AIC-Bakar Award (Academic Innovation Catalyst — Climate)

AIC-Bakar Award (Climate)

Funds UC Berkeley climate research with commercial promise for practical deployment and adaptation tools.

The AIC-Bakar Award is a joint initiative of the Bakar Fellows Program and UC Berkeley's Academic Innovation Catalyst (AIC), targeting faculty-led climate research with a defined pathway to commercial application. Among the Bakar program's three award tracks, the AIC-Bakar is the most selective: only up to two awards are made per annual cycle. It is open exclusively to UC Berkeley academic senate faculty; no external applicants, UCSF collaborators, or non-academic senate Berkeley affiliates are eligible. The 2026 cycle is expected to open in early 2026, consistent with the program's established annual cadence.

The award provides $100,000 per year for three years, totaling $300,000 per recipient. As with other Bakar tracks, award funds may not be used for faculty salaries, stipends, or teaching relief, and equipment purchases above $10,000 require additional justification. Applications require a three-page project proposal (1,000-word maximum), a two-page CV, and a brief budget with no institutional overhead requirement. Selection follows a two-phase process: initial proposal screening followed by finalist presentations to the Bakar Fellows Advisory Board. Climate relevance and commercial potential are both mandatory criteria — projects without a credible commercialization angle are unlikely to qualify.

Successful recipients join the broader Bakar Fellows network, gaining access to mentors, investors, and serial entrepreneurs alongside program-run educational activities. Given that only two AIC-Bakar awards are made per cycle, applicants must articulate both the climate significance and the market pathway with equal rigor. Proposals from faculty working in energy, sustainable materials, built environment, or climate-adjacent biotechnology are well-suited to this track. Contact: bakarfellows@berkeley.edu.