Research solicitations are intended for members of CAPER to form collaborative teams and submit research proposals that are consistent with the mission for CAPER which is to advance, develop and promote research related to the reliable and efficient management of the power grid, including modeling and analysis techniques for generation, transmission and distribution planning and operation with and without presence of renewable energy resources. Project proposals are expected to align with the stated five research theme areas:
• Power Delivery Infrastructure and Systems
• Power Utilization and Energy Efficiency
• Power Generation, Storage and Integration
• Data Management, Analytics and Security
• Energy Policy, Markets and Economics
The formal solicitation for new research projects will be issued on December 15th, 2025 with a submission deadline of February 28th, 2026.
Submitted proposals shall follow the guidelines provided in the solicitation. Any questions related to the project proposals can be directed to the Center Director or one of the Steering Committee Members noted below:
Center Director: Dr. Robert Cox – UNC Charlotte University
Center Co-Director: Dr. Ramtin Hadidi – Clemson University
Center Co-Director: Dr. Badrul Chowdhury – UNC Charlotte
Center Co-Director: Dr. Ning Lu – NC State University
Center Steering Committee Chair: Drew Clarke – Duke Energy
You may also contact officers of the Industry Advisory Board noted below:
IAB Chair: Rebecca Rye – Dominion Energy
IAB Vice-Chair: Kat Sico – Duke Energy
Prior to submitting a project proposal, it was suggested that researchers and industry members attend CAPER’s 2025 Fall Workshop to promote discussions between universities and industry for the generation of research topics. Please reference “Research Topics to Consider for CAPER’s 2026 Proposal Solicitation” that are included in the Fall Workshop Highlights below. The linked documents will provide you with further direction and templates to be utilized for proposal submissions. Proposals are due to the attention of the Center Director, Dr. Robert Cox of UNC Charlotte by February 28th, 2026 and should be forwarded to caper-proposals@charlotte.edu.
2026 CAPER Research Proposal Submittal, Review and Approval Schedule:
|
Date |
Action Items |
| October 29-30, 2025 | Attend the CAPER 2025 Fall Workshop – Research Planning |
| December 15, 2025 | 2026 CAPER Research Solicitation Announced |
| February 28, 2026 | Deadline to submit proposals by email to: caper-proposals@charlotte.edu |
| March 6, 2026 | PIs notified on acceptance of proposal for presenting to the IAB |
| March 26, 2026 | Proposals presented to IAB at the CAPER 2026 Spring Meeting |
| April 28, 2026 | Center Director notifies Project Leads of selected proposals |
