AIR Annual Resilience Theme Grant

2025–2026 Academic Year (FY26)

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 execute a creative and inspiring yearlong agenda of events and activities focused on a single, resilience-related theme-of-the-year for the 2025–2026 academic year. This theme will be investigated, explored, and examined through a series of activities using a wide variety of venues. During the 2025–2026 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. 

We want 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 for the theme of the year will include a 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 2025, but the selected team is encouraged to begin planning for activities in the 2025–2026 academic year as soon as they are notified of their award in May. UArizona faculty, continuing-eligible and continuing-status academic professionals, postdocs, and/or research staff across all disciplines and levels are eligible to apply.

Expected Outcomes

• This year-long effort will lead to at least three significant collaborative outcomes, including a proposal for external funding to support continued research and collaboration, an article ready for submission to peer review by the end of the funding period, and a creative product that educates the community about this theme.

• We expect activities to occur for the duration of the academic year (August 2025–May 2026). 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; its significance, including relevance to AIR/resilience, relevance to a TRIF-WEES programmatic investment area, benefit to the Arizona public; 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 project leadership and plans for organizing and completing project activities.

• 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 a plan to share 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 limited or no use of jargon.

3. A budget in Excel format accounting for all anticipated expenditures and justifying each line item. Please use the template provided at Arizona Cultivate.

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 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.