Overview

The Energy and Environment program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation supports research, training, networking, and dissemination efforts to inform the societal transition toward low-carbon energy systems in the United States by investigating economic, environmental, technological, and distributional issues. The program is inviting Letters of Inquiry for interdisciplinary, collaborative social science research projects led by early- and mid-career scholars that analyze the systemic interactions and connections associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy in the United States. This Call for Letters of Inquiry is deliberately framed broadly to encourage the submission of research project ideas that examine the links and implications between different components of the energy system and how they relate to other aspects of the economy. It is expected that 4-6 grants will be awarded from the Call, and grant amounts are expected to be between $500,000 and $1,000,000 over a 2-4 year period.

Context

Achieving effective energy system decarbonization requires rethinking the ways different components of the energy system interact with one another and how these components relate to other elements of the economy. Interdisciplinary social science scholarship is needed that analyzes these intersections more holistically, brings together scholars and practitioners across fields, and works closely with an array of stakeholders to design an equitable and just transition. Taking this systems-level view is critical, given that accomplishing energy system decarbonization will involve a combination of deploying and scaling new technologies, implementing and evaluating new policies, testing and experimenting with new business models, and engaging and involving communities spanning geographies.

For instance, the increased adoption of electric vehicles has the potential to change the location, growth, and timing of power demand; adoption of alternative transit and travel patterns; and the development of new business and operating models. The rising interest in fostering and promoting regional economic development will impact how energy systems evolve, especially given the synergistic coupling with transportation, manufacturing, and other industrial systems. The installation of decentralized energy sources creates new challenges and opportunities in terms of coordinating across distributed resource systems and how these systems are regulated. In other domains, the clean energy transition could lead to the need for workers with distinctive skillsets and training, creating opportunities for alternative forms of credentialling and educational approaches. There could be wider macroeconomic effects brought on by changes in energy markets associated with an accelerated or stalled transition to a low-carbon economy. Additionally, energy system resilience will be further strained due to the adverse impacts of climate change, with the most severe impacts often affecting historically under-represented or marginalized communities, populations, and regions.

These are just a few of the many systemic impacts that arise due to the close coupling between energy system decarbonization and other dimensions of society and that could be the subject of proposed projects. Therefore, the intent of this Call is to be broadly relevant to a wide range of social science scholars and disciplines. Competitive submissions are expected to identify under-explored research questions in these areas and result in generating novel scholarship, training of students, strengthening researcher or practitioner networks, disseminating knowledge to inform decision-making, and leveraging additional resources to scale or expand the proposed work. Proposed projects are encouraged to address questions relevant to historically under-represented or marginalized communities, economically vulnerable communities, communities of color, Indigenous communities, or other communities that have been overlooked in decision-making related to energy system decarbonization and to substantially engage these communities in the research process.

Sample Topics and Research Questions 

Example topics and research questions for examination include but are not limited to:

• Energy, transportation, and the grid: What are the economic, social, environmental, and policy issues associated with the rising demands of electric vehicle charging on power grids? What new economic models or regulatory considerations need to be developed or addressed to account for increases in electric vehicle adoption? What are the impacts of increased availability of alternative, low-carbon transportation options on travel patterns and the adoption of alternative modes of transportation?
• Energy, changing demand patterns, and regional economic development: What are the economic, social, or technical factors contributing to changing energy demand patterns at the local, state, or regional levels? What strategies may be effective at responding to changing energy needs due to load growth in varying locations around the country? What coordination mechanisms are needed to manage and operate energy systems given changing demand patterns and the emerging emphasis on regional economic development?
• Energy, trade, and macroeconomics: What are the sectoral, industrial, and political economy implications associated with tariffs or other restrictions placed on low-carbon product imports? What are the macroeconomic and broader GDP implications of an accelerated or stalled transition to a low-carbon economy? How are industries accounting for and assessing different approaches to decarbonize energy use?
• Energy, training, and workforce development: What is the role of alternative training and credentialing programs that could help better prepare workers for jobs in the low-carbon economy? What workforce development strategies are effective in accelerating the transition to decarbonized energy systems? What lessons can be learned from previous or ongoing federal, state, or local programs, or from examples and experiences drawn from other contexts or countries?
• Energy system resilience, infrastructure, and climate adaptation: What novel responses at the federal, state, and local levels might improve and enhance energy system resilience to the impacts of climate change? What are the opportunities to more closely integrate and reflect changes in energy demand with energy system operations and resource planning, and how might behind-the-meter interventions be designed to improve system resilience? What are the equity impacts and public perception issues associated with energy infrastructure siting, especially in areas affecting historically under-represented or marginalized communities, households, and individuals?

