Innovation for Impact Fund
Internal — Cornell University only
Innovation for Impact Fund supports Cornell researchers and non-academic partners in co-creating sustainability research that bridges scientific knowledge and action to deliver practical, near-term results.
Funder: Cornell University
Due Dates: November 24, 2026 (TNC joint research) | January 20, 2027 (EDF joint research) | Rolling (EDF Fast Grants)
Funding Amounts: Up to $200,000 per EDF joint project; up to $110,000 per TNC joint project
Summary: Supports Cornell researchers and non-academic partners co-creating research that turns sustainability discoveries into actionable, near-term results.
Key Information: All Cornell PIs and Co-PIs must meet Cornell’s principal investigator eligibility criteria.
Description
The Innovation for Impact Fund (IIF), administered by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, supports basic and applied research with a clear pathway to practical sustainability impact. It connects Cornell researchers with non-academic organizations to co-create research agendas, undertake unconventional collaborative projects, and bridge scientific knowledge and action. Areas of work include food security, energy transitions, One Health, and economic development.
Cornell Atkinson’s Strategic Partnerships team uses the fund for competitive collaborative research programs, partner-designed strategic initiatives, and participation in multi-stakeholder consortia. Interdisciplinary teams of academics and practitioners develop actionable insights, demonstrate concepts, design tools, pilot scientific applications, and implement practices that can shape policy and real-world outcomes. The emphasis is on use-inspired work with actionable, near-term results.
