The California Energy Commission is seeking applications for its Tribal Research Grant Program.
Donor Name: California Energy Commission
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/17/2023
Size of the Grant: $20,000 to $400,000
Details:
California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment (Assessment) will support on-the-ground implementation and decision-making at the local, regional, tribal, and state levels, especially focusing on the needs of vulnerable communities. The Fifth Climate Assessment will include:
- The next generation of downscaled climate projection data
- Primary research that addresses California-specific research needs and questions
- A Tribal Research Program focused on supporting tribally led, climate research
- A suite of regional, topical, and statewide synthesis reports that translate this cutting-edge research to the needs and context of every region across the state
- And tools and resources that ensure all this information is driving climate action on the ground
To implement a cross-cutting suite of research products, the assessment is supported by a collaborative multi-agency team to leverage existing expertise and roles across state agencies, including the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), California Natural Resources Agency, California Energy Commission (CEC), and California Strategic Growth Council (SGC). OPR is the lead agency for the Assessment and the Tribal Research Program. CEC is administering the Tribal Research Grant Program. Grantees will work closely with both OPR and CEC.
Tribal Research Grant Program
The Tribal Research Grant Program will fund tribally led climate change research, assessments, and similar projects deemed a priority by the applying tribe. This includes projects that have an indigenous knowledge focus, a body of observations, oral and written knowledge, and practices that have been historically underfunded in climate initiatives, as well as Western science approaches, and the collaboration of the two knowledge systems. The program will accommodate a diversity of geographies, environments, project types, and climate impacts with tribal governments and tribal communities. The CEC encourages, but does not require, grant recipients to share the results of projects funded under this solicitation with the Fifth California Climate Change Assessment. Recipients shall inform the CEC whether and how project results can be shared with the Fifth California Climate Change Assessment during the agreement development phase.
The Tribal Research Program aims to:
- Strengthen partnerships with tribes through early, often, and meaningful engagement and consultation
- Establish a Tribal Advisory Group to ensure collaboration on Indigenous knowledge(s) and tribal expertise throughout the Assessment
- Support tribally led research through a Tribal Grant Programto address California-specific tribal research needs and tribally led, local climate assessments.
- Develop aTribal and Indigenous Communities Reportthat includes tribally-led research and summarizes climate change impacts to tribes in California
- Collaborate with tribes to develop tribally led Guidance on Collaboration and Protection of IK and Tribal Expertise through research processes and report handling.
Funding Information
There is up to $3,625,000 available for grants awarded under this solicitation, which is expected to be awarded over three rounds of grant funding. Funding levels vary based on project type, from maximum awards of $20,000 to $400,000 per awarded applicant based on the Grant Type. It is estimated that $1 million to $1.4 million may be distributed in each round.
Eligibility Criteria
- This solicitation is open to all California Native American tribes, California tribal organizations, and tribal-serving non-governmental organizations (NGOs). California Native American tribes include federally and non-federally recognized tribes on the Native American Heritage Commission list. A California tribal organization is a corporation, association, or group controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by a California Native American tribe that is subject to its laws, the laws of the State of California, or the laws of the United States. A tribal-serving NGO is a non-governmental organization that serves tribes.
- Tribal organizations and tribal serving NGOs must provide an explanation as to how California tribes will be the primary beneficiary of their proposed project. Although all benefits and beneficiaries do not need to be within California borders, because this grant program is funded with California taxpayer dollars, the majority of each project must be located in California, and most of the benefits associated with each project must be for California Native American tribes located within California.
- Tribes entering into agreement with the CEC will NOT be required to provide a waiver of sovereign immunity covering the scope of the grant agreement.
For more information, visit CEC.
