What is the Compute for Climate Fellowship?
and Benefits
Grants in the form of AWS credits to cover the cloud computing costs of the PoC (up to $200,000 per startup).
Access to advanced computing services, including high-performance computing (HPC), generative AI, and quantum computing tools.
Expert guidance in advanced computing, AI, sustainability, and ethics from IRCAI and AWS mentors.
Media and visibility opportunities, including speaking opportunities and PR on a case-by-case basis.
2026 Climate and Energy Solution Areas
Successful proposals will think big, demonstrate innovation, make essential use of advanced compute, and show potential for significant global impact in at least one of the seven solution areas below.
1. Clean Energy, Grid Flexibility, and Fusion/Nuclear Simulation
Focus:
The generation, storage, distribution, and intelligent management of clean energy, including technologies that model, simulate, and optimize energy systems at scale.
Examples in scope:
Nuclear and fusion reactor simulation and plasma modelling; geothermal reservoir modelling; renewable-energy forecasting; long-duration storage optimization; virtual power plants and demand response; behind-the-meter demand flexibility; grid congestion management and transmission planning; AI-enabled dispatch and real-time balancing; grid digital twins; clean firm power; hydrogen production and storage modelling; distributed energy resource orchestration; and energy-market simulation.
2. Climate Intelligence, Earth Observation, and Risk Analytics
Focus:
Data infrastructure, intelligence platforms, and analytics systems that measure, monitor, predict, and communicate climate-related risks and environmental change.
Examples in scope:
Earth observation and remote sensing; geospatial AI; climate and weather modelling, downscaling, and scenario analysis; greenhouse-gas measurement, reporting and verification (MRV); Scope 1-3 supply-chain emissions intelligence; methane detection; climate-risk modelling for flood, wildfire, drought, sea-level rise and heat stress; biodiversity monitoring; insurance and financial climate risk; multi-hazard early-warning systems; heat-health and urban heat-risk analytics; and trusted climate data infrastructure.
3. Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems, and Water Security
Focus:
Technologies that transform food production, land management, and water systems through advanced modelling, optimization, and intelligence.
Examples in scope:
Precision agriculture; alternative proteins and synthetic biology; vertical farming; methane reduction; food-loss prevention; crop-risk prediction; remote sensing for agriculture; autonomous farming; Physical AI and robotic automation for field operations, harvesting and monitoring; drought resilience; water-treatment optimization; nature restoration; and climate-smart supply chains.
4. Circular Economy, Industrial Simulation, and Low-Carbon Materials
Focus:
Technologies that decarbonize industrial processes, discover and optimize new materials, and enable circular resource flows through simulation, digital twins, and AI.
Examples in scope:
Low-carbon cement, steel and chemicals process simulation; industrial heat electrification; generative-AI materials discovery; manufacturing optimization; industrial digital twins; metals and mining; circular-economy intelligence; critical-minerals traceability; waste-to-value; and robotics simulation.
5. Carbon Removal and Ecosystem Restoration
Focus:
Technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store it durably, and restore natural ecosystems, supported by rigorous measurement, reporting, and verification.
Examples in scope:
Direct air capture process simulation; enhanced weathering; biochar optimization; biomass carbon removal and storage; blue carbon; point-source carbon capture simulation; automated MRV; carbon-utilization modelling; permanence and leakage verification; and monitoring of nature-based solutions.
6. Low-Carbon Transportation, Logistics, and Autonomous Systems
Focus:
Technologies that decarbonize the movement of people and goods through electrification, autonomy, and large-scale optimization.
Examples in scope:
Autonomous-vehicle simulation and training; commercial fleet autonomy; EV battery modelling; EV charging infrastructure energy optimization; fleet electrification; vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home; low-carbon aviation and maritime fuels; heavy-duty transport; route and logistics optimization at scale; urban-mobility simulation; and traffic digital twins.
5. Carbon Removal and Ecosystem Restoration
Focus:
Technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store it durably, and restore natural ecosystems, supported by rigorous measurement, reporting, and verification.
Examples in scope:
Direct air capture process simulation; enhanced weathering; biochar optimization; biomass carbon removal and storage; blue carbon; point-source carbon capture simulation; automated MRV; carbon-utilization modelling; permanence and leakage verification; and monitoring of nature-based solutions.
6. Low-Carbon Transportation, Logistics, and Autonomous Systems
Focus:
Technologies that decarbonize the movement of people and goods through electrification, autonomy, and large-scale optimization.
Examples in scope:
Autonomous-vehicle simulation and training; commercial fleet autonomy; EV battery modelling; EV charging infrastructure energy optimization; fleet electrification; vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home; low-carbon aviation and maritime fuels; heavy-duty transport; route and logistics optimization at scale; urban-mobility simulation; and traffic digital twins.
5. Carbon Removal and Ecosystem Restoration
Focus:
Technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store it durably, and restore natural ecosystems, supported by rigorous measurement, reporting, and verification.
Examples in scope:
Direct air capture process simulation; enhanced weathering; biochar optimization; biomass carbon removal and storage; blue carbon; point-source carbon capture simulation; automated MRV; carbon-utilization modelling; permanence and leakage verification; and monitoring of nature-based solutions.
