Realizing Environmental Innovation Program
Realizing Environmental Innovation Program
The Stanford Woods Institute recognizes that some research projects are developed to the point of identifying a potential solution approach—a novel technology, a viable policy prescription, new approaches to behavior change or some combination—but the project team still needs to validate the solution concept and engage external stakeholders to implement the approach. To help the most promising research projects actually implement their solutions, Woods created the Realizing Environmental Innovation Program (REIP). Strong proposals will demonstrate significant progress in identifying solutions, potential for viability among important decision makers and relevance to Woods' focal areas.
Applications for 2017 Realizing Environmental Innovation Program (REIP) grants are now CLOSED.
The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment (Stanford Woods) is committed to supporting interdisciplinary research that addresses important environmental problems and leads to implemented solutions. Specifically, the Stanford Woods Institute seeks to advance innovative solutions that private market, public policy and individual stakeholders can adopt and are of significant consequence in solving pressing environmental challenges facing people and the planet. These innovative solutions can include, but are not limited to, novel technologies, practices, approaches to behavior change, public policies or some combination.
The Realizing Environmental Innovation Program (REIP) is intended to provide next stage funding to PIs to move existing interdisciplinary environmental research projects toward adoptable solutions and implementation by external stakeholders and partners. To be considered, projects should demonstrate both significant progress in identifying solutions and strong potential for viability among important solution stakeholders. PIs with the most competitive LOIs that strongly fit the priorities and guidelines of the program will be invited for an interview. The purpose of the interview is to answer questions about the LOI and to explore establishing an advising team and external partnerships. The research projects deemed most promising in terms of achieving environmental solutions that are also most relevant to Woods focal areas will be invited to submit a full proposal.
NOTE: The Stanford Woods Institute partners with the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where relevant, to help faculty identify advising resources for their REIP projects. Project teams taking advantage of this offer have gained assistance in thinking through potential organizational models for disseminating their discoveries and innovations and have developed strategies for overcoming barriers to reaching end users. Please contact Brian Sharbono, Stanford Woods Programs Manager, at sharbono@stanford.edu, if you are interested in exploring opportunities to gain advising for your project as you develop your Letter of Intent.
PROGRAM PRIORITIES
The REI Program seeks later stage projects that, similar to the Woods Institute’s long-standing Environmental Venture Projects (EVP) program:
- Are high-risk, transformative and have the potential to produce solutions to major global environmental challenges;
- Build on and extend interdisciplinary collaborations among faculty; and
- Address challenges within one or more of the Woods’ seven focal areas, which include: oceans, ecosystem services and conservation, public health, freshwater, climate, food security, and sustainable development.
PROGRAM GUIDELINES
Proposed projects should:
- Represent one or more of the above program priorities;
- Contribute towards a solution to a major global environmental challenge; Incorporate a clear strategy and pathway for moving existing research toward an implementable solution and demonstrate how additional funding will help move the project along that pathway;
- Involve PIs at Stanford from at least two separate disciplines (For assistance identifying possible co-investigators, please visit the Stanford Woods Institute’s faculty and researchers directory);
- Document how the collaborative effort will be stronger than the sum of disciplinary parts;
- Demonstrate that significant research progress has already been accomplished and results are promising;
- Demonstrate interest on the part of external stakeholders in the solution concepts of the project;
- Explain why the project is at a stage where outside funding is not yet available, yet make a strong case that continued advancement holds real promise for outside financial support;
- While former Stanford Woods EVP grant winners are eligible, faculty teams need not have received an EVP grant to be eligible.
- An REIP Lead PI may not be Lead PI on an active EVP grant at the time the REIP project period commences. The research committee will consider projects with budgets up $200,000 maximum over two year (approximately $100,000 per year).
Full program guidelines and application information are available in the QUICK LINKS sidebar on this page.
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