A new research grant from ASHRAE will provide seed funding for novel research deemed to have the potential to significantly advance the state-of-the-art in HVAC&R.The ASHRAE Innovative Research Grant is designed to encourage out-of-the box research to complement the research proposed and guided by the Society’s technical committees. The award carries a base grant of $50,000 per year for two years, with an additional $25,000 available in the third year if matched by an industrial contributor. Pre-proposals are due September 1.

“ASHRAE wants to foster the development of new and innovative technology and/or analysis tools,” James Braun, Ph.D., P.E., recent chair of ASHRAE’s Research Administration Committee that oversees the grant, said. “Most current research related to HVAC&R is prescriptive and geared toward addressing specific issues or problems that are common within the field. Typically, the focus is on existing technologies or tools. However, new technologies and tools don't always build directly on existing approaches. Our hope with this grant is to encourage out-of-the box research that will result in successful projects, which lead to additional research and development down the road and ultimately to adoption of new technologies and tools that can make an impact within the field.”

The program criteria are based on novelty of the research; importance of the problem; potential for success; student involvement; and cost sharing. Pre-proposals are due Sept. 1 and should be submitted to Michael Vaughn, ASHRAE’s manager of research and technical services, at mvaughn@ashrae.org, and should include “ASHRAE Innovative Research Grant Submission” as the subject line in the message. For more information on the program, visit www.ashrae.org/research and click on the link for “ASHRAE Innovative Research Grant Program.”