Academic Venture Fund
Cornell's Academic Venture Fund supports novel, interdisciplinary sustainability research with real-world impact, prioritizing high-risk projects unlikely to receive traditional funding.
Funder: Cornell University
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Letter of Intent) | March 2027 (Full Proposal)
Funding Amounts: Up to $150,000 per award; typically funds up to six projects per cycle; project duration usually one year.
Summary: Supports original, interdisciplinary sustainability research at Cornell that is novel, risky, or collaborative and unlikely to receive traditional funding.
Description
The Academic Venture Fund (AVF) at Cornell University, administered by the Atkinson Center for Sustainability, provides seed funding for pioneering, interdisciplinary research projects that address complex sustainability challenges. The AVF is designed to support innovative research unlikely to secure traditional funding due to its novelty, risk, need for preliminary data, or formation of new collaborative teams. Projects must demonstrate a clear pathway to real-world impact, including potential influence on policies, practices, products, or public opinion. The fund emphasizes work that advances sustainability across themes such as Food Security, Climate Risk, Energy Transitions, and One Health, but projects outside these areas may also be considered if they show strong organizational commitment and a robust theory of change. Collaboration with external partners (industry, government, NGOs, communities) is strongly encouraged.
