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 research contracts sorted by category can be found below. Environmental justice and economics are included in all research categories.

Visit the Completed Research Contracts webpage for a list of CARB's recently completed research contracts.

Air Quality

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
Collaborative Study of Aircraft and Rail Emissions in Los Angeles	04/15/25	Suzanne Paulson	University of California, Los Angeles	24RD014
Accelerated Evaluation of Ambient PM2.5 in Regions Affected by the 2024 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Update	04/01/26	Qi Zhang & Nga Lee Ng	University of California, Davis	25RD002
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
Improvement of the Toxic-Metal Aerosol Real -Time Analysis (TARTA) Instrument for Field Deployment	05/29/24	Hanyang Li	San Diego State University	23IT-RD001
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
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
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

Health

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
A Spatially Granular Analysis of the Cost of Climate Change in California	05/01/26	Louise Bedsworth	University of California, Berkeley	25RD014
Quantifying Greenspace Impacts on Human Health in California	05/15/25	Peter James	University of California, Davis	24RD010
Residential Appliances in Diverse California Communities: Emission, Exposure, and Health Impacts of Toxic Air Contaminants (RESPECT)	05/01/25	Jing Li	University of California, Los Angeles	24RD005
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
Indoor Air Quality in California: New Evidence and Environmental Justice Implications	06/01/23	Yifang Zhu	University of California, Los Angeles	22RD026
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
PM2.5-Specific Reductions in Life Expectancy Across Two Time Periods and Identification of Race-Ethnicity and Vulnerability	06/15/23	Guangquan (Jason) Su	University of California, Berkeley	22RD011
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

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
Technical Feasibility, Cost-Effectiveness, and Policy Strategies for Reducing Embodied Carbon in Building Materials	07/01/24	Arpad Horvath	University of California, Berkeley	23STC019
Impacts of Telecommuting and Remote Services on Transportation, Land Use, And Climate Change	06/04/24	Fynnwin Prager	California State University Dominguez Hills Foundation	23STC017
Evaluating a Recycled Content Standard for Automotive Lithium-ion Batteries in California	06/01/24	Alissa Kendall	University of California, Davis	23STC027
Vehicle Miles Traveled Elasticity Tool Services Contract	06/01/24	Susan Handy	University of California, Davis	23STC016
Activity- and Accessibility-Based Framework for Mobility Equity Evaluation	06/01/24	Michael Hyland	University of California, Irvine	23STC020
Building Readiness Assessment for Installing Zero-Emission Equipment and Appliances in California’s Nonresidential Buildings	06/01/24	Abhijeet Pande	TRC Engineers, Inc	23STC006
Assessing and Supporting Equitable Zero-Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Ecosystems across all Modes and Communities	06/30/23	Samual Markolf	University of California, Merced	22STC012
Impacts and Implications of California Housing and Transportation Costs	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
Equitable Building Decarbonization: Implementation Approaches	06/01/23	Carolina Reid	University of California, Berkeley	22STC018
Zero Emissions Appliance Measure Stakeholder Engagement Program	04/01/23	Deborah Hunt	California State University Sacramento	22STC011

Mobile Sources

Title	Start Date	PI (Author)	Institution	Contract No.
Validating Vehicle Choice Surveys	02/17/26	Giovanni Circella	University of California, DaVis	25RD006
Characterization of Brake Wear Emissions from Off-Road Vehicles	06/01/25	Sandeep Kishan	Eastern Research Group	24RD006
Tracking Light-Duty Vehicle Emission Characteristics Using a Remote Sensing Device at Two California Locations	05/22/25	Sandeep Kishan	Eastern Research Group	24RD004
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, Riverside	23RD008
Characterization of Tire-Wear and Brake-Wear PM Emissions Under On-Road Driving Conditions	04/01/23	Sandeep Kishan	Eastern Research Group	22RD002
Demonstration of Sensor Technologies for On-Road and Off-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles	02/22/22	Kent Johnson	University of California, Riverside	21RD007

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