Publish Date: 2026-02-17 12:24:33
IIT Delhi is collaborating with Schmidt Sciences under the Research Frontier Networks (RFN) program as part of the Net Zero India Project. With Schmidt Sciences' support, IIT Delhi is launching an open call for collaborative research to support India’s transition to achieving our net-zero emissions target by 2070."
About the Net Zero India Project
The objective of the Net Zero India project is to examine diverse spatially-resolved technological pathways for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, and implications of these pathways on developmental outcomes such as employment, health (impacts of air pollution), energy access, equity, and capital allocation; and on sustainability outcomes such as land and water implications, and biodiversity across India. The project is led by IIT Delhi’s School of Public Policy and supported by Prayas (Energy Group) and Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment.
We envision that this 3-year project will make the following unique contributions to scientific knowledge on the energy transition in India: (i) a combined focus on both developmental and sustainability outcomes of mitigation pathways for net zero GHG emissions, both spatially resolved until 2070, (ii) developing and combining new qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including a new approach to spatial mapping of energy technologies based on socio-economic considerations, to produce new insights (iii) transparent and open access to all modelling tools and data used in the study.
Research Frontier Networks by Schmidt Sciences
The Schmidt Sciences Climate Center is funding Research Frontier Networks (RFNs), designed to cultivate regional talent and develop context-specific tools (e.g., regional databases, energy models, dashboards) that advance earth system research and inform energy and carbon transition pathways. Each RFN serves as an interdisciplinary, cross-sector research hub where academic institutes, research scientists, industry experts, and government representatives collaborate to address global climate challenges with solutions tailored to local needs. The RFN model targets national and sub-national scale research in the Global South, beginning in India with IT Delhi as one hub, and expanding to other countries over time.
Research Frontiers Networks (RFNs) seek to build indigenous expertise and support the development of data and models that reflect the specific economic, social, and resource contexts of the Global South – contexts that are distinct from those of developed economies where most currently existing tools and models are developed.
IIT Delhi’s Open Calls for Collaboration under RFNs
Through the open calls for collaboration, funded by Schmidt Sciences, the IIT Delhi NZI team aims to identify and address emergent capacity deficits across several thematic areas of the Net Zero India (NZI) project. In this round, we release four calls for collaboration during the period July 2026 to May 2027, along the following themes; each theme is described in detail in the corresponding links below.
Remuneration terms
|
S. No |
Applicant type |
Honorarium per month |
|
1 |
Foreign PhD students or Postdocs |
Upto USD 2500 per month |
|
2 |
Students and Young Researchers from India. (RAs/PhDs/Postdocs) |
Upto INR 100,000 per month |
The honorarium is intended to compensate for living expenses while on the assignment in India.
Air tickets will be bought by IIT Delhi for one round trip travel.
A share of the honorarium will be paid after submission of selected deliverables.
Instructions for Applying
Click here to submit a 2-3 page research plan, a CV, and other details regarding your application.
Eligible applicants should be associated with an academic or research institution and will need their supervisor’s or institution’s permission to work on the open call. Applicants will be assessed by a selection committee, based on their prior work and publications in the theme area and of the group they are associated with.
Important Dates
Application deadline – 30th March 2026
Selection of open call – 30th April 2026
Contact Information
In case of any query you may contact Ms. Ashwini Mudgal (ashwinim.cstaff@iitd.ac.in) with cc to Dr. Kaveri Iychettira (Kaveri@iitd.ac.in) and Dr. Ekta Baranwal (ekta1988.cstaff@iitd.ac.in)