California Air Resources Board

Research Ideas

The California Air Resources Board solicits ideas for the following Fiscal Year Research Plan, but the timing of the solicitations varies slightly from year to year. Research ideas may become the basis for public solicitations or interagency agreements the following year. An announcement is sent to all parties signed up on the research email distribution list and to various University Research Departments. The solicitation period generally runs for at least one month. A specific deadline is identified in the official Research Idea Solicitation Notice, when released.

Submitting your ideas

Proponents should submit research ideas through our online form. Research ideas are reviewed by CARB staff and, if selected for funding, will be presented to the Board as part of the next Annual Research Plan.  Once approved by the Board, CARB staff will either work with the proponents to turn the research ideas into full project proposals, solicit the University of California and California State University systems for proposals to become interagency agreements, or develop competitive solicitations known as Requests For Proposals (RFP).

Subscribe to our email distribution list to receive the next announcement for the Research Ideas Solicitation and other notices.

CARB research interests

The nature and scope of proposed research ideas that are funded by CARB vary, as does the size and duration of the projects. While there is no minimum or maximum funding amount that may be suggested for the conduct of the proposed research, suggested budgets are expected to be consistent with our historical levels. The Board's research budget is approximately $5 million dollars per year and typically supports 10-25 projects, with two to three year duration. There is no specified minimum or maximum project budget, but typical budgets range from $50,000-$650,000.

Research Development & Implementation

CARB staff identify research priorities every fiscal year by collecting input internally, and from other agencies and stakeholders, to identify research needs that will support key CARB programs, and soliciting the general public for research ideas. Research ideas are then prioritized to fit within the restrictions of our annual research budget. Once the Board approves the conceptual project descriptions, CARB staff pursue proposals (and ultimately contracts) to perform research that is not conducted in-house. CARB’s proposal solicitations usually target the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems (per the Health and Safety Code), but occasionally CARB issues a public request for proposals (RFP).  CARB’s Research Screening Committee (RSC) reviews full proposals before they are presented to the Board for formal approval and funding. Proposals that are approved by the Board are developed into contracts that designate a scope of work, milestones, a budget, and a project start and end date.  Most projects are required to submit a Final Report that must be reviewed by the RSC and presented to the Board for approval.  Once the Final Report has been approved by the Board, the contract is final and the report is made available to the public.  Active and completed contracts, along with related documents, are available in the Research Projects Catalog.

*Please note: CARB is required by the California Health and Safety Code, Section 39704, to consider the expertise of the California State University or University of California systems when awarding contracts.