Call for Research Proposals

The California-China Climate Institute (CCCI) aims to catalyze research, dialogue, and collaboration on climate solutions relating to California, China, and California-China collaboration. To further this objective, CCCI is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to draw on the expertise and engagement of the University of California community.

The Call for Proposals and Deadline:

The California-China Climate Institute respectfully requests submissions of proposals by UC faculty and researchers for projects relating to California, China, and/or comparative California-China subnational climate policy implementation. This includes topics related to institutional coordination, regulations, enforcement, market-based mechanisms and incentives, monitoring and evaluation, and pilots. The program will fund projects in alignment with the following priority research areas: 

  •  Whole-of-economy and cross-sectoral policy implementation
  •  Energy Decarbonization
  •  Low-Carbon Transportation 
  •  Short-lived climate pollutants 
  •  Nature-based climate solutions
  •  Urban Resilience

The goal of the projects is to support a strong evidence-base for actionable policy research. All projects should advance existing knowledge and be policy-focused. Interdisciplinary projects are very welcome. The research team will work in collaboration with the CCCI team and affiliated researchers during the project term to support the adoption of the research’s policy recommendations. This will include regular meetings with the research team and CCCI staff/research affiliates. The final product will include but not be limited to a white paper with an executive summary with key policy recommendations and a presentation at an event of the research findings, as well as research publications.

Eligibility and Application Process

The project must have one Principal Investigator (PI) who is a faculty member (ladder-rank, adjunct or research faculty), a cooperative extension specialist or someone in a similar role at any UC campus. Multiple faculty may join the team, but one researcher must be designated as the lead investigator. Other team members may include post-docs, Ph.D students or researchers outside of the UC system. The applications are due March 31, 2023

To apply, please develop a proposal (limited to two pages* in length), and including the following components:

  • Problem/Issue statement;
  • Background and context, including policy relevance;
  • Research team, approach and timeline;
  • Anticipated findings and potential benefits of the research contribution for advancing climate policy;
  • Dissemination strategy; and
  • Budget, limited to major line items.

*A brief appendix of up to 2 pages may be utilized to describe the qualifications of the associated researchers, and/or the budget.

Submission Process and Selection Criteria:

Proposals should be submitted to Jessica Gordon at jagordon@berkeley.edu, and include “CCCI Research Call for Proposals: Project Title” as the only information in the subject line. Proposals will be reviewed by CCCI staff and research affiliates. The California-China Climate Institute aims to distribute financial awards for projects with a maximum of $60,000 per proposal.  Please note that the California-China Climate Institute may promote the research outputs on its website or through other means. It may also use the findings as part of its other programming with attribution to the research team; the research team will retain any copyright and/or intellectual property rights associated with its work. 

Proposals will be evaluated along the following criteria:
● Relevance to the research objectives of CCCI;
● Capabilities of the research team;
● Clarity of proposal;
● Likelihood of producing new insights or results beyond current knowledge;
● Potential to influence policy decisions in California or China;
● Suitability of project to collaborative or complementary activity by Chinese collaborators; and
● Adherence to 2-page limit.

About the California-China Climate Institute

The California-China Climate Institute was launched in September 2019 and is a University of California-wide initiative housed jointly at UC Berkeley’s School of Law - through its Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment - and the Rausser College of Natural Resources. It is Chaired by Jerry Brown, former Governor of the State of California, and Vice-Chaired by the former Chair of the California Air Resources Board Mary Nichols. The Institute also works closely with other University of California campuses, departments, and leaders. Through joint research, training, and dialogue in and between California and China, the Institute aims to inform policymakers, foster cooperation and partnership and drive climate solutions at all levels.