Gaznat – EPFL Research Programme – Call for proposals
Event details
| Date | 21.08.2025 |
| Category | Call for proposal |
Gaznat and EPFL have strengthened their long-term partnership by signing a new framework agreement in December 2024 to advance research in carbon capture, storage, and utilization for cleaner energy production. The agreement will provide additional funding over seven years, supporting research projects that align with Gaznat’s goal of achieving carbon-neutral energy distribution in western Switzerland by 2050. This initiative will accelerate the transition from basic research to applied technology, facilitating real-world applications in clean energy and will leverage EPFL’s cutting-edge research to develop innovative solutions that society can adopt. The first of three calls for proposals is now open.
The Gaznat-EPFL Research Programme will support projects in the following thematic areas:
- Advanced separation technologies (for example CO2 from air or flue gases, H2 from CH4, etc.);
- Production of synthetic and renewable gases and liquids;
- Energy efficiency;
- Energy storage (for example in rockcaves or chemical energy storage/P2X);
- CO2 capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS);
- Impact of various molecules on confinement materials (for example H2 in steel pipelines);
- AI in energy;
- Other topics deemed relevant by the Scientific Committee.
Type of projects, funding and duration:
1. ‘Explore projects’: TRL ≥ 4: Lab-scale prototypes with the potential to progress towards TRL 6-9.
- Project duration: Up to 4 years
- Expected funding: CHF 300-500k (maximum) per project
- Expected outcomes: Prototypes of novel technologies, processes, or solutions deployed at the Gaznat GreenGas Innovation Lab whenever possible.
2. ‘Seed projects’: TRL ˂ 4: early-stage projects with the potential to advance to higher TRLs
- Project duration: 6-12 months
- Expected funding: CHF 50-100k (maximum) per project
- Expected outcomes: Description and characterization of promising pathways, frameworks, or technologies with the potential for further development towards higher TRLs.
Who can apply:
The call for proposals is open to the EPFL community as follows:
- Explore projects: Open to Professors or Maîtres d’Enseignement et de Recherche (MER).
- Seed projects: Open to the entire EPFL community (faculty members, senior scientists, postdocs, PhD students). Projects must be hosted by an EPFL laboratory and supervised by at least one EPFL faculty member (Prof. tit., MER, PATT, PA or PO).
- EPFL Heads of relevant units or Centers are also eligible to apply.
Deadline:
- The application deadline for this call for proposals is Thursday 21 August 2025 (17:00 CEST).
For further information, please have a look at the Gaznat-EPFL website.
For additional questions, please contact the Research Office via research@epfl.ch.
Practical information
- General public
- Free