Dear Colleagues,
The California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE) at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), in partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and the Fifth Assessment Team, is soliciting proposals to fund research that fills critical gaps in the scientific literature related to understanding and adapting to climate change impacts in California. In the last decade, Californians have endured severe drought, floods, historic wildfires, rising seas, and record temperatures all driven by climate change. Fostering resilience to these impacts requires sustained investment in climate change research and science. The Fifth Assessment is underway to produce a suite of original climate research to equip communities and leaders across the state with the best available science to inform their adaptation planning and decision-making processes.
The purpose of this solicitation is to fund critical climate change research that fills demonstrable gaps in the scientific literature related to understanding and adapting to climate impacts. This work will be used to inform other Fifth Assessment products, including a series of regional synthesis reports, statewide topical synthesis reports, and a statewide summary of Fifth Assessment findings and key takeaways. The Fifth Assessment research products may be used to inform state- and local-level climate planning, policies, and actions, and must demonstrate alignment with the State's climate agenda.
Please see the RFP for the full list of all 27 listed Climate Research Topics. They are intended to reflect key gaps in California's climate research that the Fifth Assessment might address. Researchers are encouraged to consider these research priorities in determining the scope of individual proposals submitted under this RFP. Researchers, however, may propose topics not listed provided it fills a demonstratable gap in research needed to better understand climate change impacts, trends, and events in California and/or potential actions to adaptively respond to these changes and to build resilience throughout the State.
Partial List of Climate Research Topics:
CRT-1. Evaluation of climate change adaptation strategies to understand the equity implications and potential unintended consequences on vulnerable communities, including potential for job loss as well as workforce opportunities in emerging and expanding industries and technologies.
CRT-12. Impacts of drought and climate change-induced aridity on surface and groundwater supply, changes to surface-groundwater connections, and recharge potential, including the economic and equity impacts of these changes.
CRT-13. Impacts and cascading effects of future extreme heat and drought on agricultural productivity including, but not limited to, the effect on crop patterns, pollinator health, food security (cost and nutritional availability), and economic viability. Evaluate how competing uses for water during periods of drought have impacted agricultural production, and the effect of future climate changes, regulations, and water systems.
CRT-15. Combined heat and drought impacts on soil quality, soil dust levels, and resultant air quality changes in deserts and other California ecoregions.
CRT-21. Impacts of climate change on forest health and how cultural and prescribed burning can build resilience to these impacts.
CRT-23. Effects of climate change on California Native American tribes' traditional food sources, food systems, and culturally important species.
California's Fifth Climate Change Assessment - Core Climate Research Program
The complete application requirements are available at the following link: https://uc-ciee.org/projects/californias-fifth-climate-change-assessment/
Applications are due by July 17, 2023 at 5:00 pm PT.
There are not minimum or maximum award amounts under this solicitation, thereby creating opportunity to fund a range projects, such as smaller projects that leverage other funds or larger critical projects.
The California Natural Resources Agency will be hosting an informational webinar regarding this solicitation on June 13, 2023, at 10:00 am PDT. The webinar will cover the overall goals of the solicitation, timelines, and proposal submission. A registration link can be found at: https://governorca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uXgV3jkTSquNUluG_cMDBQ#/registration.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)