Active Research Contracts

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) sponsors a research program that is guided by the mission of providing sound and timely scientific results to support CARB’s policies and programs. CARB’s research goals of informing health-based air quality standards, reducing air pollution exposures, and protecting California from the potential impacts of climate change have been met through a diverse portfolio of projects. CARB's Research Division oversees and completes 20 or more projects each year. A list of active and recently completed research contracts sorted by category can be found below. Environmental justice and economics are included in all research categories.

Air Quality

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
Development of Analytical Technique Advancements (DATA) for Identifying and Quantifying Toxic Air Contaminants in Ambient Air Samples	03/03/25	Anthony Wexler	University of California, Davis	24RD011
Leveraging Existing Data to Evaluate Nitrogenous Emissions in California's San Joaquin Valley	05/01/24	Andrew Rollins	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	23RD020
Using Integrated Observations and Modeling to Better Understand Current and Future Air Quality Impacts of Wildfires and Prescribed Burns	05/01/24	Michael Kleeman	University of California, Davis	23RD006
Scientific Evaluation of Nitrogenous Emissions from Soils	03/01/24	William Horwath	University of California, Davis	23RD017
Long-Term Chemical Characterization and Source Apportionment of PM2.5 in the San Joaquin Valley	06/30/23	Qi Zhang	University of California, Davis	22RD038
Data Analysis of Organics and Other Sources (Volatile Chemical Products) in the California South Coast Air Basin	06/30/23	John Seinfeld	California Institute of Technology	22RD015
Quantifying and Identifying the Potential Causes of Nitrous Oxide Emissions in California Soils under Fumigation (Phase 1)	06/01/23	Jorge L. Mazza Rodrigues	University of California, Davis	22RD036
Community Engagement and Community Centric Research Roadmap: Focus on Metals-Related Toxic Emissions	04/15/23	Anthony Orlando	Cal Poly Pomona Foundation	22RD012
Testing Messaging Strategies for Air Quality Programs	03/20/23	Burkhard Schipper	University of California, Davis	22RD021
Understanding and Characterizing Emission Factors from Burning Structures in California Due to Wildfires	11/01/22	Allen Goldstein	University of California, Berkeley	22RD004
Understanding the Sources and Formation Regimes of Present-day PM2.5 to Mitigate Particulate Pollution in California	02/15/22	Don Collins	University of California, Riverside	21RD010
Imperial Valley Community-Focused Collaborative Research Plan	02/01/22	Miguel Zavala	San Diego State University	21RD013

Climate

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
Modification of California Dairy Emissions Model (CADEM) and Preparation for Web-Based Tool	05/15/24	Ermias Kebreab	University of California, Davis	23RD031
Life-Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emission from Reclaimed and Virgin Refrigerants	06/26/24	Christina Starr	Environmental Investigation Agency	23RD021
Overview Landfill Monitoring Technology "Shootout" - Continuous Measurement Method Demonstration Project	05/01/24	Ramin Yazdani	University of California, Davis	23RD018
Airborne Methane Emission Flux Measurement Survey (Phase III): Landfill Emissions Monitoring	03/15/24	Corinne Cooper	ChampionX	23RD002
Development of a Testing Standard and a Mechanistic Model for Enteric Fermentation Methane Emissions	04/01/22	Ermias Kebreab	University of California, Davis	21RD019
High Spatiotemporal Resolution PM2.5 Speciation Exposure Modeling in California	03/01/22	Jun Wu	University of California, Irvine	21RD006

