Air Pollution Research Planning
This page last reviewed April 23, 2013
Announcements
The California Air Resources Board is accepting research ideas from the general public for the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year Research Plan.
If you are interested in submitting an idea, you can do so through our website at http://researchplanning.arb.wagn.org. Anyone can submit ideas. These ideas will be considered for the 2014-2015 Annual Research Plan. Deadline to submit a research concept is May 31, 2013. To learn more about the Research Idea Solicitation process, visit http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/apr/plan/concepts/concepts.htm.
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ARB’s annual research plan is designed to address the Board’s priority research needs. The Board is primarily interested in projects that will assist in addressing the future research needs in the general areas of Health and Air Quality Standards, Exposure Assessment, Technology Advancement and Pollution Prevention, and Global Climate Change. However, research ideas outside of the key areas of interest will also be considered. The nature and scope of proposed research ideas will vary as will the size and duration of the project. 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 15-25 projects with two to three year durations. There is no specified minimum or maximum project budget, but typical budgets range from $50,000-$650,000.
Annual Research Plan
The Annual Research Plan describes the research projects the Board will recommend funding for the following fiscal year. The 2013-2014 Annual Research Plan was approved by the Board at the March 21, 2013 Hearing.
- Report: ARB's 2013-14 Annual Research Plan (PDF - 953 KB) Posted March 8, 2013
- Public Meeting Notice: ARB's 2013-14 Annual Research Plan Posted March 8, 2013
Previous Annual Research Plans are also available to download.
Timeline
Below is the basic research planning timeline for 2013-2014.
Development and Implementation of the Research Plan
To develop ARB’s Annual Research Plan, ARB staff identify research priorities by collecting input internally and from other agencies to identify research needs that will support key ARB programs, and soliciting the general public for research ideas (previously called research concepts). Research ideas are then developed into the Annual Research Plan and into scopes of work that become part of a solicitation for proposals. Once the Board approves the conceptual project descriptions outlined in the Annual Research Plan, ARB staff pursue proposals (and ultimately contracts) to perform research that is not conducted in-house. ARB’s proposal solicitations usually target the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems (per the Health and Safety Code), but occasionally ARB issues a public request for proposals (RFP). ARB’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 contracts and related documents are available on ARB's main Research webpage.
For more information about Air Pollution Research, email Annalisa Schilla or by phone at (916) 322-8514.
