Climate Program Office (CPO), Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) Program FY2021 | NOAA OAR CPO 2021 2006677

FAQs: NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) RISA Program FY2021

What is this funding opportunity?

The Climate Program Office (CPO) Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) Program FY2021 is a NOAA (Department of Commerce) discretionary funding opportunity that supports regionally focused, interdisciplinary climate research and sustained engagement with decision-makers to strengthen climate adaptation and resilience across the United States.

Which NOAA office and division run this program?

The opportunity sits within NOAA's Climate Program Office (CPO) under the Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) Division, which focuses on applied climate science that connects technical climate knowledge to real-world preparedness, adaptation, and risk-reduction needs.

What is the overall purpose of the RISA Program?

The RISA Program is built around translating climate information into usable knowledge and co-developing that knowledge with the people who will apply it. The intent is to improve decisions by communities, agencies, and businesses as they plan for climate variability and climate change.

What kinds of work does RISA support?

RISA supports applied, solution-oriented work that addresses regional climate challenges and helps decision-makers plan for extremes and long-term shifts. Proposals are expected to go beyond producing studies or models by building ongoing relationships, developing usable tools or processes, and increasing the capacity of communities and institutions to manage climate risk.

What does "regionally focused" mean in this program?

Regionally focused means the work should be strongly grounded in the needs, context, and expertise of a specific region, with relevance to local decision-making and climate risk management in that place.

What does "integrated" or "interdisciplinary" mean for RISA proposals?

RISA teams are expected to combine expertise across physical sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, and practitioner knowledge. The goal is to bridge disciplines and knowledge systems to address climate challenges in ways that are usable in real decisions.

What are "knowledge-to-action partnerships" in the context of this grant?

Knowledge-to-action partnerships are sustained collaborations that connect research directly to real decisions. They emphasize co-development, ongoing engagement with decision-makers, and producing outputs that can be applied to planning, preparedness, adaptation, and risk reduction.

Is this program more research-focused or implementation-focused?

The program emphasizes applied, solution-oriented efforts that support adaptation planning and implementation realities, including the societal dimensions of resilience. It acknowledges that adaptation often involves uncertainty, tradeoffs, and complex social and institutional constraints.

What kinds of impacts have RISA investments supported historically?

Historically, RISA investments have helped advance practical use of regional climate information (including early seasonal outlook experimentation), improved predictive tools and scenarios, built drought early warning capacity, and advanced climate impacts assessment methods.

What is the more recent emphasis described in the FY2021 announcement?

More recently, RISA has shifted toward the pressing realities of adaptation planning and implementation, with a stronger focus on the societal dimensions of resilience and the partnerships needed to make adaptation actionable and durable over time.

What guiding features are proposals expected to embody?

The FY2021 notice highlights several guiding features: strong regional relevance grounded in local expertise; integrated scientific approaches that bridge disciplines and knowledge systems; knowledge-to-action partnerships that connect research to real decisions; and contributions to a national network of resilience researchers and adaptation specialists.

Does the program encourage justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI)?

Yes. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) are explicitly encouraged as program principles. The notice frames equity and justice as paying particular attention to populations that are most vulnerable or systematically disadvantaged, and describes diversity and inclusion as important for creativity, effectiveness, and meaningful participation.

Which populations are specifically referenced under the equity and justice framing?

The notice highlights attention to low-income communities, communities overburdened by pollution, people with limited economic or social opportunity, and groups facing disenfranchisement.

How many competitions are included in this funding opportunity?

This opportunity includes two separate competitions.

What is the first competition focused on?

The first competition aims to support one RISA team in each of nine regions where RISA activities already exist: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Intermountain West, Carolinas, Great Lakes, Alaska, Pacific Islands, South Central, and Pacific Northwest.

What is the second competition focused on?

The second competition focuses on collaborative planning activities in two areas: the Southeast and the U.S. Caribbean.

How does this opportunity support both established and emerging regional efforts?

By funding one RISA team in each of nine existing regions and supporting collaborative planning activities in the Southeast and U.S. Caribbean, the opportunity supports both established regional programs and targeted planning to strengthen future regional collaboration and capacity.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement structure, which typically indicates NOAA expects substantial involvement during the period of performance through coordination, shared learning, and programmatic engagement.

Is this considered discretionary funding?

Yes. The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international organizations, and state, local, and Indian tribal governments.

Who is not eligible to receive federal assistance under this notice?

Federal agencies and federal institutions are not eligible to receive federal assistance under this notice.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 11.431.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is NOAA OAR CPO 2021 2006677.

What was the application closing date?

The original application closing date was February 16, 2021.

What is the award ceiling?

The award ceiling was $700,000.

When was the opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on November 9, 2020.

How does this opportunity relate to NOAA's broader adaptation direction?

The notice reflects a broader direction within NOAA's Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) Division to expand and streamline adaptation-focused investments, including alignment with a newer Adaptation Science Program, while continuing the core RISA model of long-term, place-based work.

What does it mean to contribute to a national network in this program?

Proposals are expected to contribute to a national network of resilience researchers and adaptation specialists, supporting shared learning and strengthening resilience practice across regions.