UC Research and Innovation is pleased to announce the release of the 2023 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the California Climate Action Research Initiative. This funding opportunity is part of a historic partnership between the University and the state of California to combat climate change through investments in climate action research that will have swift and measurable impact. Approximately $80 million is available in this competition to fund projects that propose action-oriented solutions that address California’s climate goals and needs, ensure that local communities are prepared and resilient, and prevent future disasters.
Due to the high level of interest, research teams are encouraged to visit the UC California Climate Action website and to carefully read the RFP before preparing the letter of intent and full proposal. Please check the Frequently Asked Questions page: https://uckeepresearching.org/faq/ and submit any questions online here or by email at climate@ucop.edu.
Award Amount and Details
This competition offers grants in two distinct categories:
- California Climate Action Seed Grants ($500,000 - $2 million /award)
- California Climate Action Matching Grants ($2 million - $10 million/award)
Deadlines and Date Information
Applications should be submitted through the SmartSimple portal of UC’s Research Grants Program Office. The SmartSimple system will begin accepting California Climate Action applications on Tuesday, December 19, 2022.
- UC Climate Action Seed Awards
- Required Letters of Intent Due: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 12:00 pm PT
- Full Proposals Due: Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 12:00 pm PT
- UC Climate Action Matching Grants
- Required Letters of Intent Due: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 12:00 pm PT
- Full Proposals Due: Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 12:00 pm PT
Eligibility Information
The following eligibility criteria apply to both grant categories.
Organization Eligibility:
- The lead organization (“Applicant Institution”) must be from the University of California system, California State University system, or California private colleges and universities.
- At least one collaborating California research institution is required for the Matching Grant category and encouraged for the Seed Grant category. Eligible collaborating organizations include other eligible Applicant Institutions as well as community colleges and non-degree granting research institutions. Collaborating research institutions from outside of California may participate in the project using non-state resources.
- At least one California-located or registered “community/end-user partner,” as appropriate to the research scope, is required for the Matching Grant category and encouraged for the Seed Grant category. Community/end-user partners can include industry, state or local agencies, California communities, community organizations, labor, tribal groups, or other public and private organizations working to advance climate resilience, adaptation, or mitigation.
Principal Investigator Eligibility:
- All proposals must be submitted by a lead Applicant Principal Investigator (“Applicant PI”) with PI status at an Applicant Institution.
- An individual may serve as Applicant PI on only one proposal in response to this RFP. However, the Applicant PI may serve as a co-PI on other proposals.
Project Eligibility:
- All research activities must be based in California.
- All proposals must address California climate action priorities and describe one or more actionable outcomes, interventions, products, or tangible benefits that will be produced within 1-3 years of receipt of funding. A partial list of resources can be found in Appendix A.
- All research must be open, with no restrictions on publication.
- Publications are required to comply with the University of California Open Access policy as well as state requirements (AB 2192 in 2018)
