind Your Feet – Knitting Meta-Cool into Socks ; Lead PI: YuHuang Wang, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: Coolwave Dynamics, LLC Swirl Stove: Swirling combustion for efficient wood burning ; Lead PI: Taylor Myers; Partnering Company: MF Fire Inc. Utilizing Industrial Hemp Biomass for High Throughput Biofuel Production in Maryland ; Lead PIs: Jurgen Schwarz, Professor and Chair, and Sadanand Dhekney, Professor, Agriculture, Food and Resource Science, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Partnering Company: Atlantic Biomass Company Poultry Litter to Energy ; Lead PI: Seong Lee, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Morgan State University; Partnering Company: Cykloburn Technologies, LLC Thermohalt Li-Ion Battery Management System Development and Customer Test ; Lead PI: Rengaswamy Srinivasan, Lead Scientist, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab; Partnering Compnay: Thermohalt Technology, LLC RoCo (the Roving Comforter - Phase 2) ; Lead PI: Reinhard Radermacher, Professor and Director Center for Environmental Energy Engineering, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Companies: Mobile Comfort, Daikin and Alliance Material Handling A Novel Geared Infinitely Variable Transmission for Tidal Current Energy Harvesting ; Lead PI: Weidong Zhu, Professor Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County; Partnering Company: Talos Industry Corporation Packaging of Solid-State Batteries for Strategic Partner Testing and Product Integration; Lead PI: Greg Hitz, CTO Ion Storage Systems, LLC; University Collaborator: Eric Wachsman, Professor Materials Science Engineering, University of Maryland College Park Biogas Enhancement and Ammonia Extraction for Increased Revenue in Waste-to-Energy Systems ; Lead PI: Stephanie Lansing, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland College Park, Partnering Company: Planet Found Energy Systems, LLC Large Area Quantum Dot Solar Cells for Building Integrated Photovoltaics ; Lead PI: Susanna Thon, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University; Partnering Company: NanoDirect LLC Prototype Study of One-Step Membrane Reactor for Stranded Natural Gas to Liquids ; Lead PI: Dongxia Liu, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Company: Protonic Membranes RoCo (the Roving Comforter) ; L ead PI: Reinhard Radermacher, Professor and Director Center for Environmental Energy Engineering, University of Maryland College Park; Partnering Companies: Mobile Comfort, Daikin and Alliance Material Handling During the annual MEI 2 Advisory Board meeting, the Board recommended that, given the limited available resources, that Phase-3 (Bridge) awards should focus on the required company cost share for federal proposals/awards.
Secondary consideration should be for company operating funds after receiving an award during the time between start of work and payment of first invoice as start-up companies may struggle to find cash resources to finance this gap. Therefore, new this fiscal year is the addition of the Energy Bridge Fund . Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will require a different process.
Awards will be distributed on a rolling basis and dependent upon receipt of the non-dilutive funding. Should a recipient not receive the follow-on funding, the award funds will remain with the MEI 2 Investment Committee to be redistributed. Funds may be used as operating funds while waiting for the non-dilutive funded project to begin.
An annual progress report should be provided to the MEI 2 Investment Committee. These awards are meant to provide and support companies that: (a) need cost share for federal or state proposals/awards; (b) need operating funds for work and payment prior to receiving their award funding.
If you/your start-up company have received a federal award and feel you are a candidate for this Bridge Fund and have any questions, please contact the MEI 2 office ( csteph5@umd. edu ) for further information.
Eligibility: Former Energy Seed Fund recipient Qualifications: 1) Copy of proposal for the SBIR/STTR, federal or other non-dilutive funding that is being applied for or has been received; 2) total bridge funds requested (max 20% of total project cost up to $250k); 3) statement of how the funds will be used – priority will be given to company cost share for large federal/state grants and secondary considerations for company operating funds after receiving an award, but prior to start of said award; 4) Current and pending report related to the proposal.
Review: Funding for the seed grants will be awarded on a competitive and rolling basis.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Researchers at Maryland universities. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $100,000 for Phase 1; up to $200,000 for Phase 2. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Energy Seed Grant Program is funded by Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI²). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in Maryland. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program is a grant from NVIDIA providing up to $60,000 per award to PhD students conducting research that advances accelerated computing and its applications. Now in its 25th year, the program invites nominations from doctoral students pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and related fields. Recipients receive not only research funding but also access to NVIDIA technology, products, and engineering expertise, along with a mandatory in-person summer internship. Students are nominated by their faculty advisors and selected based on academic achievement and research area alignment.
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