The Energy Research Data Hub was developed on the premise that campus-scale energy data holds research value that has not been fully tapped. The Hub is a data lake containing 6+ years of granular, standardized campus energy and weather.
To that end, ERIK, in partnership with the Sustainability Institute and the AI(X) Hub is offering seed funding for an academic project that uses this data to generate new knowledge and insight. We invite proposals from Ohio State PIs and research scientists who have a compelling research question and want the data infrastructure to pursue it.
The Energy Research Data Hub contains four core datasets spanning multiple years of Ohio State campus operations:
- Smart Meter Data - 15-minute interval consumption readings across campus buildings from 2016 to present. Covers 289 buildings and 1,030 totalizer meters for electricity, gas, steam, heat, and cooling, including both energy and power measurements.
- Building Information - Physical and operational characteristics of metered buildings
- Occupancy Proxy (Wi-Fi) - Hourly occupancy estimates derived from campus Wi-Fi activity, available from late 2025 to present, broken down by building, floor, and space ID.
- Weather Data - Hourly historical weather conditions for the campus location, including temperature, humidity, wind, and solar radiation (direct, diffuse, and shortwave).
Data are available as .tar files for download or via the AWS platform for cloud-based querying. The Hub offers two access tiers: a curated, flattened version with appropriate joins that is ready for modeling and machine learning workflows, and a raw form that has been cleansed and is available for teams that prefer to do their own data preparation. To obtain sample data, or get help with accessing data, please email Whitney Purdum (purdum.25@osu.edu).
Fall 2026 Competition Details
Proposal timeline
- Monday, September 28, 2026 - RFP released
- Monday, October 19, 2026, 3 p.m. - Virtual info session #1
- Wednesday, October 21, 10 a.m. - Virtual info session #2
- Friday, October 23, 1 p.m. - Virtual info session #3
- Friday, January 15, 2027, 5 p.m. - Full proposals due
- Friday, February 26, 2027 - Notice of award
- Monday, April 12, 2027 - Funds released
- Monday, May 3, 2027 - Project start date
- Monday, May 8, 2028 - Project end date
- Friday, September 1, 2028 - Final report due
Focus areas and eligibility
We welcome proposals that treat the Hub itself as an object of study - for example, projects that develop pipelines, tools or frameworks that improve how the data can be used, provided they are grounded in a clear research question. Competitive proposals can be across a wide range of topics and will include:
- Advance understanding of campus or building energy efficiency, demand, or sustainability
- Apply AI or machine learning to surface insights that traditional analysis would miss
- Make creative use of underutilized campus data, or combine Hub datasets with external sources in novel ways
- Explore behavioral patterns that inform sustainable outcomes - for example, occupant habits that reveal opportunities for targeted efficiency interventions
We encourage the integration of additional data sets into the research question.
Topics can include but are not limited to:
- Building performance & engineering: occupancy-driven load forecasting, thermal envelope benchmarking, fault detection, demand flexibility
- Sustainability & the built environment: campus carbon accounting, emissions attribution, life-cycle energy analysis
- Behavioral approaches: occupant behavior modeling, evaluation of conservation interventions, space utilization and energy intensity
- AI and machine learning: anomaly detection, end-use load disaggregation, predictive occupancy modeling, transfer learning across buildings
- Interdisciplinary and policy-oriented work: proposals that bridge technical and social dimensions, or translate findings into actionable recommendations
- Data infrastructure: projects that develop pipelines, tools, or frameworks that improve or expand how the Hub's data can be accessed or used, provided they are grounded in a clear research question.
Eligibility
- Position: The PI must hold an Ohio State appointment as a faculty or research scientist before funds are received.
- Team composition: Team members/roles must be described on the team roster, and each member must provide a signed commitment. The size and structure of the team is open and should be driven by the research question and scope. We encourage diverse, interdisciplinary teams, but this is not required. The team should reflect the needs of the research.
- Topics: Proposals should clearly articulate a research question, explain how the Hub's data will be used to answer it, and describe the expected output, whether a publication, model, tool, or policy recommendation. Proposals where the Hub's data is incidental to the research will be considered less competitive than those where access to this data is what makes the research possible.
- Data access: Awardees will receive full access to the Energy Research Data Hub following the award notification. The Data Hub Project Manager will be available to help teams understand the platform's technical resources and navigate available computing infrastructure, including access to the Ohio Supercomputer Center.
Award details
One proposal will be selected for funding. The base award size will be $25,000.
Financial add-ons for compute are possible depending on the technical components of the proposal. Depending on the topic and compute needs, proposals may be eligible for additional support from the Sustainability Institute and/or the AI(x) Hub. This support could take the form of supplemental funding or in-kind services such as technical assistance, computing resources, or subject matter expertise. Awardees are encouraged to discuss potential partnership opportunities with program staff during the proposal process. Proposals seeking partner support with Sustainability Institute or AI(x) Hub should describe the relevance of their work to these organizations.
Fund Administration: Grantees will receive 100% of the funds at the start of the award. Grant funds will be transferred to an account designated by the department of the named Principal Investigator (PI)
Grant duration: Projects may be funded for up to twelve months from the effective date of the award (May 3, 2027). All funds must be expended within this period. Time extension requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Final report: Grantees are required to submit a final report for their awards. They should be concise, written for a general audience, include appropriate graphics (e.g. photos, charts), and be suitable for publication via online or print media.
Funding Use: Funds may not be used for capital improvements or faculty time. Any unused funds at the time of the final report shall be returned to ERIK.
Matching Funds: Depending on the topic, proposals may be eligible for additional support from the Sustainability Institute and/or the AI(x) Hub. This support could take the form of supplemental funding or in-kind services such as technical assistance, computing resources, or subject matter expertise. Awardees are encouraged to discuss potential partnership opportunities with program staff during the proposal process. Proposals seeking partner support should describe the relevance of their work to these organizations.
Proposal instructions
Proposals should include a clear research question, a description of how the Hub's data (and any additional data sets) will be used to answer it, and the expected output (e.g. a publication, model, tool, or policy recommendation).
Proposals must be submitted in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and should not exceed 5 pages, excluding the reference list and summary slide. All components should be combined into a single PDF.
Proposal requirements
Proposal Narrative: The proposal should include the following:
- Descriptive title
- Lay summary (50 words maximum): A plain-language description of the project suitable for a general audience.
- Impact: Describe the expected impact of the proposed work — this could include direct implications for Ohio State's campus operations, broader applicability to university or building settings, contributions to modeling or policy, or other relevant outcomes.
- Objectives, Approach, and Expected Results: Describe the project objectives, the team's approach to achieving them, and the tangible outputs (e.g., a publication, model, or policy recommendation). Include expected short- and long-term benefits and identify potential sources of future funding (e.g., NSF, DOE).
- Team Qualifications: Describe the relevant expertise of key team members and their primary disciplines.
- Budget Justification: Describe how grant funds will be used and identify any matching resources needed to complete the project.
Proposal submission
Submitted proposals should be provided in a single PDF format on Friday, January 15th, 2027, to the Energy Research Data Hub Project Manager via email – purdum.25@osu.edu.