AIR Annual Resilience Theme Grant

2026–2027 Academic Year (FY27)

Description

The Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) seeks to use TRIF Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions (WEES) funds to support an interdisciplinary team to develop and deliver a creative and inspiring year-long agenda of events and activities focused on a single, resilience-related theme for the 2026–2027 academic year. This theme, to be defined by the team, will be investigated, explored, and examined through a series of activities at a wide variety of venues. 

During the 2026–2027 academic year, the team will engage researchers, students, and community participants across diverse disciplines and ways of knowing to spark interest in the theme, increase understanding of the issues surrounding it, promote new research partnerships, and provide a focus for highlighting University opportunities for learning and developing solutions to relevant challenges related to the theme. 

This opportunity will engage researchers from highly diverse disciplines to learn from each other about how they approach the same general topic—what questions do they think about, what language do they use, and how might they work together to develop some compelling new projects and proposals? Proposals will include description of a variety of activities, such as research-focused seminars, workshops, or working groups; public talks that engage broad community audiences; educational field trips or other student experiences; and film, art, or literary approaches to investigation of and communication on this topic. 

The funding period will begin in July 2026, but the selected team is encouraged to begin planning for activities in the 2026–2027 academic year as soon as they are notified of their award in May. University of Arizona faculty, continuing-eligible and continuing status academic professionals, postdocs, and/or research staff across all disciplines and levels are eligible to apply. 

Expected Outcomes 

• The team will define a resilience-related theme that is the focus of their project.
• The year-long project will lead to at least three significant collaborative outcomes, including: 1) a proposal for external funding to support continued research and collaboration, 2) an article ready for submission to peer-review by the end of the funding period, 3) and a creative product that educates the community about this theme.
• We expect activities to occur for the duration of the academic year (August 2026 - May 2027). The AIR communications team will assist in promoting the theme and its associated activities and accomplishments.

Application Requirements 

The following documents are required to be uploaded in the specified formats. 

1. Two-page (maximum) proposal in a Word document or PDF that addresses: 

• Statement of the proposed theme to be addressed, including: its significance and relevance to AIR and resilience, relevance to a TRIF-WEES programmatic investment area, benefit to the State of Arizona, and the different disciplinary approaches that will be used to study it. Technology transfer and workforce development, including for students, can be included here.
• Clear identification of roles for all investigators and collaborators, including current University of Arizona affiliations.
• A clear timeline for planning and completion of activities, including off-campus events. If activities or events will be held off campus, please include letters of collaboration from venues or collaborators as outlined below.
• The format and intended audience for output products and specific plans for sharing them on campus and within the State of Arizona.
• Clear plans for required outcomes, including: plans for submission of a proposal for external funding to support continued research and collaboration, one or more peer-reviewed publications, and a creative product that educates the community about this theme. 

2. One Word document or PDF containing a short, 250-word abstract written for a generalist audience with no use of jargon. 

3. A budget in Excel format accounting for all anticipated expenditures and providing justification for each line item. Please use the template provided. 

4. One PDF combining one-page CVs for each investigator and key collaborators highlighting work relevant to this proposal. Please note that proposals will not be reviewed if all CVs do not meet this one-page requirement. 

5. One PDF combining letters of collaboration from units or venues on campus, community partners, independent contractors, and/or external organizations clearly indicating support for or plans to participate in the project. 

6. OPTIONAL: One PDF containing estimates or quotes from vendors, if relevant to project goals.

For questions about TRIF-WEES or this competition, please contact Anna Seiferle-Valencia at seiferlevalencia@arizona.edu. 

For questions about Arizona Cultivate, please contact Research Development Services at resdev@email.arizona.edu.