The Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) Research Award Program acknowledges research excellence and supports researchers as they make advancements in their field and discover solutions to today’s energy and environmental challenges.
Since 2023, the program has recognized 23 Penn State researchers for contributions to research, collaboration, mentorship, leadership, and public impact related to one or more of the IEE research themes.
2025 awards 2024 awards 2023 awards
Person of the Year Award
This award celebrates an exceptional researcher whose accomplishments in energy or environmental research have yielded notable successes over the past year. In addition to research excellence, the IEE Person of the Year Award recognizes leadership, mentoring, and service.
2025 Person of the Year
Learn more about Chaopeng Shen's research
Collaborative Research Awards
These awards honor significant contributions to energy and environmental research, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary work that brings together researchers from different departments or colleges.
Each award provides $5,000 in discretionary research funding. For team awards, the funding is awarded to the identified lead and may be shared among team members.
What the awards recognize
The examples below highlight some of the ways nominees may demonstrate excellence, but nominations are not limited to these areas.
Advancing knowledge
Research that has produced significant scientific advances and contributed new knowledge in areas related to energy and the environment.
Mentoring and advancing research
Mentorship or research guidance that helps faculty develop new research directions, collaborations, publications, proposals, or other opportunities for discovery.
Engaging the public
Research or professional expertise that increases public awareness, understanding, or engagement through media, events, community programs, partnerships, or other forms of outreach.