As part of a historic partnership between the University of California and the state, UC has awarded more than $80 million in climate action grants to 38 faculty teams. CITRIS-affiliated researchers at all four of its campuses have received funding to advance progress toward California’s climate goals.
At UC Berkeley, professor of energy Dan Kammen, co-principal investigator of the Oakland EcoBlock project, will work to provide California cities and counties, especially those with limited resources, with new tools to create climate action plans. CITRIS PIs Duncan Callaway and Scott Moura will serve as co-investigators on other awards.
At UC Davis, Rebecca Hernandez, professor of ecology and Earth system science, will explore strategies to align solar energy development goals with biodiversity conservation. The project aims to assess and optimize biodiversity-friendly mitigation strategies.
At UC Merced, Ricardo de Castro, recipient of a 2021 CITRIS Seed Award, will lead a project to develop planning, decision-aid tools and policy recommendations to help communities and government officials improve their emergency preparedness using zero-emission vehicles. CITRIS researchers Josué Medellín-Azuara and Rebecca Ryals will serve as collaborators on other projects.
At UC Santa Cruz, environmental studies professor Elliot Campbell will lead a team of researchers to implementation strategies for California’s plan to reduce methane emissions by diverting 75 percent of organic waste from landfills by 2025. A team led by hydrogeologist Andrew Fisher will conduct research to support a state and federally funded levee setback project along the Pajaro River, determining how the project can advance both flood control management and ecosystem resilience.