Agricultural Transformation for Land, Atmosphere, and Society (ATLAS) RFP
MIT's ATLAS RFP funds interdisciplinary research advancing transformative, science-driven solutions for agriculture, climate, and society, with a focus on sustainability, resilience, and health.
Funder: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Due Dates: August 31, 2026: Letter of Intent deadline (ATLAS RFP)
Funding Amounts: Tier 1: $50K–$250K (single PI); Tier 2: $250K–$500K (multi-PI, 2–3 PIs); up to 24 months.
Summary: Supports MIT-led interdisciplinary research to advance transformative solutions in agriculture, climate, and society.
Key Information: Only MIT PIs are eligible; funds cannot be distributed to non-MIT collaborators.
Description
The Agricultural Transformation for Land, Atmosphere, and Society (ATLAS) RFP is a funding opportunity from MIT’s Climate Project, in partnership with MIT HEALS and the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS). The program seeks bold, interdisciplinary research proposals led by MIT principal investigators or small teams (2–3 PIs) that address complex challenges at the intersection of agriculture, climate change, ecosystem enrichment, and human health. Projects should integrate expertise from natural sciences, engineering, computation, humanities, urban studies, social sciences, and policy to deliver deployable, scalable, and measurable solutions.
ATLAS emphasizes high-risk, high-reward research that drives transformative advances in AgriFood systems. Proposals should focus on outcomes such as greenhouse gas reduction, improved soil health and biodiversity, climate resilience, reduced social cost of food production, enhanced sustainability, and improved human nutrition and health. The program encourages fundamental scientific discovery, technological innovation, and social science approaches, with a strong focus on collaboration and external partnership development.
