CIGRE Innovation and Education Fund - Powered by CIGRE, announcement by CIGRE President Konstantin Papailiou

09 January 2026

It has been my dream, and it is now my honor to announce one of the greatest strategic directions for our CIGRE, the CIGRE Innovation and Education Fund. This CIGRE FUND is an Endowment Fund that will further CIGRE’s Mission for technical knowledge sharing for the future of One Grid for our Energy Transition.

The CIGRE FUND is a nonprofit entity based in France, independent of CIGRE, but its purpose is tied to CIGRE directly. I want to thank all CIGRE members who overwhelmingly voted the recent General Assembly to seed the CIGRE FUND with 1.5 million euros from CIGRE’s cash reserves. Also, I’m pleased to announce that many around the world have already expressed intentions to me directly to help add funds to our initiative.

The CIGRE FUND is intended to solicit grant applications annually from CIGRE groups, such as National Committees, Regional Councils, the Technical Council, and Study Committees. The grants will be dedicated to the global advancement of power system technology and expertise. The grants are intended to support and finance projects and programs per the Bylaws as follows:

Research and Development Projects & Programs in the field of electrical power systems and the energy transition ensuring a diversity of grants worldwide over a reasonable period of time;
Graduate scholarships under those Projects & Programs;
Projects & Programs focusing on membership educational initiatives, and future growth in membership in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics);
Humanitarian Projects & Programs in the field of electrical power systems and the energy transition, and notably humanitarian Projects & Programs to enable sustainable electricity for those less fortunate;
Other Projects & Programs in alignment with CIGRE’s mission for greater innovation and education in the field of electrical power systems and the energy transition.

The solicitation of grants for the CIGRE FUND is in addition to the traditional funding for National Committees annually that recently went from 50,000 euros per year to 150,000. In alignment with CIGRE’s policies, the CIGRE FUND will not participate directly in commercial or political Projects & Programs.

CIGRE FUND Governance

The CIGRE FUND Board of Directors (BOD) will be 3-11 members chosen by the CIGRE President with consent by the CIGRE Steering Committee. The BOD appoints Endowment Officers (3-7 people), also called the Executive Committee, and the Investment Committee (3 people). These committees report independently to the BOD. The Investment Committee must retain independence, and its members will not serve concurrently on the BOD or the Executive Committee.

Selections for the positions come from the Steering Committee, Administrative Council, Study Committee Chairs, and past officers. The full terms are all two-year terms, maximum six years not including partial terms. I’m pleased to announce the following appointments:

BOARD OF DIRECTORS (partial term to 2026 Paris Session)

Konstantin Papailiou - Chair by position as CIGRE President [Greece]
Rannveig Loken - currently CIGRE Technical Council Chair [Norway]
Michael Heyeck - currently CIGRE VP Finance & Treasurer [United States]
Philippe Adam - non-voting by position as Secretary General [France]

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (partial term ending December 31, 2026)

Michael Heyeck - Endowment President [United States]
Pranvera Dobruna Kryeziu - Endowment Secretary (VP) [Kosovo]
Mohamed Rashwan - Endowment Treasurer (VP) [Canada]
Additional Endowment Vice Presidents:
Michael Augonnet – former CIGRE President [France]
Marcio Szechtman – former CIGRE Technical Council Chair [Brasil]
Peter McIntyre [Australia]
Mark Waldron – former CIGRE Technical Council Chair [United Kingdom]

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE (partial term ending December 31, 2026)

Rudolf Meier - Investment Committee President [Switzerland]
Jianbin Fan [China]
Javier Iglesias [Spain]

The CIGRE FUND may appoint a CIGRE FUND ADMINISTRATOR or GENERAL MANAGER to assist per contract either with CIGRE or individually. I’m pleased to report that the BOD consented to appoint Gerald Sanchis [France] for this role part time.

ANNUAL BUDGETS & GRANTS

The budget and grant decisions recommended by the Executive Committee will be approved by the BOD. Annual grant allocations are intended to be limited to net earnings and annual pledge donations of the CIGRE FUND. Individual grants shall not be larger than 25% of the annual allocations so that geographic diversity be achieved over a reasonable period.

CIGRE FUND OPERATIONS

As is the CIGRE practice, the Board, Officers and Committee members shall not be compensated except for reimbursement for approved travel expenses. The CIGRE FUND will require contractors for such functions as accounting, audits legal, marketing, communications, website development, reporting, meetings and those functions ordinary for similar endowment activities. The CIGRE FUND shall make great use of the CIGRE Central Office by contract with rates appropriate with no burden to CIGRE nor profit.

SUMMARY

There is much to be done, but we intend a presence on CIGRE.org for the CIGRE FUND soon that will provide updates. Grant solicitations will come soon to National Committees, so begin to think about proposals with the scope of projects and programs included above.

In closing I cannot be prouder of our CIGRE. We are thinking about every facet of the grid with the power of CIGRE’s integrating role of markets, sources, transmission, distribution, demand and the grid edge. We are embarking on funding research, scholarships and humanitarian needs to provide sustainable electricity for all.

We work better ways for society in CIGRE and the CIGRE FUND is now powered by CIGRE to assist our One Grid approach for the Energy Transition.