Climate, Energy & Sustainability

CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science—Chunmei Ban, a professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, has received a Fulbright Global Scholar award to explore the future of energy storage through next-generation battery technologies.

CU Boulder Today—CU Boulder has been named one of the world's leading institutions for climate science, ranking eighth globally in the latest analysis of the most highly cited climate research institutions by Carbon Brief.

Venture Partners capped off its fifth Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator with the 2026 Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase, where research-based startup teams pitched innovations originating from CU to an audience of investors, entrepreneurs and fellow researchers. The showcase featured ventures developing breakthrough solutions in health, robotics, advanced materials and more.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has announced that eight University of Colorado Boulder researchers and four startups received funding through the latest round of the Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. The awards, granted through the Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention programs, represent one of the university's strongest performances to date.

The University of Colorado Boulder has emerged as a leading hub for battery innovation, producing breakthrough research and a series of successful startups—including Solid Power, SiILion, Otoro Energy, Forge Nano and Mana Battery—that are advancing safer, cheaper and more effective energy storage technologies. The university’s unique combination of world-class researchers, entrepreneurial support and industry partnerships has helped transform laboratory discoveries into companies with significant economic and societal impact.

CU Boulder Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)—Imagine a display that harvests ambient light when it is not actively in use, offsetting some of its own energy consumption. The materials physics shows that this is possible.

The University of Colorado Boulder and Techstars, the global startup accelerator and investor, have announced a strategic partnership to expand opportunities for founders and strengthen Colorado’s innovation economy.

Commercialization activities through Venture Partners at CU Boulder had an economic impact of $8.7 billion nationally and $5.1 billion in the state of Colorado over the last five years, according to a report from the Leeds School of Business.

CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science—Women of Carbon, a documentary featuring Mija Hubler, highlights women transforming the construction industry through sustainable innovation, decarbonization and green technology. Hubler’s research interests include aging of construction materials, concrete infrastructure design and construction methods and the design of alternative construction materials from biological elements and engineered waste materials. She is a co-founder of Prometheus Materials, a bio-cement startup in Longmont, Colorado.

CU Boulder Today—This week, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced that three faculty members at CU Boulder were elected to the ranks of this prestigious organization. Dana Anderson, Iain Boyd and Bob Erickson are among the 130 scientists and engineers from around the country who will be inducted as members of the NAE at a meeting this fall.