Health

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
Reducing Exposure with Air Cleaners and Technology (REACT) in At-Risk Communities	05/01/25	Chelsea Preble	University of California, Berkeley	24RD012
Dust on the Horizon: Assessing Current and Projecting Future Health Risks from the Shrinking Salton Sea	04/15/25	Amato Evan	University of California, San Diego	24RD001
HEAT - Health Equity and Adaptation to Extreme Temperature	04/01/25	Sandie Ha	University of California, Merced	24RD003
O₃ Exposure and Respiratory Effects - School absenteeism, Asthma-related Symptoms, and Asthma-related Emergency Department (ED) visits and Hospitalizations	06/01/24	Ninez Ponce, Michael Jerrett	University of California, Los Angeles	23RD019
Media and Social Marketing Services for Research Findings Dissemination and Public Outreach	06/01/24	n/a	Prosio Communications	23RD014
Air Toxic Pollutants Associated Cancer Health Monetization Research	06/01/24	Henry A. Roman	Industrial Economics Inc	23RD003
Unlocking Health Benefits for Californians through Active Land Management Strategies*	04/01/24	John Abatzoglou	University of California, Merced	23RD004
Impacts of Multiple Climate Change Stressors on Health in California	03/15/24	Miriam Marlier	University of California, Los Angeles	23RD005
White Paper: Analysis of Race/Ethnicity in Social Determinants of Health and Climate Change Vulnerability	06/15/23	Tarik Benmarhnia	University of California, San Diego	22RD037
Indoor Air Quality in California: New Evidence and Environmental Justice Implications	06/01/23	Yifang Zhu	University of California, Los Angeles	22RD026
Impact of Air Pollution Exposure on Metabolic Health Outcomes for California Residents	05/01/23	Jason Su	University of California, Berkeley	22RD010
Children's Health and Air Pollution Study: Standardized Assessments, Attention and Cognition in California Kids (CHAPS: STACK)	04/15/23	Elizabeth M. Noth	University of California, Berkeley	22RD005
Low-Cost Sensors for Healthier Indoor Air Quality in Impacted Communities	04/01/23	Cesunica Ivey	University of California, Berkeley	22RD020
Data Analysis for the Portside Air Quality Improvement and Relief (PAIR) Program	03/30/23	Miguel Zavala	San Diego State University	22RD022
White Paper: Health Impacts by Race/Ethnicity in Air Pollution Studies in California	03/15/23	Tarik Benmarhnia	University of California, San Diego	22RD025
Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, Childhood Autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer Disease and Air Pollution – California Studies	05/01/22	Beate Ritz	University of California, Los Angeles	21RD004
Improved Assessment and Tracking of Health Impacts for California Communities Most Burdened by Pollution	04/01/22	Michael Jerrett	University of California, Los Angeles	21RD005
Examining the Health Impacts of Short-Term Repeated Exposure to Wildfire Smoke	02/15/22	Jun Wu	University of California, Irvine	21RD003
HIFIVE - Health Impacts of Filtration Improvements in Elementary Schools	05/15/21	Veronica Vieira	University of California, Irvine	20RD015
Total Exposures to Air Pollutants and Noise in Disadvantaged Communities	04/01/21	Elizabeth Noth	University of California, Berkeley	20RD012

Sustainable Transportation & Communities

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
Opportunities to Address Past Inequity to Build Healthier, More Sustainable Communities	02/15/22	Charisma Acey	University of California, Berkeley	21RD009
White Paper: Improving the Efficiency of the Urban Freight System in California	02/15/22	Miguel Jaller	University of California, Davis	21RD015
Alignment of Planned Transportation Investments with Climate and Equity Goals	02/01/22	Brian Taylor	University of California, Los Angeles	21RD008
Measuring, Analyzing, and Identifying Small-Area Vehicle Miles Traveled Reduction	04/01/21	Susan Handy	University of California, Davis	20RD006
A Data Science Framework to Measure VMT by Mode and Purpose	04/01/21	Marta Gonzalez	University of California, Berkeley	20RD005
Strategies for Incentivizing High-Occupancy, Zero-Emission, New Mobility Options	02/01/20	Susan Shaheen	University of California, Berkeley	19RD009
Assessing the Quantification Methodology for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program	06/30/23	Dan Chatman	University of California, Berkeley	22STC009
Assessment Report and Development of Resources: Local Government Zero-Emission Vehicle Multi-Modal Ecosystem	06/30/23	Samual Markolf	University of California, Merced	22STC012
Development of Regional Accessibility Metric for SB 150 Report	06/26/23	Dillon Fitch	University of California, Davis	22STC013
Potential State Roles in Expanding Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) as a Tool for Greenhouse Gas Reduction	06/15/23	Louise Bedsworth	University of California, Berkeley	22STC020
California Housing and Transportation Costs: Impacts and Implications	06/15/23	Jesus Barajas	University of California, Davis	22STC019
Sustainable Transportation and Communities Research Engagement and Project Development	06/15/23	Margaretta Lin	University of California, Berkeley	22STC017
Research Study: State of the Zero-Emission Vehicle Secondary Market and Accessibility Impacts in California's Underserved Communities	06/15/23	Gil Tal	University of California, Davis	22STC016
Equitable Building Decarbonization: Implementation Approaches	06/01/23	Carolina Reid	University of California, Berkeley	22STC018
California Climate Investments Climate Risk Assessment	05/15/23	Owen Doherty	Eagle Rock Analytics, Inc	22STC003
A Review of Embodied Carbon Data, Embodied Carbon Emissions, and Emissions Reduction Technologies and Policies for California Building Construction Materials	04/24/23	Eric Masanet	University of California, Santa Barbara	22STC014
Zero Emissions Appliance Measure Stakeholder Engagement Program	04/01/23	Deborah Hunt	California State University Sacramento	22STC011
Regional- and State-Led Strategies to Improve Local Implementation of Sustainable Communities Strategies	04/01/23	Elisa Barbour	University of California, Davis	22STC010
White Paper: Innovative Financing Tools for Infill Housing	06/29/22	Shishir Mathur	San Jose State University	21STC011
Policy Briefs: Effects of Transportation and Land Use Policies and Strategies on Vehicle Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions	06/29/22	Dillon Fitch-Polse	University of California, Davis	21STC014
Research Study: Equitable Electrification of Existing Buildings	06/15/22	Stephanie Pincetl	University of California, Los Angeles	21STC023
White Paper and Tool Development: Quantifying Potential Indirect Impacts of Transit Investment	06/01/22	Bruce Appleyard	SDSU and UCD	21STC015
White Paper: Vehicle Miles Traveled and Emission Impacts of On-Demand Delivery Services	06/01/22	Shams Tanvir	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo	21STC016
Understanding Travel Demand and Built Environment Factors to Optimize Increased ZEV Access in Underserved Communities	05/15/22	Scott Hardman	University of California, Davis	21STC017
Best Practices and Capacity Building for Local Government Implementation of Climate Action Policies	05/15/22	Catherine Brinkley	University of California, Davis	21STC021
Assessing the Early Impacts of the Clean Miles Standard on California Ride-hailing Drivers	04/01/22	Giovanni Circella	University of California, Davis	21STC013
Local California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Mitigation	10/01/21	Michael Boswell	California Polytechnic State University	21STC001
Evaluating the Potential for Housing Development in Transportation-Efficient and Healthy, High-Opportunity Areas in California	06/01/21	Nicholas Marantz	University of California, Irvine	20STC009
Post-COVID Transportation Scenarios: Evaluating the Impact of Policies	05/15/21	Susan Handy	University of California, Davis	20STC008
Barriers to Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Transportation	06/01/20	Giovanni Circella	University of California, Davis	19STC006

