Financial Support

We can help you find ... funders and investors. 

BCCN will work with Berkeley's $$$ experts — UDAR, VCRO, BRDO, SkyDeck and others — to help you find funding and investment opportunities from government, foundations, donors, venture capital and more.

Use the BCCN HELP button to get guidance from us. Or, see our partners directly: University Development & Alumni Relations(UDAR),Office of Research (VCRO),Berkeley Research Development Office (BRDO),Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator

Here are some current funding opportunities:

NSF Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator Program

NSF has announced Phase-1 of a new Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2) program, led by NSF’s GEO and TIP. This first phase of the program will support community-engaged pilot projects that develop scalable solution(s) to one or multiple regional climate challenges based on interdisciplinary, translational research. Example projects may include environmental justice, specific industry challenges, reducing climate hazard exposure, nature-inspired design, social or technological solutions, statistics and mathematics, and AI and modeling tools. Along with building on Earth systems research, the projects can also draw from “research on social, behavioral, and economic sciences, coupled human and natural systems, and engineering”.

R2I2 projects are not research projects and should propose solutions based on previously completed research. Sixteen awards, each up to $500K for 2 years. Following the award and rollout of Phase-1 projects, NSF plans to release a larger implementation solicitation in fiscal year 2026 which will scale the initial pilot projects. Only Phase-1 award recipients will be eligible to apply for Phase-2.

Due December 16, 2024. ALL INFO HERE.

NSF Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure-1 Solicitation

NSF has released the latest solicitation for its Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure-1 (Mid-scale RI-1) program. The program is in its fourth round, with its first three iterations released in 2018, 2020, and 2022. NSF defines Research Infrastructure (RI) as “any combination of facilities, equipment, instrumentation, computational hardware or software, and the necessary human capital in support of the same.” Through the solicitation, NSF plans to support instrumentation and infrastructure projects in two tracks: “Implementation” (e.g., acquisition and/or construction) or “Design”. The “Design” track is intended to facilitate progress toward readiness for a mid-scale range implementation project. Project proposals should involve the training of a diverse workforce engaged in STEM research infrastructure, well-conceived technical and management plans, and may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure.

Mid-Scale RI-1 projects should fulfill research community-defined needs such as those identified in National Academies reports and decadal surveys, through research community planning and prioritizing exercises, or in other national priorities. NSF is especially interested in infrastructure projects that provide more advanced research capabilities relative to what is generally available to the U.S. research community. The program will support projects with total costs from $4 million up to, but not including, $20 million for implementation projects and $400,000 up to, but not including, $20 million for design activities meant to inform a future Mid-Scale RI-1 or larger Mid-Scale RI-2 proposal. Prelim proposals due November 18, 2024 and finals March 19, 2025. All INFO HERE.

Dear Colleague Letter: Research Coordination Network for a University-Community Climate Action Network (RCN-UCCAN) August 9, 2024

NSF and DOE announce their intent to together establish a strategic leadership network on climate action engagement aimed at the transition from the linear economy of today to a circular economy of tomorrow, including one that will better integrate university research and community needs. With this investment, NSF and DOE aim to organize "Climate Action Ambassadors" into an effective national network of professionals to develop evidence-based models, program concepts and recommendations that share, implement, and scale university-community partnerships in this national priority area.

The RCN-UCCAN should aim to develop a national strategy connecting our colleges and universities with their communities to share knowledge and resources across a network that spans a range of institution types. Of particular interest is ensuring that everyone, regardless of location or affiliation, has the opportunity to address the goals outlined in this DCL. Researchers and practitioners across their communities are especially encouraged to communicate, collaborate and exchange information for action on climate mitigation, resilience and adaption through the RCN, including with international partners. ALL INFO HERE.

NOAA: Understanding and Assessing drought in a Changing Climate (NIDIS)

Letters of Intent due by September 18, 2024. Full info here. An informational webinar on October 23, 2024 will summarize at a high level the feedback on the Letters of Intent received and will provide another opportunity for interested parties to ask questions about the competition. A webinar recording and updated FAQ will be available on the Climate Program Office Grants website as well as the NIDIS website (insert link to page with competition information) after the webinar.

ClimateWorks Global Programs (background, no current solicitation)

Aviation, Cooling, Carbon Dioxide Removal, Food and Ag, Forests/Land Use, Governance/Diplomacy, Industry, Maritime Shipping, Power, Road Transportation, Sustainable Finance