Looking for an opportunity to catalyze efficient, sustainable transport? The Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship wants to help you transform ideas into reality.

The Schipper family, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, Volvo Research and Education Foundations (VREF) and the Kuehne Climate Center are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship for Sustainable Transport and Energy Efficiency. Jointly provided by VREF, WRI, the Kuehne Climate Center and the Schipper Family, the scholarship will award five extraordinary candidates up to US$12,500 each to advance transformative research in efficient and sustainable transport, including:

  • Two international scholars
  • One African scholar
  • One international scholar researching sustainable freight transport or logistics
  • One African scholar researching sustainable freight transport or logistics

Applications are due by April 17, 2026.

Dr. Leon J. Schipper (“Lee” or “Mr. Meter”), 1947–2011, was a co-founder of EMBARQ (now WRI’s Urban Mobility program) and dedicated his professional life to the efficient use of energy in mobility. An international physicist, researcher and musician, Schipper inspired and shaped the thinking of a generation of students and professionals. Widely recognized for enriching policy dialogue with his passion for data and challenging conventional wisdom, this scholarship celebrates his vision.

2025 winners Ignacio Tiznado Aitken, Shreya Banerjee and Mienke Knipe presented their research at Transforming Transportation 2026 in March.

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About the Scholarship

The Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship aims to expand contributions to research and policy dialogue about sustainable transport and energy efficiency. It prioritizes “iconoclastic” contributions that yield clear, transformative outputs and drive measurable change. Proposals relating to different aspects of policy dialogue are welcome, including data collection and quality, diagnosis through data analysis (qualitative and quantitative), policy analysis and evaluation, and interdisciplinary and international comparative analysis.

Who’s Eligible?

The scholarship is open to young researchers, defined as individuals with five or fewer years of experience since their last academic degree (master’s or Ph.D.) and who have not yet turned 36 years by the expression of interest submission deadline (born after April 17, 1990[1]). There are no geographic restrictions on scholarship applicants, so young researchers and students of all national origins and fields are eligible to apply. While applications should be submitted in English, research may be completed in other languages to enhance its impact.

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Consistency with Lee Schipper’s contributions
  • Alignment with the idea of sustainable transport and energy efficiency
  • Creation of innovative, transformational outcomes (“real impact”)
  • Feasibility (timely, realistic)
  • Applicant (affiliation, background, previous contributions, references)

Additional Freight Transport Scholar Eligibility Requirements

In addition to the global selection criteria above, applicants to the two freight scholarships should propose research projects related to sustainable freight transport or logistics.

Additional African Scholar Eligibility Requirements

The two African Scholarships support young researchers from the African continent currently living and working in Africa. In addition to the global selection criteria above, applicants to the African Scholarship should also:

  • Hold citizenship in an African country
  • Currently live and work in Africa
  • Be associated with an African-based institution (or an African branch of an international institution)
  • Propose research taking place in Africa

How to Apply

The first selection phase requires an expression of interest to be completed by April 17, 2026. Candidates chosen to advance to the next selection round will be notified in May 2026, when a more detailed research proposal will be required. Final awardees will be notified in August 2026.

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[1] The eligibility periods can be extended in case of specific and properly documented circumstances such as parental leave. In case of parental leave, the applicant may request up to 18 months’ extension of eligibility for each child born. The Scholarship Committee will assess the eligibility period on the basis of evidence provided at the time of submission of the expression of interest.