Climate change planning grants

Purpose of grant

The purpose of this funding call is to support new collaborators in laying the groundwork for successful partnerships that address key facets of climate change. Our call is broad in scope, so applications can propose planning projects with foci that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Creating shared norms, expectations, nomenclature, and so forth for a large interdisciplinary team
• Exploring a basic or applied research study design
• Engaging community stakeholders to scope a project around community-identified research needs
• Completing necessary analyses to inform study design
• Testing feasibility of proposed study methodologies
• Exploring new directions for existing research
• Planning for and/or submission of a grant application

Applicants are required to propose projects involving new interdisciplinary collaborations as the initiative views such partnerships as being critical to advancing the university’s vision for healthy people and a healthy planet.

Eligibility

Open to faculty members and PI-eligible research scientists from all three University of Washington campuses (Bothell, Seattle, Tacoma) are encouraged to apply for these planning grants.

To encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, applications will only be accepted from project teams that consist of a minimum of two UW principal investigators (PIs), with each holding primary appointments in different and distinct academic departments. Additional PIs or co-PIs beyond this minimum are welcome and encouraged. We also strongly encourage teams to engage community-based partners as PIs and co-PIs for these planning grants.

These planning grants are intended to advance new interdisciplinary collaborations. To apply, a project team must include at least one individual with no previous working relationship with the other member(s) of the team. We define a prior working relationship as having: (1) appeared as co-authors together on a peer-reviewed journal article, and/or (2) appeared together on the personnel list for an extramural grant application. You can search for potential collaborators through EarthLab’s virtual showcase of lightning talks on climate change, the Initiative’s database of climate change experts and/or attend an April 11, 2023 Open Space-style collaborative dialogue and networking session.

Funds will be disbursed to the department of a designated lead UW PI for day-to-day administration. Budgets must be able to accept non-discretionary gift funds. Departments that are not accustomed to working with community-based partners can seek administrative support from the Population Health Initiative.

If awarded, applicants will be required to submit a final report detailing project accomplishments and final budget reconciliation within 15 calendar days following the end of the funding period. Submission of the final report will trigger release to the team of the Request for Application for the special autumn 2023 funding call for climate change-focused Population Health Initiative pilot grants.

Timeline

The timeline for this funding opportunity is:

• Application Due: May 1, 2023 (11:59 p.m. Pacific)
• Award Notification Made: mid-May, 2023
• Period of Performance: June 20 – August 18, 2023

All awardees will be automatically qualified to apply for a special autumn 2023 funding call for climate change-focused Population Health Initiative pilot grants. Those applications will be due on October 1, 2023, allowing successful awardees to begin work on their proposed projects during this calendar year.

Budget

Awards of up to $10,000 in total expenses per project are available from the Population Health Initiative. We encourage applicants to request no more than is required to complete the proposed work to maximize the number of projects supported by this funding.

School, college and/or departmental matching funds are encouraged but not required. Matching funds can take the form of either discretionary/non-discretionary monies or in-kind support. Other sponsored research projects cannot be counted as matching funds.

Funds will be disbursed to the department of the lead UW PI for day-to-day administration. Budgets must be able to accept non-discretionary gift funds. Departments that are not accustomed to working with community-based partners can seek administrative support from the Population Health Initiative.

Allowed expenses include:

• Personnel (i.e., salaries and benefits for faculty and students as well as staff at the UW or a community-based organization)
• Equipment, materials and supplies
• Travel, including airfare, transportation, and per diem (lodging, meals and expenses)
• Tuition for graduate students
• Other direct costs related to the project (must detail the expense and include rationale)

Unallowable expenses include:

• Indirect/overhead costs
• Publication and patent cost
• Office supplies
• Administrative support
• Marketing efforts

All allowable expenses must adhere to applicable University of Washington policies. Please engage your department’s finance contact with questions regarding such expenses. In addition, an Office of Sponsored Programs review is not needed prior to submitting an application.

Review criteria

Successful planning grant applications should:

• Demonstrate how the proposed project will position the team for future collaboration;
• Propose a planning project that is feasible during summer quarter 2023;
• Demonstrate how the work is innovative and feasible;
• Detail an evaluation plan that clearly describes the outcome the project team is seeking (i.e., how it will measure the success of the planning project).

Applications are encouraged, but not required, to include the following:

• Partial or full funding match (in funds or in kind) from the Co-PIs’ schools/colleges/departments; and,
• Lays the foundation for a project that will take place in a community within the State of Washington, which is a priority for the Population Health Initiative.

Awards will be granted to the highest-scoring applications. Applications that include matching funds will receive priority in the event that two proposals receive the same review score.

Application format

Applications must meet the following standards:

• Submitted as a single PDF file
• Paper size no larger than standard letter (i.e., 8 ½” x 11”)
• Margins of at least 0.5 inch (top, bottom, left, and right)
• Single-spaced
• Eleven-point font or larger using either Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman
• We do not require a specific citation format

Each application must contain the following sections:

• Completed cover sheet (project title, total budget, applicant names)
• Responses to the following questions:
  • Why should your proposed team be considered a new collaboration? Limit of 100 words.
  • Please describe the scope of the work / the key activities you are proposing to complete if you receive a planning grant. Limit of 200 words
  • How will you know if your planning project was successful? Limit of 100 words.
  • How will you spend these funds (i.e., a brief budget justification)? Limit of 200 words.
• Please provide verification of matching funds if a cost share is proposed. A .pdf of an email from the individual making the commitment is sufficient.
• Letters of support are not required but will be accepted. Limit of two.

Download application template

Submit an application

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific) on Monday, May 1, 2023.

The application must be submitted as a single .pdf file through the following online submission portal.

Review by the Office of Sponsored Programs is not needed.

Submit an Application