Leveraging AI for Climate Action
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, and addressing it requires innovative approaches from all sectors of society. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are increasingly recognized as powerful tools that can aid in both mitigating the impacts of climate change and supporting adaptation efforts. Climate Change AI (CCAI), a global organization of volunteers from academia and industry, is at the forefront of this movement. With a commitment to using AI responsibly for climate action, CCAI has announced a significant grant opportunity for projects at the intersection of AI and climate change.
About the Grant
Supported by the Quadrature Climate Foundation, Google DeepMind, and Global Methane Hub, CCAI is offering grants of up to USD 150K for projects that span a year in duration. The total funding available through this program is up to USD 1.4M. This grant is particularly aimed at projects that can demonstrate a clear pathway to impactful deployment, whether through scientific publications, public dissemination, or a deployed project. Importantly, all intellectual property (IP) developed through these projects, including datasets, simulators, and trained models, must be made publicly available under an open license.
Tracks and Focus Areas
The grant program is divided into three tracks, each targeting different aspects of climate change and AI:
- Main Track: This track invites projects that leverage AI or ML to tackle problems related to climate change mitigation, adaptation, or climate science. Topics of interest include:
- Mitigation approaches in sectors such as agriculture, energy, transportation, and forestry.
- Societal adaptation to climate change, including disaster prediction and management.
- Climate and Earth science, ecosystems, and natural systems relevant to mitigation and adaptation.
- R&D of low-carbon technologies like carbon capture and sequestration.
- Behavioral and social science related to climate change, including climate finance, policy, and justice.
- Special Track on Methane: This track focuses on projects that use AI or ML to address methane-related climate change mitigation, particularly in the short to medium term (before 2040). Key areas include energy, waste, circular economy, and agriculture.
- Special Track on Dataset Gaps: This track is designed for projects primarily focused on creating documented datasets or simulators that can enable further research in climate change. The datasets should fill existing gaps and comply with FAIR Data Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).
Eligibility and Application Process
The Principal Investigator (PI) for each project must be affiliated with an accredited university in one of the 38 OECD Member Countries. However, Co-Investigators can be from outside OECD Member countries and affiliated with non-research institutions. There is flexibility in how the funding can be distributed among team members.
Deadline
The proposal submission deadline is September 15, 2024, at 23:59 (Anywhere on Earth time, UTC-12).
Conclusion
This grant represents a unique opportunity for researchers, engineers, and innovators to contribute to the global fight against climate change using AI and ML. By focusing on impactful, responsible, and equitable AI applications, grantees can help shape the future of climate action.
