Amazon’s Sustainability Research Awards program invites proposals for innovative projects that merge machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques with life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies to support carbon abatement strategies.
This call seeks to fund projects that address the challenges associated with generating consistent, transparent, and accurate carbon measurements.
The aim of this initiative is to significantly advance the comparability of LCAs within the manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture sectors. Central to this effort is the provision of datasets, methodologies, and tools that can effectively validate those assumptions, process flows, and emission factors are uniformly applied across assessments. This focus acknowledges the critical need for verifiable data and assumptions that underpin sustainable decision-making processes. Proposals should address challenges in creating accessible solutions that ensure LCA data can be easily scrutinized and validated by stakeholders, reinforcing trust in sustainability metrics and facilitating more informed decisions. Proposals should clearly articulate how they will deliver tangible, practical outputs such as code and data, emphasizing mechanisms for ensuring data integrity and consistency in LCA practices.
Award Details
Selected Principal Investigators (PIs) may receive the following:
- Unrestricted funds, from $50,000 to $100,000
- AWS credits: up to $40,000
- Training resources, including AWS tutorials and hands-on sessions with Amazon scientists and engineers
Eligibility Requirements
- To be eligible for an ARA Program award (“Award”), the Principal Investigator must be (1) either a full-time faculty member at an accredited academic institution or a permanent researcher at a non-governmental organization with recognized legal status in their respective country (equivalent to 501(c)(3) status under the United States Internal Revenue Code) and (2) at or above the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of application. Each Principal Investigator is permitted to submit only one proposal to the ARA Program per call for proposal period.
- By submitting your proposal to the ARA Program, you represent that your Principal Investigator:
- is not a paid employee of a government entity (other than an accredited academic institution);
- is not under US export controls or sanctions;
- has not been a director, officer, employee, intern or contractor of Amazon or its affiliates within the 12 months preceding application to the ARA Program;
- is not a member of the immediate family or household of Ineligible Personnel;
- has not participated in or had decision-making authority over any cloud infrastructure procurements involving AWS or its affiliates; and
- The ARA Program is void in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, the region of Crimea, and where otherwise prohibited by law.
- Amazon employees are not eligible to receive an Award.
For more information, visit Amazon.
