Climate Adaptation Partnership (CAP)/Regional Integrated Science and Assessments (RISA)

Federal Agency

Sub-Department

Climate Program Office (CPO)

Purpose

To support collaborative research and community engagement projects that improve climate adaptation planning and action through the three competitions: 1) improving engagement methods for coastal resilience planning; 2) assessing tradeoffs and co-benefits for complex decision-making in communities facing coastal inundation and/or inland flooding; 3) identifying complex interactions between social infrastructure and wildfire risks to improve community adaptive capacity.

Applicant and/or Project Eligibility Requirements

For FY24, CAP is soliciting applications for a maximum of one new team in each of the following regions: Upper Northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, western Massachusetts, upstate New York), and Southeast (Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida).

Decarbonization Considerations

When developing plans to address climate adaptation needs, low-carbon measures are recommended. For example, instead of deploying propane-fueled generators, consider bundling solar and storage to supply power for key infrastructure during extreme weather events. Utilize relevant data and tools to provide information for community stakeholders and develop outreach and education materials.

Equity Considerations

Proposals should incorporate the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion into their applications. The agency emphasizes the importance of working with community partners to ensure they are involved in and benefit from the proposed project. Projects must identify at least one community partner and ensure adequate resources, including financial resources, are available to enable their full participation, including project scoping work.

Helpful Tips

A minimum of $200,000 within the total budget must be set aside to directly fund community-based organizations or local governments serving under-resourced frontline communities. CAP Teams are expected to last for 5 years.

Other Notes

A central tenet of the RISA program is that learning about climate adaptation and resilience is facilitated by and sustained across a wide range of experts, practitioners, and the public. As such, the RISA program supports a network of people, prioritizing wide participation in learning by doing, learning through adapting, and managing risk with uncertain information.