Summary of this Funding Opportunity

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) addresses the health and resilience challenges of US Gulf Coast communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change. One approach the GRP is taking to address these challenges is to build the capacity of communities to mitigate future climate risks. Though there are numerous resources available to assist communities in becoming more resilient to climate impacts, these resources often do not reach or benefit those communities most at-risk. In addition, much of the available funding is directed toward traditional mitigation measures (e.g., dams, levees, floodwalls) rather than alternate strategies such as nature-based solutions (NBS), and many communities do not have the subject matter expertise to develop strategies that include NBS.

This funding opportunity focuses on the importance of NBS as part of a strategy to mitigate climate-related hazards. Specifically, this opportunity will fund collaborations between subject matter experts and local or tribal governments that engage diverse groups of community stakeholders to adapt an existing or design a new project that incorporates one or more NBS. The NBS must (1) mitigate one or more climate-related hazards in an at-risk community that is disproportionately impacted by the selected hazard(s), (2) have the potential to enhance human health and/or community resilience, and (3) incorporate equity into the planning and design process.

The GRP is accepting proposals from U.S. academic institutions and nonprofit research organizations.

Award Details

Phase 1: Planning Grant

Final Phase 1 deliverable: Full Proposal.

Phase 2: Project Design Grant

The GRP expects to award 4 of the 10 proposals submitted at the end of Phase 1.

Final Phase 2 deliverable: Fully designed project that incorporates a NBS.

Key Dates

Phase 1: Planning Grant

• February 14, 2022: Planning grant opens
• April 8, 2022: Deadline for submission of proposals due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• September 2022: Award selection and notification
• October 15, 2022: Funding start date
• May 14, 2023: Funding end date
• July 15, 2023: Final reports due

Phase 2: Project Design Grant

• April 2023: Phase 2 proposal submission site opens
• May 31, 2023: Phase 2 proposal submission deadline
• August 2023: Award selection and notification
• September 2023: Anticipated funding start date

Dates last updated: January 13, 2023

Online submission website: https://gulfresearchprogram.smapply.io/

The Challenge

Climate change is exacerbating a cluster of socio-ecological challenges (e.g., social inequities, health disparities, extreme weather and disaster impacts) in U.S. Gulf Coast communities. Responding to climate change involves both mitigation and adaptation actions at different levels of governance, and NBS are a promising approach for action at the community level. Yet much of the available funding is directed toward traditional mitigation measures (e.g., dams, levees, floodwalls). And most funding for traditional mitigation measures, much less NBS, is not allocated to at-risk communities. In addition, most communities do not have the subject matter expertise to develop alternate strategies that include NBS.

NBS are “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing for human well-being and biodiversity benefits.” [1] There are potential advantages to employing NBS over traditional mitigation measures. For example, they can be more sustainable, cost-effective, and produce greater co-benefits compared to traditional methods. They can also be tailored to address specific community priorities and values. These advantages suggest that NBS can both mitigate climate change as well as other socio-ecological challenges in communities.

Purpose of this funding opportunity

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support partnerships between subject matter experts and local or tribal governments that engage diverse community stakeholders to adapt an existing or design a new project that incorporates one or more NBS that:

1. mitigates one or more climate-related hazards (e.g., sea level rise, flooding, extreme heat, etc.) in an at-risk community that is disproportionately impacted by the selected hazard(s),
2. has the potential to enhance human health and/or community resilience, and
3. incorporates equity (e.g., in the planning and design process, by bringing diverse voices to the table, by enhancing the health of at-risk community members, etc.).

Eligible projects could include designing a project to convert existing grey infrastructure into green infrastructure or designing a new project that incorporates NBS.

The GRP is accepting proposals from U.S. academic institutions or nonprofit research organizations. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are strongly encouraged to apply. Communities must be located in the GRP’s geographic focus area, which includes the coastal regions of all five U.S. states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and Southcentral Alaska. Applicants are encouraged to submit innovative project ideas.

This funding opportunity consists of two phases:

Phase 1: Planning Grant

The purpose of Phase 1 is to provide project director(s) and team member(s) the opportunity to:

1. build new or expand existing partnerships;
2. engage community stakeholders;
3. co-develop with the project partners a full proposal that details how the partnership will design the NBS during Phase 2. Proposals could put forth ideas to design a project to convert existing grey infrastructure into green infrastructure or design a new project that incorporates NBS.

The GRP expects to fund 10 six-month planning grants.

Final Phase 1 deliverable: Full Proposal.

Phase 2: Project Design Grant

The purpose of Phase 2 is to provide project directors, team members, and partners the opportunity to adapt an existing or design a new project that incorporates one or more NBS to mitigate an identified climate-related hazard(s).

The GRP expects to fund four of the ten full proposals submitted at the end of Phase 1.

Final Phase 2 deliverable: Fully designed project that incorporates a NBS.

[1] The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “Nature-Based Solutions for People and Planet.” IUCN. IUCN, 2022. https://www.iucn.org/theme/nature-based-solutions