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Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity.

Program Summary

This Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) grant will support new discovery toward defining the health impacts of climate change, developing potential interventions, translating discovery science into practical application, and outward-facing work that can help public understanding of Climate + Health or strengthen connections between research and communities whose health has been harmed by climate change. Our goal is to help these Centers of Excellence achieve their strategic goals by supporting activities that help build stable collaborations between people, departments, and institutions. Building interdisciplinary connections between scholars, between approaches, and between researchers and those outside academe form the bulk of the budget.

New institutional awards of up to $10,000,000 to stimulate the development of strong research, education, and public communications connections between fields that aim to understand and mitigate the impact of climate change on human health. In general, this award will support institutions or consortia that are already moving toward establishing themselves as centers of excellence for understanding climate change’s impact on human health and for leadership in climate education OR public communication around climate and health. Applications from institutions just starting to integrate Climate + Health into their planning are expected to be uncompetitive. Up to three awards will be made over two rounds of competition.

This program is meant to support institutions or consortia that have already begun to work toward taking on the problem of climate’s impact on health. Consortia might include neighboring institutions with already established collaborations, but of more relevance to this RFP are consortia of institutions united by common interests, for example in the health of residents of the Appalachian Mountains or the Great Lakes region, an urban focus, or a focus on rural life, etc.Whether collaborators are at a single institution or a consortium, we want to see lasting connections developed between those working with basic and applied approaches. We anticipate that support from CHEX will accelerate and enhance the cultivation of new common ground for high-impact basic research, invention, and implementation that can practically change the impacts of climate change on human health.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MT April 1, 2025

Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: 1:00pm MT August 7, 2025

Sponsor Application Deadline (by invitation): December 4, 2025

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

• Project Summary (2 pages maximum): Provide a brief description of the proposed project, emphasizing its alignment with CHEX objectives. Highlight the interdisciplinary research that will offer insights into climate change impacts on human health, with potential for mitigation or prevention. Include details on training activities (limited to 20% of the budget) and the importance of sharing education or communication-focused work on the intersection of climate and health with the public. Include a brief statement on the institution(s)’ current efforts to integrate climate and health research.
• PI Curriculum Vitae and List of Supporting Team Members/Institutions: For projects involving multiple institutions, provide information on how the consortium aligns with common interests or regional focus.
• Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Only non-profit research and training institutes in the United States or Canada may submit applications. Consortia may include institutions outside the US or Canada, but only one institution, the institution submitting the proposal, will be paid. Subcontracts are allowed. Research groups working at national laboratories and within the federal government are allowable as partners.

Limited Submission Guidelines

Institutions should only submit one proposal that reflects the institution’s strategic goals in basic, applied, and implementation research in the area of Climate + Health.

Individual departments, centers, etc. may be part of separate consortium applications that would not disrupt or overlap with CU Boulder’s institutional proposal.

Award Information

• Award Amount: $2M per year
• Award Duration: 5 years
• Expected Number of Awards: 3 over two competitions

Scoring Rubric

The internal evaluation process will follow BWF’s scoring rubric below for selection.

• Fit to BWF program goals
• Value added by BWF’s support
• Innovation and creativity
• Capacity to seed long-term faculty collaborations in Climate + Health
• Current activities and resources concentrated in
• Climate + Health
• Training plan for those to be supported by this award’s training grant elements
• Institutional track record(s) in interdisciplinary collaboration
• Institutional track record(s) in research training
• Institutional track record(s) in innovative undergraduate teaching and connection to K-12 education OR institutional track records in science communication, public outreach, or two-way discussions with those facing health harm or disruptions associated with human activities and choices