California Air Resources Board

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Research Program. CARB is initiating the research planning process for fiscal year (FY) 2024-2025 with a call for research comments and concepts from the public, which is facilitated through a survey. 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. 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 will be included in the annual solicitation for others to apply to. The top comments and concepts are developed into projects that, if approved by the executive office, are then developed further for public release and proposal solicitations. Applicants who submit the top proposal for a given project are awarded contracts to perform their proposed research. 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 Triennial Plan as an addendum and helps guide overall CARB Research Program goals.

Survey Description

The survey, which closes on July 31, 2023, (link below) 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.  

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. This year, we are providing more specific guidance on the research topics that are the highest priority. As the current Plan comes to a close, CARB Research Program staff have identified the remaining priorities from the Plan and emerging topics. These guiding topics are discussed on this page under “Urgent Remaining Priorities.” Submitted concepts that address these remaining research issues have a higher chance of being developed into full projects.

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.

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 Triennial Plan landing page. No personal information or details on project concepts will be shared publicly.

A public meeting will be held in September, 2023 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 2024-2025. 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

Submitting a comment

Submitting a concept

Focused Priorities

CARB Research Program staff have identified remaining research questions from the Triennial Strategic Research Plan that are important and timely for current CARB programs. Concepts and comments submitted on these topics will have a higher chance of being prioritized. We will still review and consider all concepts and comments submitted. Below we provide research priorities by research category.

Health

• What novel qualitative or quantitative methods could be used to analyze health impacts of air pollutants and/or toxic pollutants at the local level, including census tract or neighborhood levels, particularly in vulnerable communities? 
• What approaches could be used to incorporate consideration of cumulative impacts into health analysis methods, including disparate impacts to racial and ethnic groups, interaction of pollutants and neighborhood level impacts?
• What quantitative or qualitative metrics could be used to measure and communicate health impacts and co-benefits of climate strategies or mitigations to achieve climate goals in communities?

Indoor Air

• What community factors contribute to increased indoor exposure to air pollutants in communities? Would these factors lead to disproportionately lower indoor air quality in impacted communities?

Agriculture

• What are the impacts of alternative manure management activities on GHG emissions, and their implication on best management practices at California dairies? Are there specific near-source considerations for air emissions from dairies near vulnerable communities?
• What approaches and information can improve the evaluation of nitrogenous emissions (NH3, NOx, N2O) in the San Joaquin Valley considering the various factors including soil type. application rate, climate?

Air Quality

• How can we improve the characterization of the current sources of PM2.5 precursor emissions to inform future NAAQS attainment pathways while satisfying community air monitoring needs?

Climate

• How can we maintain public support for greenhouse gas emission reductions as energy and other costs increase for businesses, individuals, and households? 

Mobile Sources

• How do activity and energy use patterns in remaining diesel engines in the state affect NOx emissions and what are strategies to minimize those emissions. How do these emissions affect air quality and do these emissions continue to fall mostly in disadvantaged communities?
• What novel strategies could be used to further advance sustainable communities, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from both the built environment and vehicle miles traveled, while meeting community needs in a manner that promotes equity, access to opportunity, and community resiliency?

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 or concept

Comments and concepts can be submitted through the survey. 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.