Group items tagged

The Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Region of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is offering a cooperative agreement for the study of Landfast Ice Climatology within the Arctic OCS, covering the areas of the Beaufort, Chukchi and possibly Bering seas. This study will examine the changes in landfast ice extent and stability over time and the physical forces driving these changes. This study will also investigate how the changing state of landfast ice conditions impact the oil and gas industry and the coastal communities at present and into the future. Field experiments that document the thermodynamic growth and decay of landfast ice will support validation of results from coupled ice-ocean circulation models used to support trajectory analyses for Oil Spill Risk Analysis (OSRA). This announcement is specifically to announce intent to undertake the project: Landfast Ice Climatology within the Arctic Alaska OCS Region, that is open to the University of Alaska Fairbanks via the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. The award will be a cooperative agreement. This involves substantial involvement by BOEM scientists in various aspects of study development and/or study conduct. The award is premised on receipt of an acceptable proposal. This is not an open solicitation for proposals.

In 2010, NSF established the Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES)1 investment area to lay the research foundation for decision capabilities and technologies aimed at mitigating and adapting to environmental changes that threaten sustainability. Some SEES investments advanced a systems-based approach to understanding, predicting, and reacting to stress upon, and changes in, the linked natural, social, and built environments. In this context, the importance of understanding the interconnected and interdependent systems involving food, energy, and water (FEW) has emerged. The NSF aims to specifically focus on advancing knowledge of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; the production and use of fertilizers for food production; and the detection, separation, and reclamation/recycling of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in and from complex aqueous environments.

In 2010, NSF established the Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES)1 investment area to lay the research foundation for decision capabilities and technologies aimed at mitigating and adapting to environmental changes that threaten sustainability. Some SEES investments advanced a systems-based approach to understanding, predicting, and reacting to stress upon, and changes in, the linked natural, social, and built environments. In this context, the importance of understanding the interconnected and interdependent systems involving food, energy, and water (FEW) has emerged. The NSF aims to specifically focus on advancing knowledge of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; the production and use of fertilizers for food production; and the detection, separation, and reclamation/recycling of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in and from complex aqueous environments.

The NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in collaboration with AAAS will offer an Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) webinar focusing on opportunities for funding in the IUSE: EHR program, specifically associated with the Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT) track of the IUSE program. An audio archive and slides will be posted after the webinar at https://aaas-iuse.org. The IUSE: EHR program "seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for all undergraduates." The program supports proposals interested in improving undergraduate education, developing faculty expertise, preparing K-12 teachers, and providing all undergraduate students with STEM competencies and a basic understanding of STEM concepts and principles. All projects must contribute to the body of knowledge about what works in undergraduate STEM education and the conditions that lead to improved STEM teaching and learning. The ICT track seeks to fund innovative work on systemic change that may be measured at the departmental, institutional, or multi-institutional level, or across communities of STEM educators and/or educational researchers. ICT projects are expected to include one or more theories of change to guide the proposed work and this webinar will provide information about expectations for Identifying and incorporating these theories of change.

Climate and Earth System Modeling is part of the Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD) of the U.S. Department of Energy?s Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER). The Climate and Earth System Modeling programs seek to develop and analyze high fidelity community models representing Earth and climate system variability and change, with a significant focus on the response of systems to natural and anthropogenic forcing. As the first of two programs in Climate and Earth System Modeling that participate in this FOA, the Earth System Modeling (ESM) Program seeks to advance computational, dynamical, and biogeophysical representations of the Earth system and its components, and to calibrate, test and assess predictive capabilities using uncertainty quantification methodologies. The second program participating in this FOA, the Regional and Global Climate Modeling (RGCM) Program, seeks to enhance the predictive understanding of the Earth system by analyzing the natural and anthropogenic components of global and regional Earth system models. The use of model simulations in combination with observations enables a deeper understanding of climate variability and change. The ESM and RGCM programs are thus complementary, with ESM focused mainly on climate model development, and RGCM focused mainly on climate system analysis. Both modeling programs collaborate and coordinate with the Terrestrial Ecosystem Science (TES) and Atmospheric System Research (ASR) programs, by utilizing TES and ASR process research activities to inform model development, and by using model simulations to identify where further process research is required in atmospheric and terrestrial systems.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing research to improve understanding of the effects of climate change on indoor air quality and the resulting health effects. EPA is interested in supporting research that will explore the anticipated effects of climate change on indoor air quality directly through a variety of mechanisms, and indirectly through adaptations in building use and design. This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing research to improve understanding of the effects of climate change on indoor air quality and the resulting health effects. EPA is interested in supporting research that will explore the anticipated effects of climate change on indoor air quality directly through a variety of mechanisms, and indirectly through adaptations in building use and design. This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research.

