Energy System Resilience and Adaptation

Energy System Resilience and Adaptation is sponsored by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Energy and Environment program at the Sloan Foundation supports research examining how energy systems are affected by vulnerabilities and how they can be redesigned to mitigate future impacts.

Selected photos from Laura Kuhl's photovoice studies into energy crises and just energy transitions, and 2022 Sloan energy and environment conference, Energy Insights. ## To inform the societal transition toward low-carbon energy systems in the United States by investigating economic, environmental, technological, and distributional issues. The Alfred P.

Sloan Foundation's Energy and Environment program looks to achieve its mission and shape the direction of energy systems decarbonization research by examining a wide range of questions through collaborative and interdisciplinary scholarship across the social and natural sciences.

Many of the grants awarded by the program advance projects led by early- and mid-career researchers, strengthen the link between research and practice, seed new efforts and extend work in new directions, and facilitate partnerships with other funders. The program’s predominant geographic focus is the United States [](https://sloan.

org/programs/research/energy-and-environment) The program looks to support research in the following selected topic areas:**** * **Energy Markets and Policy Analysis:**This topic reflects the program’s ongoing and longstanding interest in supporting scholarship that examines issues related to how energy markets function, assesses the impact of energy policies implemented at various levels of government, and thinks about the design and functionality of key institutional mechanisms across the energy system.

Electricity generation, transmission, and distribution systems are undergoing rapid transformation and warrant further study to understand how they are likely to evolve in the years ahead. * **Low-Carbon Innovation and Novel Energy Technologies****:**Many recent analyses have suggested that the development and deployment of low-carbon innovations and novel energy technologies need to be scaled-up quickly and extensively.

The Foundation looks to help advance activities that examine the factors contributing to the development of low-carbon innovation and explore the opportunities and challenges faced by emerging energy technologies. * **Transportation and Mobility:**The program is interested in supporting projects that look to understand how transportation and mobility systems are changing.

Potential activities could explore a range of questions related to the rise of electric, autonomous, and shared personal transportation vehicles, in addition to studying how heavy-duty transport, commercial shipping, and the movement of freight might be impacted by these and related developments.

* **Place-based Energy Transitions:**There is a need for place-based, locally oriented research that explores how changes in the energy system might have differing impacts across a broad array of populations, regions, and communities.

The program looks to support research that illuminates how changes in the energy system might be better designed to address the needs across a variety of groups and geographies in a more comprehensive manner.

* **Industrial Decarbonization:**The program aims to support studies that examine a range of emerging economic, social, policy, and technological developments that offer more promise going forward and help to understand how this component of the energy transition might be accelerated.

Additionally, the program is looking to consider research that examines the promise and challenges faced by various developments that could enhance industrial decarbonization, such as the rise of digital economy or distributed manufacturing. * **Energy System Resilience and Adaptation****:** Recent events have showed that energy systems face numerous vulnerabilities.

Research is needed to examine how these impacts are affecting different components of energy infrastructure and to study how energy systems may need to be redesigned to mitigate against potential future impacts. [](https://sloan.

org/programs/research/energy-and-environment) The Energy and Environment program looks to make progress on examining these topics by:**** * **Generating Novel Research:** The primary focus of this program is to build an impartial science, technology, engineering, economics, and social science knowledge base as a public good.

* **Training the Next Generation of Scholars and Practitioners:** The program looks to train the next generation of scholars and practitioners capable of analyzing and addressing a wide range of research questions relevant to decarbonizing the energy system.

* **Building Multidisciplinary Networks:** The program aims to foster new collaborations and strengthen existing research networks to enhance the effectiveness of research, training, and knowledge dissemination.

* **Disseminating Information for Decision**-**making:** The program helps grantees share impartial research findings to inform the development of policies and practices that can help accelerate the societal transition toward low-carbon energy systems.

The program is particularly interested in considering projects that reflect the following core characteristics: * **Interdisciplinary, Integrative, and Collaborative:**The program looks to support collaborative research, training, networking, and dissemination efforts that link scholars from different disciplines and institutions.