Expected Project Structure 

Competitive projects are expected to demonstrate the following characteristics:

• Projects are expected to be highly interdisciplinary across fields, involving researchers deploying a range of research methodologies. Participating faculty can be drawn from multiple social science or related disciplines, either within or across universities.
• Relevant disciplines and fields could include but are not limited to: economics, finance, political science, public policy, sociology, anthropology, geography, and energy system modeling, among others.
• Projects are expected to emphasize student training, involving graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, or undergraduates, and with attention to diversity among students and trainees of particular importance.
• Projects are expected to undertake original empirical data collection and analysis, or to combine and analyze existing datasets in new, innovative ways.
• Projects are expected to link research to practice by engaging a wide range of stakeholders in either the conduct of research or in dissemination efforts used to inform decision-making. This includes potential collaboration with government, industry, non-governmental organizations, or other stakeholder organizations as appropriate.
• Projects with the ability to secure additional financial support, or relevant in-kind contributions, from other funding sources—including foundations, universities, the private sector, or government funders—are strongly encouraged.

Expected Team Structure and Eligibility 

Researchers who have not previously received funding from the Sloan Foundation’s Energy and Environment program are encouraged to submit a Letter of Inquiry. Priority will be given to these submissions.

• The lead principal investigator must be an Assistant or Associate Professor, or in equivalent positions, based at a university or college in the United States.
• Submissions from highly diverse teams are strongly encouraged and priority will be given to these submissions. Researchers based at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are strongly encouraged to apply, either as lead primary investigators or in team member roles.
• Submissions are encouraged across the full allowed budgetary range, and close attention will be paid to ensure that requested budget amounts are warranted.
• Senior researchers and non-U.S.-based researchers may participate in proposed projects and can receive funding as research team members, advisors, or collaborators.
• Researchers may participate in a maximum of two proposed projects.

Projects Out of Scope

• Projects with the following characteristics are considered out of scope and not eligible for consideration:
• Projects involving advocacy or lobbying activities.
• Projects that have public health or biomedical research components.
• Projects that solely involve research in engineering or physical sciences.
• Projects that solely have an international focus or that do not relate to the United States.

Submission Deadline and Process

Submissions are due by Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 5:00pm Eastern. Submission materials should be uploaded directly to the application portal at https://apply.sloan.org/prog/energy_system_interactions. Any questions related to the application portal can be sent to [email protected].

Submission Components

Complete submission packets should include the following 6 components in the following order:

(1) Sloan Foundation Proposal Cover Sheet, 1-page in length, summarizing key project details. Projects should have a proposed start date of December 1, 2025, or later. The Proposal Cover Sheet document is available at: http://sloan.org/proposal-cover-sheet. 

(2) Letter of Inquiry, 3-4 pages in length, excluding budget table and other supplemental material, in 11-point font. Submissions should address the following questions, with each question serving as a section heading:

1. What is the core research question(s) and why is it important?
2. What are the current knowledge gaps that this research will address?
3. What are the proposed research methodologies, and what is the workplan?
4. Who are the key members of the research team, and how does the team account for diversity, equity, and inclusion in its composition?
5. What will be the outputs from the project, and how will they be disseminated among stakeholders?
6. What other sources of support can the project leverage?

(3) Budget Table, with funding requests allowed between $500,000 and $1,000,000 over a 2-4 year period. Sub-awards to collaborating institutions provided as needed. The Budget Table is available at: https://sloan.org/grants/apply#tab-grant-forms. Allowable expenses include:

1. For faculty: up to two months of summer salary per investigator per year, plus benefits, capped at $35,000 per investigator per year, based on project time commitment.
2. For graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, or undergraduate students: salary/stipend, plus benefits, based on project time commitment.
3. Tuition reimbursement: Requests for graduate student tuition reimbursement are allowed up to a maximum of $16,000 per student per academic year, with justification provided.
4. For project-related administrative and research staff: salary, plus benefits.
5. Research implementation expenses: data acquisition, surveys, interviews, conducting experiments, computation needs, advisory committee honoraria, and other relevant direct research expenses.
6. Dissemination and workshop expenses: travel, meals, lodging, conference fees, room rentals, speaker stipends, audio-visual equipment, and other relevant dissemination expenses.
7. Indirect overhead expenses: Capped at 20% of direct costs, with overhead expenses not allowed on tuition reimbursement.

(4) References or Bibliography List up to 2 pages.

(5) Brief CVs of key project leads and personnel, no more than 2 pages per person.

(6) If applicable, Letters of Support from research partners, data providers, key stakeholders, community organizations, or other collaborators, if available.

Submission Review Process

Given the large number of submissions expected, we will be generally unable to respond to questions for additional information related to this Call for Letters of Inquiry. A diverse review committee will be assembled to assess submitted Letters of Inquiry. A small number of selected submissions will be invited to prepare full proposals for funding consideration. Invited full proposals will then be reviewed by subject matter experts, and proposers will be asked to prepare a response to reviews based on provided feedback. It is expected that 4-6 grants will be awarded from the Call, with award decisions made in November 2025.