The community-based strategy of The Kresge Foundation's Climate Change, Health & Equity initiative is anchored by a multi-year effort that seeks to strengthen the leadership and effectiveness of community organizations working to implement policies and practices that improve climate resilience and reduce health risks equitably. Projects funded through the community-based strategy will advance the adoption and implementation of climate mitigation, climate adaptation and climate resilience policies and programs at the local, regional, and/or state levels that improve public health outcomes and drive investments to improve quality of life. This strategy will include a 14-month planning phase for roughly 12 to 15  sites, followed by a three-year implementation period. The deadline for submitting a letter of intent is 11:59 p.m. March 19, 2019. 

The Wildlife Conservation Society is inviting proposals from nonprofit conservation organizations through its Climate Adaptation Fund. Building on the society's 120-year history in long-term conservation efforts, the WCS Climate Adaptation Fund will award up to $2.5 million in grants in 2018. The grants are designed to strengthen the capacity of wildlife and ecosystems to adapt to climate change by enhancing dynamic ecological processes and ecosystem functionality (as opposed to projects that benefit a particular species or landscape attribute). Projects should focus on improving the adaptive capacity of ecosystems rather than simply conserving or restoring their historic conditions. Projects that implement joint mitigation and adaptation (JMA) approaches are encouraged. To be eligible, applicants must be a U.S.-based nonprofit conservation organization with 501(c)(3) status that incorporates climate adaptation science into its proposal and uses strategic communications to increase the conservation impact of its results. The fund also seeks on-the-ground projects using strategic communications to leverage broader impact through replication of adaptation practices across landscapes.

This program was created to ensure that the National Climate Change andWildlife Science Center is responsive to the research and management needs of Federal and State agencies to provide science and technical support regarding the impacts of climate change in fish, wildlife, plants and ecological processes. National coordination of research and modeling at regional centers will ensure uniformity of downscaling and forecasting models and standardized information to support management of fish and wildlife resources and regional partnership collaborations. The ClimateScience Centers will provide access to the expertise at cooperating universities and supports the mission of the Climate Science CenterProgram.

The purpose of Pest Management Alternatives Program (PMAP) is to provide support for the development and implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) practices, tactics, and systems for specific pest problems while reducing human and environmental risks. This purpose addresses the broad goals outlined in the "National Roadmap for Integrated Pest Management," developed by federal and non-federal IPM experts, practitioners, and stakeholders in 2004. The successful management of pest problems in commercial production is facing severe challenges due to regulatory changes, emergence of new pest problems, and the development of pest resistance to present management technologies. The greatest impact on current management technologies is in the production of specialty crops; however, other crops, including grain, forage and fiber, as well as animal health, are also being impacted by these changes.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals to the Arctic Sciences Section, Division of Polar Programs (PLR) to conduct research about the Arctic region. The goal of this solicitation is to attract research proposals that advance a fundamental, process, and systems-level understanding of the Arctic's rapidly changing natural environment and social and cultural systems, and, where appropriate, to improve our capacity to project future change. The Arctic Sciences Section supports research focused on the Arctic region and its connectivity with lower latitudes. The scientific scope is aligned with, but not limited to, research challenges outlined in the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (https://www.nsf.gov/geo/plr/arctic/iarpc/start.jsp) five-year plans. The Arctic Sciences Section coordinates with programs across NSF and with other federal and international partners to co-review and co-fund Arctic proposals as appropriate. The Arctic Sciences Section also maintains Arctic logistical infrastructure and field support capabilities that are available to enable research.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals to the Arctic Sciences Section, Division of Polar Programs (PLR) to conduct research about the Arctic region. The goal of this solicitation is to attract research proposals that advance a fundamental, process, and systems-level understanding of the Arctic's rapidly changing natural environment and social and cultural systems, and, where appropriate, to improve our capacity to project future change. The Arctic Sciences Section supports research focused on the Arctic region and its connectivity with lower latitudes. The scientific scope is aligned with, but not limited to, research challenges outlined in the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (https://www.nsf.gov/geo/plr/arctic/iarpc/start.jsp) five-year plans. The Arctic Sciences Section coordinates with programs across NSF and with other federal and international partners to co-review and co-fund Arctic proposals as appropriate. The Arctic Sciences Section also maintains Arctic logistical infrastructure and field support capabilities that are available to enable research.

Leopold Leadership Fellows lead change in many dimensions; the Leopold Leadership Program seeks to provide leadership training that is useful and relevant wherever Fellows choose to work. In its core training, the program offers two intensive training sessions a year apart to help Fellows gain the skills, approaches, and theoretical frameworks for translating their knowledge to action and for catalyzing change to address the world's most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges. At reunions and through advanced trainings, Fellows have the opportunity to reconnect, recharge, learn new approaches, and exchange ideas about integrating science into practice.

