Regional and Global Climate Modeling and Integrated Assessment Research: An Integration Framework for Multi-Model, U.S. Regional Climate Evaluation that Incorporates Local Human Influences for Research at the Energy-Water-Land Nexus | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this funding opportunity?

The funding opportunity is titled "Regional and Global Climate Modeling and Integrated Assessment Research: An Integration Framework for Multi-Model, U.S. Regional Climate Evaluation that Incorporates Local Human Influences for Research at the Energy-Water-Land Nexus."

Which U.S. government agency is offering this opportunity?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science.

Which DOE office and division run the program?

The program is run through the DOE Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), specifically its Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD).

What is the main goal of the FOA?

The main goal is to support research that improves how scientists evaluate and understand climate variability and climate change at U.S. regional scales by creating a stronger integration framework that links DOE's Regional and Global Climate Modeling (RGCM) activity with its Integrated Assessment Research (IAR) activity.

What does "integration framework" mean in this FOA?

Based on the description provided, the "integration framework" refers to a structured approach that connects high-end climate and Earth system modeling with assessment approaches that incorporate human systems and decision-relevant factors, especially where energy, water, and land interact. It also signals interest in consistent multi-model regional evaluation methods that can incorporate local human influences.

What DOE modeling efforts are being linked by this opportunity?

The opportunity specifically aims to link two complementary DOE efforts: (1) the Regional and Global Climate Modeling (RGCM) activity and (2) the Integrated Assessment Research (IAR) activity.

What is the scientific focus area of the research?

The scientific focus sits at the intersection of observations, model simulations, and regional-scale analysis, emphasizing improved evaluation and understanding of regional climate variability and change in the United States.

How are observations expected to be used?

Observations are expected to inform and check global and regional Earth system model simulations. The FOA emphasizes that pairing models with observations is intended to build deeper understanding of mechanisms behind climate variability and change, not just to perform validation as an end in itself.

What role does the Regional and Global Climate Modeling (RGCM) activity play?

Within CESD, RGCM is centered on improving predictive understanding of climate by advancing the ability to design, evaluate, diagnose, and analyze both global and regional Earth system model simulations, with simulations informed and evaluated against observations.

Is the FOA focused on U.S. regional climate specifically?

Yes. A major theme is regional analysis, particularly for U.S. regions that show strong responses to large-scale climate change signals, and developing and evaluating scientifically robust methods that produce higher spatial resolution information.

Does the FOA emphasize higher spatial resolution regional information?

Yes. The FOA highlights development and evaluation of methods that generate higher spatial resolution information in a scientifically robust way as part of improved regional analysis and evaluation.

What kinds of studies are highlighted (for example, process studies vs. application demonstrations)?

The studies highlighted are largely sensitivity and process-focused investigations that help explain why models behave the way they do and how confident users can be in regional projections.

What are some specific research needs mentioned in the announcement?

The announcement points to several recurring research needs: detection and attribution, improved modeling and analytics for decadal predictability, explicit characterization of uncertainty, and analysis of climate system feedbacks.

What does "detection and attribution" refer to in this context?

In the context described, detection and attribution refers to separating human-caused signals from natural variability and other contributing factors when analyzing climate variability and change.

What is meant by "decadal predictability" in the FOA description?

Decadal predictability is described as a challenging middle ground between weather timescales and long-term climate change. The FOA indicates interest in improved modeling and analytics to better address that timescale.

Why is uncertainty characterization emphasized?

Uncertainty characterization is emphasized so that results can be interpreted appropriately and compared across models, supporting more robust regional evaluation and assessment.

Why are climate system feedbacks called out as a research theme?

Feedbacks are highlighted because they often drive amplification or damping of regional impacts, making them important for understanding model behavior and regional responses.

How does the FOA treat human influences?

The FOA signals interest in incorporating local human influences relevant to the energy-water-land nexus within regional evaluation approaches, rather than treating human activity only as broad external forcing.

What is the "energy-water-land nexus" in this opportunity?

Based on the provided description, the energy-water-land nexus refers to the interconnected interactions among energy systems, water resources, and land systems, and the FOA is interested in research that accounts for these interactions in regional climate evaluation and integrated assessment contexts.

What funding mechanism will be used?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism.

What does a cooperative agreement imply for DOE involvement?

The description notes that a cooperative agreement typically implies substantial DOE involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant.

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is DE-FOA-0001531.

What CFDA number is associated with this FOA?

The FOA is listed under CFDA 81.049.

How is this opportunity categorized?

It is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility details that may be specified elsewhere in the full FOA text.

How many awards were anticipated?

The FOA anticipated making 2 awards.

What is the maximum (ceiling) amount per award?

The award ceiling is $2,000,000.

What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was April 18, 2016 (the original and current closing dates are the same).

Is this FOA more aligned with single-discipline modeling, or with teams that bridge multiple approaches?

Based on the description, the FOA is targeted toward teams capable of bridging advanced regional/global climate and Earth system modeling with integrated assessment perspectives, including evaluation methods that incorporate human influences relevant to the energy-water-land nexus.

What would a successful project be expected to produce at a high level?

At a high level, the FOA frames success as producing an improved, structured integration framework for multi-model U.S. regional climate evaluation that links RGCM and IAR approaches, strengthens model-observation informed understanding of regional variability and change, and better represents local human influences across energy, water, and land systems.