While the program’s focus is largely rooted in the social sciences, it also looks to advance multidisciplinary collaborations with scholars in basic science and engineering disciplines as well.

* **Leadership by Early- and Mid-Career Researchers and the Training of Students:** The program looks to focus its support for faculty at the Assistant and Associate Professor level and provide resources for training students at doctoral and post-doctoral levels.

* **Linking Research with Practice:** The program looks to advance research that facilitates scholars working with stakeholders in government, industry, and non-governmental organizations. * **Timely, Catalytic, and Gap-Filling:** The program looks to provide resources to seed new projects, extend existing research in important new directions, or fill information gaps that are otherwise unaddressed.

* **Facilitating Partnerships with Other Funders:** The program looks for opportunities to support projects that can pursue and secure additional funding from other sources. [](https://sloan. org/programs/research/energy-and-environment)[](https://sloan.

org/programs/research/energy-and-environment) * WBIR ### New study examines data center boom and impact on Appalachian communities * Emory University ### $1 million Sloan grant funds deep look at data center boom in U.S. South * Baruch College ### Baruch College Secures $750,000 Sloan Foundation Grant to Advance U.S. Clean Energy Manufacturing Research * Princeton University ### Wastewater plants produce twice as much greenhouse gas as estimated * Nature ### NEW RESEARCH: Impacts of Climate Change on Global Agriculture Accounting for Adaptation * Resources for the Future ### Resources For the Future Awards Grants to Fund Research on Major Federal Energy Laws [](https://sloan.

org/programs/research/energy-and-environment) * A partnership with the Research Corporation for Science Advancement Visit Site * Columbia University Visit Site * Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University Visit Site * National Bureau of Economic Research Visit Site * University of Michigan Visit Site * The National Academies of Sciences Visit Site * Joule, Nov. 2020 Visit Site * CDR Primer.

org Visit Site [](https://sloan.

org/programs/research/energy-and-environment) * $660,000 To administer awards from the 2026 Scialog: Sustainable Minerals, Metals, and Materials (SM3) collaboration Learn More * $570,000 To continue support for two essential energy and environmental economics training and networking programs for early-career scholars and students, Energy Camp and Grad Camp Learn More * $250,000 To support two Snowmass workshops that engage early-career scholars in interdisciplinary energy system modeling communities and collaborations Learn More * $750,000 To undertake an interdisciplinary research project examining the effects of uncertainties in clean energy industrial policy, resulting from an Open Call on Energy System Interactions in the United States Learn More * $100,000 To support the preservation and continuity of critical open energy data platforms and resources Learn More * $350,000 To organize a two-day interdisciplinary energy and environment summit, Energy Insights 2026, that highlights the connection between energy research and decision-making Learn More [](https://sloan.

org/programs/research/energy-and-environment) The Energy and Environment program is currently accepting unsolicited letters of inquiry for interdisciplinary, social science research efforts situated within our key topic areas of interest, as outlined above.

Given the volume of inquiries we receive, priority will be given to those with a particular focus on energy system resilience and governance, electricity rate design, commercial and industrial use, energy affordability, and energy technology supply chains. Please note that the Sloan Foundation does not engage in or support energy policy advocacy of any kind. Funding is only provided for non-partisan, balanced, evidence-based analysis.

Additionally, this program predominantly focuses on interdisciplinary research that examines energy systems in the United States. Projects focusing exclusively on issues outside of the United States or that are solely related to climate change are generally considered outside the program’s scope. Letters of inquiry may be submitted to energy@sloan.

org. [](https://sloan. org/programs/research/energy-and-environment) * Evan S.

Michelson Program Director * Isabella Gee Senior Program Associate /programs/research/energy-and-environment info Selected photos from Laura Kuhl's photovoice studies into energy crises and just energy transitions, and 2022 Sloan energy and environment conference, Energy Insights.

Program Goal To inform the societal transition toward low-carbon energy systems in the United States by investigating economic, environmental, technological, and distributional issues. Join the En…