Climate Resilience Centers | DE FOA 0003181

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003181

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, through its Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program, is offering grants to establish Climate Resilience Centers (CRCs). The main purpose is to close a major gap in U.S. climate research: understanding climate change impacts at fine, local scales in ways that are directly useful to communities. The opportunity is built around the reality that climate risks often fall hardest on disadvantaged communities due to higher exposure and fewer resources to adapt, so the CRCs are designed to support equitable, community-informed climate solutions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.

At its core, the program aims to create place-based research and engagement hubs at eligible institutions that can connect DOE-supported climate science with real regional needs. BER is looking for centers that do two things at once: advance scientific research on local and community climate impacts, and build strong two-way partnerships with stakeholders (such as local governments, community organizations, and other regional decision-makers). That "two-way engagement" is a key theme: CRCs are expected not only to translate and make DOE research more accessible for communities, but also to bring local knowledge, priorities, and lived experience back into DOE climate research planning so federal research better reflects on-the-ground realities.

The opportunity frames climate resilience as a community or region's ability to recover after climate-driven stresses and damages while minimizing harm to natural systems, local economies, infrastructure, and financial stability. A major emphasis is on prediction and decision support: resilience planning depends on high-quality modeling and other analytical tools that can anticipate climate-induced stresses and damages before they occur. The FOA highlights the need to evaluate different adaptation strategies, compare their outcomes, and consider equity and timing, including how quickly resources can realistically reach communities. Example problem areas include sea level rise and coastal impacts, rising heat stress and threats to energy system reliability, and increasing risks from wildfires or hurricanes affecting ecosystems and people. The overall goal is to improve how communities understand time-dependent climate stressors and how they can strengthen adaptive capacity over mid- and long-term horizons.

CRCs are expected to concentrate on local-level efforts that surface and organize the kinds of inputs that make fine-scale resilience work possible. That includes identifying relevant datasets, technical and procedural information, models tailored to local contexts, and the specific community conditions that shape vulnerability and resilience. By doing this work locally, centers can enable new investigations that are better grounded in actual community needs, while also expanding the usability of DOE-supported research for planning, preparedness, and equitable policy choices.

A major secondary goal is capacity building. BER is explicitly using this program to strengthen climate resilience research capability at institutions that are often underrepresented in large federal research portfolios. The centers are meant to build and retain talent, enhance institutional capabilities, and create a durable resource for continued climate research and resilience problem-solving. BER also anticipates longer-term ripple effects: CRCs could spark additional research in climate and energy, contribute to future technology innovation, and support workforce and job creation in regions that host these centers.

Eligibility is restricted under DOE competition rules (2 CFR 910.126) to domestic applicants that are either (1) Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that are not classified as R1 research institutions, or (2) emerging research institutions, defined here as institutions of higher education with established undergraduate or graduate programs and less than $50 million in annual federal research expenditures. The FOA notes that institutions meeting the criteria either at publication or by the pre-application deadline are considered eligible, and it provides an official designation list through DOE. The program also reiterates BER's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and states that expanding participation of underrepresented groups in BER research is a central objective.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category (Assistance Listing/CFDA 81.049), managed by the DOE Office of Science. The funding opportunity number is DE-FOA-0003181. The original closing date listed is March 9, 2024, and the award ceiling is $1,000,000 per award.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Climate Resilience Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-10-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DE FOA 0003181

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