Mobile Sources

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
Determining Energy Use Patterns and Battery Charging Infrastructure for Zero-Emission Heavy-Duty Vehicles and Off-Road Equipment	03/01/25	Kanok Boriboonsomsin	University of California, Riverside	24RD008
Characterizing Alternative Charging Solutions for Zero-Emission Off-Road Equipment	02/15/25	Kanok Boriboonsomsin	University of California, Riverside	24RD009
Characterization of Train Brake-Wear and Wheel/Rail-Wear PM Emissions	06/15/24	Georgios Karavalakis	University of California, Riverside	23RD010
Characterizing Unfiltered Exhaust Leaks During Heavy-Duty Vehicle Operations and their Impacts on Disadvantaged Communities	03/01/24	Kent Johnson	University of California, Riverside	23RD009
Assessment of Electric Vehicle Technologies Associated with Improving Energy Efficiency or Reducing Brake- and Tire-wear Emissions	03/01/24	Kanok Boriboonsomsin	University of California, Riverside	23RD007
Characterization of Tire-Wear Gaseous Emissions from On-Road Vehicles	02/15/24	Georgios Karavalakis	University of California, Davis	23RD008
Characterization of Tire-Wear and Brake-Wear PM Emissions Under On-Road Driving Conditions	04/01/23	Sandeep Kishan	Eastern Research Group	22RD002
Heavy-Duty Optional Low NOx Vehicle Testing	04/01/22	Thomas Durbin	University of California, Riverside	21RD018
Demonstration of Sensor Technologies for On-Road and Off-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles	02/22/22	Kent Johnson	University of California, Riverside	21RD007
Plume Capture Measurement of Vehicle Emissions at the Caldecott Tunnel for Heavy-Duty Emission Program Development and Verification	02/01/21	Thomas Kirchstetter	University of California, Berkeley	20RD004
Remote Sensing Measurements of Light-Duty Vehicle Emissions at Multiple California Locations	11/01/20	Sandeep Kishan	Eastern Research Group	20RD001
Collection and Analysis of Agricultural Equipment Activity Data	06/01/20	Tom Durbin	University of California, Riverside	19RD002

Other

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
A Mixed Method Assessment of Equity in the California Air Resources Board Research Program	06/01/24	Margaretta Lin, Charisma Acey	University of California, Berkeley	23RD022