6. Low-Carbon Transportation, Logistics, and Autonomous Systems
Focus:
Technologies that decarbonize the movement of people and goods through electrification, autonomy, and large-scale optimization.
Examples in scope:
Autonomous-vehicle simulation and training; commercial fleet autonomy; EV battery modelling; EV charging infrastructure energy optimization; fleet electrification; vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home; low-carbon aviation and maritime fuels; heavy-duty transport; route and logistics optimization at scale; urban-mobility simulation; and traffic digital twins.
7. Sustainable Built Environment and Data Centre Infrastructure
Focus:
Technologies that optimize the energy performance, cooling, and climate resilience of buildings and data centres through simulation, digital twins, and AI-driven infrastructure management.
Examples in scope:
Data-centre cooling simulation; power usage effectiveness (PUE) and water usage effectiveness (WUE) optimization; waste-heat recovery; carbon-aware workload scheduling; data centres as demand-flexible grid assets; thermal digital twins; site-selection and microclimate modelling; water-use optimization; grid-interactive building simulation; building-energy digital twins; urban microclimate modelling; HVAC simulation; and embodied-carbon lifecycle modelling. This area focuses on the software and simulation layer; real-estate development, simple dashboards,
Cross-cutting priority: community-led and Indigenous-led approaches
This is not a separate solution area; it applies across all seven areas and to all projects. The Fellowship especially encourages community-led and Indigenous-led approaches that combine advanced technology with local knowledge, lived experience, and culturally appropriate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience strategies. Last year’s winners were Rainstick using bioelectricity to enhance agricultural productivity.
A special area of interest for the 2026 Fellowship is extreme heat
With severe heatwaves increasingly sweeping across regions worldwide, we particularly encourage proposals that harness advanced computing and AI to anticipate heat risks, protect vulnerable communities, strengthen energy and infrastructure resilience, and enable more effective adaptation to a rapidly warming climate.
Apply?
You are developing a climate or clean-energy technology with the potential for meaningful global impact.
Technology Focus
We are especially interested in proposals that make innovative use of advanced compute and frontier AI technologies to drive climate and energy innovation. The technology families below are the core areas of interest for the 2026 Fellowship.
AI/ML and Generative AI
Physical AI & Robotics
Physical AI, robotics, and autonomous systems, including robot learning, simulation-to-real training, and embodied foundation models for field, industrial, and mobility applications.
High-Performance Computing (HPC)
High-performance computing, GPU-accelerated training and inference, and scalable simulation.
Physics-Informed ML & Scientific Machine Learning
Physics-informed machine learning, neural operators, surrogate modelling, and scientific machine learning for physical systems.
Climate & Weather Modelling / Earth Observation
Climate and weather modelling, Earth observation, geospatial AI, downscaling, and scenario analysis.
Digital Twins
Quantum & Quantum-Inspired Optimization
- Automated measurement, reporting, and verification for emissions, carbon removal, biodiversity, and climate finance.
- Large-scale optimization requiring distributed compute, including energy dispatch, logistics routing, and industrial processes.
- Time-series analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, and real-time monitoring at scale.
- Privacy-preserving, secure, and interoperable climate data infrastructure.
2026 Fellowship Chairs
Davor Orlic
Chief Operating Officer, IRCAI
Alexandra Lucke
Venture Capital & Startups, EMEA Climate tech, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Aidan O'Sullivan
Associate Professor in Energy and AI at UCL
Alae Ismail
Senior Program Manager, EMEA Startup Investor Management
Benoît de Chateauvieux
Climate Tech Solutions Architect, Sustainability Expert
2026-2027 Fellowship Process and Timeline
1 – 30 Sept 2026
Applications Open
1 Oct to 23 Nov 2026
Review & Finalists Interviews
4 Dec 2026
Winners Announced
11 Jan – 5 Apr 2027
Build PoCs
Demo Day
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach out to info@ircai.org with the subject “IRCAI AWS Fellowship”
I applied to the Fellowship before but wasn’t selected. Am I eligible?
Yes. Please submit a new application and you will be considered for the 2026 program.
What happens if I’m not selected for the Fellowship?
Startups that are not selected can apply for $5,000 in AWS Credits. Eligibility criteria include: (1) not having previously received AWS Activate credits of equal or greater value; (2) being self-funded, up to Series A or pre-Series B, with the most recent funding round within the last 12 months if applicable; (3) having a fully functioning company website; and (4) having been founded within the last 10 years. All AWS Activate credits are in USD and subject to the AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions.
Will AWS build the PoC with my team?
No. Selected startups are responsible for building the PoC. IRCAI scientific mentors and AWS technical experts will advise on PoC design and development, but will not build it.
Who can apply?
Private climate and energy technology companies formed within the last 10 years, from any country.
How long is the PoC build phase?
Approximately three months of development time, from 11 January to 5 April 2027.
Who owns the IP?
Startups retain ownership of all intellectual property resulting from the PoC.
CONTACT
International Research Centre
on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI)
under the auspices of UNESCO
Jožef Stefan Institute
Jamova cesta 39
SI-1000 Ljubljana
info@ircai.org
ircai.org
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