Research Comment Portal
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Introduction
Thank you for your interest in the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Research Program. CARB has initiated the research planning process for fiscal year (FY) 2025-2026 with a call for research comments and concepts from the public, which is facilitated through a survey. This year we are also kicking off the public engagement process for the upcoming 5-Year Strategic Research Plan which will cover funding years 2025-2030. The annual collection of research comments and concepts is an important part of CARB’s engagement with the public to inform program priorities.
Background
The annual research planning process is guided by research priorities that are responsive to CARB programmatic goals, emerging air quality and climate issues and public input. Public input is collected through various mechanisms, including the annual research concept and comment survey and public meetings. The annual process begins with a call for project comments and concepts from the public. All responses from the public are reviewed and assessed based on their alignment with CARB program needs. The Triennial Strategic Research Plan (Plan) provides an overview of past and current research activities, as well as remaining program needs. Note that a new plan will be written starting this year and which will cover funding years 2025-2030. The following criteria are used to prioritize concepts and comments for further development into research projects:
- Program relevance
- Results easily integrate into program work.
- Results will inform current and/or future policy development.
- Research
- The project is novel and pushes the science.
- It addresses a research gap.
- It avoids duplication of current projects.
- It is multidisciplinary.
- Anticipated timelines
- The project addresses long-term anticipated challenges.
- It is appropriate for the timeline.
- Cost-effectiveness and ability to leverage existing efforts.
- Technically viable.
In addition, Research Program staff apply an equity lens to determine whether the project needs a community engagement component or whether specific data gaps exist around race or other sociodemographic factors.
Any member of the public that submits a comment or concept that CARB staff prioritize for funding will be contacted directly. If a selected concept/comment author doesn’t want to be involved, or is not qualified to perform the work, the concept may be included in the annual call for research proposals. The top comments and concepts are developed into projects that, if approved by the executive office, are then developed further and may be released for proposal solicitations. CARB moves forward with contracts for those applicants who submit the top proposal for a given project. The time between the initiation of the concept and comment collection to contract initiation is approximately one and a half years.
It is important to note that the Research Program operates on a very limited budget. Although the Research Program receives up to 200 comments and concepts each year, only a small fraction of publicly submitted concepts and comments can be pursued for funding due to budget limitations. However, comments and concepts are still incredibly valuable and help CARB identify the needs of the public. All comments are catalogued and added to the current Strategic Plan as an addendum and helps guide overall CARB Research Program goals.
Survey Description
The survey typically provides two submission options. One option collects community concerns on air quality or climate change that can be addressed with research. The second option collects research concepts that include specific objectives, proposed methods, and estimated cost. For this year, a third option is being provided to allow the public to submit a general research priority for consideration in the 5-Year Strategic Research Plan covering funding years 2025-2030.
For the annual research project portion of the survey, academic and community researchers are invited to submit 300-word project concepts. Note that project concepts are more likely to be developed into full projects if they’re in alignment with research priorities as outlined in the Plan and CARB program goals.
For non-researchers, concerned residents and community members, CARB collects comments on air quality and climate concerns. This information is important for identifying community concerns and steering the research projects toward specific topics in future.
This year the survey closes on April 16, 2024. CARB staff will summarize the number of project concepts received and the research topics covered. The summary overview of public submissions will be included in a Plan Addendum, which will be available on the Strategic Plan landing page. No personal information or details on project concepts will be shared publicly unless we choose to fund the project.
A public meeting will be held in August, 2024 to get input on the top 20-30 projects that will be identified as priority project concepts. Input at this stage is critical in finalizing the list of projects that will be funded in fiscal year 2025-2026. CARB’s research budget limits how many concepts can be developed into full research projects.
We greatly appreciate your time and engagement in providing your input.
For a brief introduction the survey, we have created publicly viewable videos on the comment and concept portions of the survey. The slides in the video are available at the bottom of this page.
Introductory Videos
Lower Priority Concepts
The CARB Research Program has a very limited budget. For this reason we do not expect to prioritize project concepts estimated to cost more than $1M. Project concepts and comments that do not fall within CARB’s purview will also be de-prioritized. Finally, the Research Program does not fund technological demonstration projects or entrepreneurial ventures.
Submit a comment, concept or forward-looking research priority
Comments and concepts can be submitted through the survey. Note that any comments or concepts received after April 16 will be considered for the following fiscal year. For this year, a third option is available to submit a forward looking research priority to be considered for inclusion in the upcoming 5-Year Strategic Research Plan. To submit a comment or a concept, please use the survey link below:
Survey
You may contact us directly at research@arb.ca.gov. If you would like to receive updates and notices for public meetings by email, sign up for our listserv and select the “Research Activities” option from the list of topics.
Public meeting to discuss survey and Strategic Research Plan priorities
The CARB Research Program creates Strategic Research Plans to summarize how CARB’s mission informs and drives research needs and priorities. The most recent plan covers fiscal years 2021-2024. This year CARB Research Staff will be putting together a new 5-Year Strategic Research Plan that will be used to guide project selection over funding years 2025-2030. CARB Research Staff hosted a meeting on February 29, 2024, to collect research priorities in 5 research categories: health, air quality, mobile sources, climate, and sustainable communities and transportation. Environmental justice goals will be considered in all 5 research categories. CARB invited the public to attend this interactive virtual public meeting to discuss future research priorities and improved engagement methods. The meeting details and agenda are below and the slides and meeting recording are now available on this page.
Date: February 29, 2024
Time: 3:00 to 4:30 PM PDT
Location: Zoom
Meeting slides available at the bottom of this page.
Agenda
- 3:00 to 3:25 PM: Policy drivers of CARB research
- 3:30 to 4:20 PM: Interactive discussions
- Meeting attendees will be able to go into a breakout room of their choice on either health, air quality, climate, mobile sources or sustainable communities and transportation, and provide written or verbal comments and suggestions. Research staff will provide discussion prompts and various methods to provide suggestions and ideas.
- 4:20-4:30 PM: Next steps, close-out, and evaluation.
Public meeting to discuss top research priorities for FY2025-2026
The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) holds a yearly public virtual meeting to discuss the top research priorities under consideration for funding in each fiscal year. The purpose of the meeting and the poll is to solicit comments from the public on these top research concepts. In addition, staff provide a summary on the submissions CARB receives from the public call for research concepts and comments. Material that will be presented at the meeting is made available on the research comment portal for public review. A poll asking for feedback on each individual project will be available for the public to fill out and will be closed after the public meeting.
Tentative Date: August 29, 2024
Tentative Time: 5:30 to 7:00 PM PDT
Location: Zoom
Tentative Agenda
- 5:30 to 5:35 PM: Introductions
- 5:35 to 5:50 PM: CARB Research Program Overview
- 5:50 to 6:15 PM: Summary of Comments and Concepts Received
- 6:15 to 7:00 PM: Open Discussion of Proposed Research Concepts (order of topics to (order of topics to be discussed)
- Proposed Health and Environmental Justice Research
- Proposed Mobile Sources and Environmental Justice Research
- Proposed Air Quality, Climate, Sustainable Communities and EJ Research