2026 Google Carbon Removal and Superpollutant Elimination R&D Awards
Event details
| Date | 25.09.2026 |
| Category | Call for proposal |
Aim: This call for proposals seeks research and development (R&D) projects that target breakthroughs in our understanding of the fundamental science underlying mitigation strategies for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and superpollutant emissions abatement, especially in their ability to be implemented in the real world. These breakthroughs may originate from a broad range of disciplines, including (but not limited to) theoretical, laboratory or field-based academic research, literature reviews or meta-analyses, engineering research and prototyping, and modeling or data analysis.
Research areas are outlined below, and applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for R&D projects that clearly meet the objectives of a specific area. All priority research areas are scoped around one, or both, of the following themes: enhancing the certainty (both of climate impact, and in the ability to measure this) of a given mitigation strategy; and enhancing the scale of a given mitigation strategy:targeting gigatonne scale for CDR, and megatonne scale for superpollutant emissions abatement.
Eligibility: Applications are open to individuals at universities, research institutions, non-profit organizations, social enterprises or businesses focussed on advancing research or innovation. In all cases, applicants are expected to have a clear record of community engagement and open science. Applicants may only submit one proposal per research area, but may submit separate applications to two different research areas. Proposed projects may also include a co-PI, who in any case must meet the same eligibility criteria as primary PI.
How to Apply: Proposals should contain the elements detailed here and be no longer than 4 pages, plus a CV of max. 1 page. If two PIs are applying, the co-PI should include a CV as well. A provisionary budget should also be included; for EPFL applicants, because any eventual award would be made as a gift, overehead does not need to be included. Decision notifications are expected in December 2026.
Applicants should not submit any confidential or proprietary information as the details of any project proposal will be shared with internal and external experts for evaluation.
Deadline: 25 September 2026
Further information
Research areas are outlined below, and applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for R&D projects that clearly meet the objectives of a specific area. All priority research areas are scoped around one, or both, of the following themes: enhancing the certainty (both of climate impact, and in the ability to measure this) of a given mitigation strategy; and enhancing the scale of a given mitigation strategy:targeting gigatonne scale for CDR, and megatonne scale for superpollutant emissions abatement.
- Environmental and ecological impacts of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) : Generate field-based evidence on the environmental and ecological impacts and co-benefits of OAE to support operational frameworks and community acceptance. Max funding: $450K.
- Assessing the scaling potential of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) : Evaluate how OAE can scale beyond coastal outfalls while maintaining environmental and ecosystem safety. Max funding: $400K.
- Next-generation CO₂ capture systems for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) facilities: Accelerate deployment of advanced CO₂ capture technologies in BECCS facilities to reduce energy use and cost. Max funding: $400K.
- Unlocking underutilized biomass feedstocks to scale biochar carbon removal: Address technical barriers to producing durable biochar from heterogeneous, high-moisture, and distributed waste feedstocks. Max funding: $450K.
- Improving the resilience of mangrove restoration to sea-level rise: Develop predictive models and management approaches to maintain carbon sequestration as sea levels rise. Max funding: $350K.
- Optimizing land use in nature-based carbon removal projects: Understand how land marginality and productivity affect leakage, additionality, durability, and ecosystem integrity in nature-based carbon removal projects. Max funding: $400K.
- Addressing the energetic challenges of low-concentration CO₂ capture: Validate novel capture technologies that could reduce the cost and energy requirements of low-concentration CO₂ capture. Max funding: $450K.
- Abatement of methane in diffuse emission streams: Advance photochemical, photocatalytic, or thermocatalytic systems for mitigating dilute methane emissions. Max funding: $500K.
- Improve constraints on methane lifetime in the atmosphere and its underlying removal mechanisms: Reduce uncertainty in atmospheric methane lifetime and improve understanding of methane removal mechanisms. Max funding: $500K.
- Optimizing the climate impact of carbon removal through tidal wetland restoration: Develop restoration frameworks that maximize long-term carbon storage while minimizing methane emissions. Max funding: $450K.
- Monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) for open-system landfill interventions: Develop and validate methane emissions models for small-scale landfill interventions to support standardized MRV. Max funding: $450K.
- Development, field validation, and climate impact verification of perennial crop systems: Advance perennial crop breeding, agronomy, and carbon accounting to support scalable agricultural climate mitigation. Max funding: $400K.
- Open Call: Breakthroughs in carbon removal and superpollutant abatement : Achieve major advances in the certainty, scale, affordability, or climate-impact quantification of carbon removal or superpollutant abatement. Max funding: $450K.
Eligibility: Applications are open to individuals at universities, research institutions, non-profit organizations, social enterprises or businesses focussed on advancing research or innovation. In all cases, applicants are expected to have a clear record of community engagement and open science. Applicants may only submit one proposal per research area, but may submit separate applications to two different research areas. Proposed projects may also include a co-PI, who in any case must meet the same eligibility criteria as primary PI.
How to Apply: Proposals should contain the elements detailed here and be no longer than 4 pages, plus a CV of max. 1 page. If two PIs are applying, the co-PI should include a CV as well. A provisionary budget should also be included; for EPFL applicants, because any eventual award would be made as a gift, overehead does not need to be included. Decision notifications are expected in December 2026.
Applicants should not submit any confidential or proprietary information as the details of any project proposal will be shared with internal and external experts for evaluation.
Deadline: 25 September 2026
Further information
- More information about the program is available here
- The application portal can be found here
- For any other questions, please contact the Research Office
Practical information
- General public
- Free