Climate Collaboration Matching Grants

The UC Irvine Climate Collaboration is inviting proposals for Matching Grant Projects that facilitate and incentivize strategic collaborations with Community Partners such as community organizations, government agencies, special districts, businesses, non-governmental organizations, private foundations, tribes, or other entities. With the commitment of up to $50,000 by a Community Partner, an additional $50,000 matching funds are available through this program to fund 1-2 years of activity.

Today, universities across the U.S. are facing a rapidly changing landscape for Climate, Resilience and Sustainability (CRS) research— one that presents both challenges and opportunities. Never has there been a more important time to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders of our science, many of whom are end-users of the knowledge and technologies that we create and the employers of the students who we educate. It is also critical to engage with colleagues from complementary disciplines to broaden our perspectives.

This matching grant opportunity is designed to incentivize Community Partners who see potential in partnering with UC Irvine researchers around specific CRS challenges that they face, and to help UC Irvine researchers with the baseline level of support needed to deliver meaningful outcomes. It is envisioned that these activities will help to position the collaboration for future project opportunities of a larger scale. Furthermore, public outreach and communication of the collaboration will follow in a coordinated way to enhance the visibility of UC Irvine within the climate space.

Requirements for Matching Grant submission:

UC Irvine faculty members who are eligible to serve as Principal Investigators may apply. Award funds will be provided to support successful collaboration and research efforts, and we encourage funds to be used for support for a postdoctoral scholar (preferred) or doctoral student. Limited funds may also be requested for supplies, meetings, travel, or field research, as appropriate. Use of internal campus funds for faculty salaries (or course buyouts) is not allowed. While stakeholder/partners funds may be subject to indirect costs, depending on the type of award made, no indirect costs will be charged for the portion of the expenses covered by internal campus funds.

The deadline for initial submissions is July 1, 2025, with an October 1, 2025, start date. Future applications will be invited in 2026-27 as funding allows.

Applications should include a Project Title Page, a Project Description, References, Budget with justification, Community Partner commitment letter, 2-page biosketches for principal investigator(s), and a biosketch for the post-doctoral scholar or graduate student selected for the project (if known).

Project Title Page (1 page limit). Provide the project title, the names of the participating faculty, the names of participants from the Community Partner, a 250-word summary of the research activity, and a 100-word description of the collaboration opportunity.

Project Description (5 page limit). Use the following section titles: 1. Problem Statement. 2. Collaboration Team. 3. Project Objectives. 4. Project Activities, 5. Intellectual Merit, 6. Expected Societal Impact, 7. Expected UCI Impact (including benefits of the community partnership, and benefits to faculty in terms of professional growth).

An interdisciplinary faculty committee will review the applications and provide a ranked list to the UC Irvine Climate Collaboration. Proposal review will be based on the following factors:

• Potential for innovative and impactful CRS scholarship (50%)
• Expanding and/or strengthening the UC Irvine partner network (35%)
• Educational benefits (15%)

Final selection will be based on:

• Ranking from above
• Availability of funds

About the UC Irvine Climate Collaboration

The UC Irvine Climate Collaboration aims to bolster the research capacity of our faculty, catalyze promising new research directions at UC Irvine, grow and strengthen partnerships with our Community Partners, and create unique climate-relevant educational experiences for our students.

Figure 1. By initiating and expanding connections among faculty and community partners, and investing in promising opportunities, the UC Irvine Climate Collaboration aims to accelerate and amplify high-impact, solutions-oriented, research and teaching and further elevate the stature and visibility of the campus across climate-related fields.

More than a dozen Schools at UC Irvine engage in CRS research and education, which marks a unique strength of the campus and opportunity for innovation. Furthermore, Orange County offers numerous additional strengths including a strong business presence, public interest in the environment and the amenities that it provides, a track record of open space preservation and habitat restoration, and a commitment to bipartisan cooperation around the needs of the environment. Climate Collaboration Projects and Matching Grant Projects are envisioned to link disciplines and partners in new and impactful ways that contribute to the visibility and stature of UC Irvine as a leading academic institution within the broad area of climate. Across many projects, the UC Irvine Climate Collaboration aims to strengthen existing partnerships and initiate new ones. We also seek research impact at a range of scales, from local to global, and we encourage work across diverse geographies.