International Growth Centre (IGC) - Energy Insights and Innovation Lab (EIIL): Open Call for Research Ideas 2026

Deadline: May 04, 2026

other

partially funded

India

To Apply

Please visit the application link below to apply.

Opportunity Overview

📖 About

The Energy Insights and Innovation Lab (EIIL) focuses on bridging research and real-world energy sector challenges. The program supports high-quality research in economics and social sciences, offering limited, case-based funding and a dedicated early-career fellowship of up to £5,000. Projects must align with utility contexts such as Tata Power and generate actionable insights.

🎁 Benefits

Funding: Up to £5,000.
Support varies by project and may include:
- Access to anonymized datasets (subject to approvals/governance).
- Workspace and administrative support in Mumbai.
- Coordination with Tata Power staff (where relevant).
- Limited technical support on analytics/visualization.
- Dissemination support.
EIIL primarily provides data access, coordination, and a collaboration platform rather than funding full academic projects. Funding is limited and targeted (e.g., research assistance, travel, or implementation costs) and agreed upon case-by-case during the review process.

✅ Requirements

Research Focus

High-quality economics and social science research addressing practical questions in the Indian power sector, especially on:
- Demand
- Consumer behavior
- Utility performance

Methodologies

Randomized evaluations.
Quasi-experimental designs.
Observational studies.
Rigorous analytics that credibly inform decisions.

Illustrative Topics

Demand-side management and load flexibility.
Tariff design.
Consumer behavior and technology adoption.
Cooling demand.
EV charging.
Renewables integration.
Service quality and customer engagement.
Data/AI applications for forecasting and program targeting.

Baseline Requirements

Research quality: Clear question and credible empirical approach (including a plausible identification strategy where relevant).
Fit with EIIL: The project either uses EIIL/Tata Power data or is implementable with Tata Power (or a similar utility setting) with a clear plan for data access/generation.
Decision relevance: A clear utility or policy decision the work will inform.
Feasibility: A realistic timeline and implementation plan.

📅 Application Date and Process

How to Apply

Submit a research proposal via the online form. The proposal should include:

Research question and objectives.
Empirical approach and data needs.
Timeline.
Support requested from EIIL.

For inquiries, contact: eiil@theigc.org

⏰ Application Deadline

04 May, 2026

🌟 Opportunity Application

For more details, visit the official page of International Growth Centre - Energy Insights and Innovation Lab: Open Call for Research Ideas.

Apply directly via the provided online platform.

This opportunity is ideal for researchers looking to make a meaningful impact in the Indian power sector through innovative and actionable insights.

Benefits

Funding: Up to £5,000
Support varies by project, but may include: access to anonymised datasets (subject to approvals/governance); workspace and administrative support in Mumbai; coordination with Tata Power staff (where relevant); limited technical support on analytics/visualisation; and dissemination support.
EIIL is primarily set up to provide data access, coordination, and a collaboration platform, rather than to fund full academic projects by default. Where funding is available, it will be limited and targeted (e.g., research assistance, travel, or implementation costs) and agreed case-by-case during the review process. We will be clear with shortlisted teams about what EIIL can and cannot cover, including expectations around PI time/fees.