University-led Projects Will Share Data, Strengthen and Build Relationships Between DOE and Communities Bearing the Brunt of Climate Change

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To support vulnerable communities responding to continued and extreme climate effects, the Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $10 million in funding for innovative Climate Resilience Centers (CRCs) in 10 different states. University-led research teams will leverage the world class modeling, data and research capabilities from DOE national laboratories customized for their local regions with a focus on climate prediction of weather hazard risks to better prepare communities. The CRCs are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative and are designed to ensure that all Americans are benefitting from scientific research.

“Every pocket of the country has experienced the impact of extreme weather events that are exacerbated by climate change, and disadvantaged communities often feel the brunt of that impact,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The projects announced today will leverage the world class expertise and scientific research capacities of DOE’s national laboratories to develop the tools communities will need to inform future decisions for building resiliency.

Each of the CRCs are led by Minority Serving Institutions and Emerging Research Institutions. Most are also collaborations with DOE national labs, other federal agencies, academic institutions, state and municipal agencies, or community organizations.

Projects were selected by a peer-review panel, and selections focused on a diversity of topics, regions, and institutions across the country. These projects also build on prior awards to CRCs made in 2023.

The CRCs will help form a nucleus for a diverse group of young scientists, engineers, and technicians to further their scientific research and work on scientific teams. The CRCs will also foster capacity at the regional and local level by connecting with affected communities and stakeholders to enable them to translate basic research into actionable science to enhance climate resilience, as well as to identify potential future research opportunities.

Across the 10 selectees, research projects include ways to predict and protect communities from coastal flooding and extreme storms; analyzing the impacts of drought on Tribal and agricultural communities; and improving water quality.

Selected Project Descriptions:

The 10 projects were selected under the DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement for Climate Resilience Centers DE-FOA-0003181.

The Advancing Development and Climate-Resilient Adaptation Practices via Community-Driven Urban Transformation in St. Louis, Missouri, establishes a CRC at Saint Louis University with the goal of building regional resilience to heat islands. Heat islands are urban areas that experience extreme high temperatures due to the built environment. Researchers will connect with local communities to define the impacts of climate risk; increase awareness of climate change effects; and empower communities with data to support resilience projects and green infrastructure development. The goal is improved public health, increased economic stability, and a greener infrastructure.
In the Climate Lighthouse project, City College of New York City will lead the effort partnering with the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory to help residents better cope with extreme heat. The focus will be on translating DOE climate data into useable tools to improve NYC residents’ resilience. Information will be communicated to the public through community partnerships in Manhattan (Harlem) and Brooklyn. The team will work closely with community partners to improve tools so they can serve to build actionable knowledge among the public.
The goal of the CRC in Tribal communities along the Missouri River Basin is to build climate resilience capacity for Native American communities. The team effort will be led by the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Tribal nations, US Geological Survey, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The team will develop user-friendly planning tools to translate existing climate projections into site-specific drought and flood risks, mitigation recommendations, associated costs, and uncertainties. Educational workshops organized by the consortium will demonstrate research results.
Communities in the Texas Coastal Bend along the Gulf of Mexico face multiple water-related threats, including floods and droughts. In the Coastal Blend Climate Resilience Project, a a partnership with University of Texas-Arlington and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, the focus is on improving the predictions of events. The Coastal Bend CRC will use data and modeling from the DOE for adapting and planning for climate extremes. A critical part of the program is building short-and long-term capacity in communities to ensure local and community leaders can leverage climate science to inform resilience-building efforts, particularly among vulnerable groups.
The Midwest Climate Resilience Center in Clark County, Ohio, will address high risk from extreme rain and flooding and the consequential effects on drinking water quality. Central State University will partner with Ohio State University and PNNL to assess the impact of climate stressors on soil system processes in watersheds with varied land uses. The group will develop scale-appropriate targeted climate solutions for local communities and train the next generation of climate scientists from underrepresented student communities.
The Climate Resilience Center for Alaska brings together researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with Los Alamos National Laboratory. As Alaska experiences transformational change due to climate warming, this funding will enhance communication with Alaska communities about existing DOE science, develop meaningful collaborations between communities and the DOE, and incorporate DOE science into educational pathways and opportunities. This project will also conduct pilot research specifically focused on southwest Alaska to demonstrate the Center’s role. Much of the research will involve graduate students supported by the Center, acting as a conduit to recruit the next generation of climate investigators, with an emphasis on rural, traditionally underserved communities.