7 September 2011: Mexico and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea, have announced a joint contest to fund applied research and technological development projects on sustainable energy, with a total prize of US$2.5 million.

The aim of the contest is to strengthen the institutional capacity of academic and scientific communities and build alliances between the research community and the private sector to promote the adoption, innovation, assimilation, development and transfer of technologies related to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. Participants may apply for up to US$200,000 in research funding. In the case of proposals submitted by eligible Mexican institutions, participants may request up to US$400,000, so long as the project is submitted in partnership with another institution from any country in the region that is also a member of the IDB. The proposals must be submitted between 15 September and 31 October 2011. [IDB Press Release]