Academic Venture Fund
Cornell University's Academic Venture Fund supports innovative, interdisciplinary research with strong sustainability impact, fostering early-stage, high-risk projects across food, climate, energy, and health.
Funder: Cornell University
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Total annual program budget: $1.5 million; typical awards range from $50,000–$150,000 per project, generally for 1 year.
Summary: Seed funding for innovative, interdisciplinary research at Cornell with strong potential for measurable sustainability impact.
Key Information: Eligibility restricted to Cornell PI-eligible faculty; projects must be novel, high-risk, and collaborative.
Description
The Academic Venture Fund (AVF) is Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability’s flagship seed grant program, designed to catalyze innovative, interdisciplinary research that addresses pressing sustainability challenges. The fund supports projects that are original, high-risk, and unlikely to secure traditional funding due to their novelty or early stage. AVF particularly encourages collaborations that span disciplines and engage external partners from industry, government, NGOs, and foundations. Supported projects are expected to generate early data, foster new teams, and lay the groundwork for future large-scale or externally funded research, with a focus on measurable impact in sustainability domains such as food, climate, energy, and health.