The goal of the Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) solicitation is to enhance the understanding and predict the interactions between the water system and land use changes (including agriculture, managed forest and rangeland systems), the built environment, ecosystem function and services and climate change/variability through place-based research and integrative models. Studies of the water system using models and/or observations at specific sites, singly or in combination, that allow for spatial and temporal extrapolation to other regions, as well as integration across the different processes in that system are encouraged, especially to the extent that they advance the development of theoretical frameworks and predictive understanding.

The overarching purpose of the program is to help create and train the next generation of leading researchers needed for climate studies. Anticipating the large amounts of data that was gathered from NOAA efforts, such as TOGA and TOGA COARE field programs, the research community required the attention of an enlarged workforce here and abroad. In a larger context, it was necessary to attract new PhD's to the community in order to establish the seeds of scientific leadership needed in the field of climate and global change research.  The fellowship program has developed an outstanding reputation of attracting the best and the brightest PhDs in the sciences relevant to the NOAA Climate Program Office Appointed fellows are hosted with mentoring scientists at U.S. universities and research institutions to work in an area of mutual interest. The program focuses on observing, understanding, modeling, and predicting climate variability and change on seasonal and longer time scales.

Patagonia funds only environmental work. We are most interested in making grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of problems and that approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. Because we believe that the most direct path to real change is through building grassroots momentum, our funding focuses on organizations that create a strong base of citizen support. We support small, grassroots, activist organizations with provocative direct-action agendas, working on multi-pronged campaigns to preserve and protect our environment. We help local groups working to protect local habitat, and think the individual battles to protect a specific stand of forest, stretch of river or indigenous wild species are the most effective in raising more complicated issues - particularly those of biodiversity and ecosystem protection - in the public mind. We look for innovative groups that produce measurable results, and we like to support efforts that force the government to abide by its own - our own - laws. Your efforts should be quantifiable, with specific goals, objectives and action plans, and should include measures for evaluating success. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to advancing the Administration?s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change, and lead international efforts to address global climate change. In recognition of the importance of the dual policy goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing climate resilience , the DOE? ? in close collaboration with other Federal agencies ? is launching an initiative to identify and showcase U.S. local and tribal governments that have proven to be climate leaders through pursuing opportunities to advance both of these goals in their communities. In particular, the initiative will select 10-15 U.S. local governments and tribal governments ? or regional collaborations or consortia thereof ? that demonstrate a strong and ongoing commitment to implementing strategies that both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance climate resilience, with a particular emphasis on strategies that further both goals. The DOE-led effort will provide a platform for other Federal agencies to participate in, and give leverage to, the activities of communities that are selected for this initiative. The Climate Action Champions competition will recognize local, regional, and tribal government entities that are leading emissions reductions and climate resilience efforts. DOE will work with other Federal partners to provide recognized entities with additional opportunities for financial and technical assistance, as well as facilitated peer-to-peer networking opportunities and mentorship, to support and advance their greenhouse gas emissions reduction and climate resilience objectives. This initiative will have the added objective of aligning assets at the Federal level and marshalling private, public, and philanthropic dollars at the local level. The full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Applications must be

The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) of the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for research that supports the Genomic Science research program (http://genomicscience.energy.gov). In this FOA, applications are requested for: i) Systems-level research to better understand the molecular and physiological mechanisms that control bioenergy crop vigor, resource use efficiency, and resilience/adaptability to abiotic stress, as well as interactions with the surrounding environment, in order to increase biomass productivity under changing and at times suboptimal conditions; ii) Systems biology-enabled investigations into the role(s) of microbial and microbial communities in the complex and multi-scaled interactions of the plant-soil-environment: contribution(s) to bioenergy feedstock plant performance, adaptation, and resilience in the face of a broad range of changing environmental conditions and abiotic stressors (e.g., climate), and the impacts of introducing bioenergy cropping systems on the local ecosystem.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Alaska Science Center (ASC) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to support an evaluation of how changes to foraging behavior may be influencing contaminant exposure of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea. Specifically, the objective is to use adipose tissue samples to estimate polar bear diets and quantify exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation of polar bears has experienced sea ice loss leading to an increasing trend of polar bears spending time on land during summer and possibly increased divergent foraging strategies with differential exposure to contaminants. A characterization of dietary influence on exposure may reveal whether changing behavior has the potential to mediate declines in polar bear health.

This FOA encourages applications that develop, strengthen, and evaluate transdisciplinary approaches, methods, and investigative teams in basic behavioral, social, and/or biobehavioral research to generate fundamental knowledge of the reciprocal linkages between sleep and stress. Stress can result in sleep disruption due to both psychological as well as physiological changes. Sleep disruption can result in physiological changes; however, individuals may not recognize or identify impairment due to sleep disruption. This initiative supports the development of research teams to understand how basic individual, social, biological, and environmental factors interact in a dynamic relationship between sleep patterns and psychosocial stress to influence health, wellness, disease, and/or treatment adherence.