Through this Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity, the NOAA Climate Program Office (https://cpo.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/) of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research is soliciting proposals for the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments FY 2026 competition for cooperative agreements.

States and communities regularly face risks from weather and climate-driven hazards, including flooding, extreme temperatures, water shortages, wildfires, and severe storms. These events directly impact the health, housing, safety, business development, and economies of communities and frequently recur in seasonal cycles. Beyond short-term cycles of emergency response, state and local governments are seeking to improve their understanding and address current risks, while improving their overall preparedness for future disasters. NOAA RISA teams are place-based science teams that provide support for planning and preparedness, with expertise in regional risks, local context, institutions, and approaches. These teams partner with decision-makers across multiple private and public sector organizations in their regions, including emergency managers, utilities, ports, small- and medium-sized businesses, rural towns, city planners, and regional councils.

In FY 2026, the RISA program will solicit proposals for teams in 9 regions of the United States. The proposal should articulate an integrated set of research and partnership activities that will meaningfully advance the resilience and preparedness of states and communities in each designated region. In the proposed projects, applicants should consider how the research and partnerships will lead to outcomes for planning and decision making and potential scalability within or across the region.