Columbia University is inviting faculty members, postdoctoral and doctoral students to submit proposals for climate-related research in Brazil, with a particular focus on Rio de Janeiro. The call, initiated by Columbia Global, builds on the success of a previous round of funding and seeks to address critical issues relating to urban sustainability, climate finance, and ocean sciences.
Key themes of interest range from public health and climate resilience to renewable energy and the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. The research aims to tackle the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change, urban density, and sea-level rise, especially in coastal cities like Rio de Janeiro, and is part of the mandate of the new Climate Hub in Rio.
Columbia Global will make three types of awards to full-time faculty and researchers: grants for individual research and travel support to Brazil (up to $10,000 per award), workshop/small conference grants for proposal design and preparation (up to $20,000 per award), and collaboration research awards (up to $25,000 per award).
In addition, doctoral students and postdocs at Columbia University interested in pursuing climate research in Brazil are invited to apply for awards of up to $10,000.
Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 4, 2023.
Interested applicants are encouraged to attend a virtual question-and-answer event, which will be held at 4 p.m. EDT on Oct. 31, 2023. Register here.
To learn more and begin the proposal process, visit the Request for Proposals information page.
About the first round
The Climate Hub | Rio issued its inaugural request for proposals in May 2023. Following a rigorous selection process, six awards were made to faculty and researchers from six different Columbia schools. The selected projects are diverse, with focus areas ranging from climate litigation to the political economy of green innovation in Brazil. Learn more about the awardees and their projects here.
About Columbia Global Centers | Rio de Janeiro
The Rio center is part of a network of 11 global centers of Columbia University in the City of New York, one of the world's leading academic institutions. The centers serve as knowledge hubs that aim to educate and inspire through research, dialogue, and action. They advance understanding, facilitate partnerships, and build the bridges necessary to tackle our changing world.
About Climate Hub | Rio
In early 2023, the Columbia Global Center in Rio de Janeiro launched its Climate Hub | Rio – a new public-private partnership – with seed funding from the City of Rio de Janeiro. The Climate Hub | Rio promotes mutually beneficial collaborations between Columbia faculty and researchers with stakeholders in Brazil, with a special emphasis on work and collaborations with stakeholders in the City of Rio de Janeiro.
The City of Rio de Janeiro is supporting the Climate Hub | Rio with the goal of advancing knowledge and action related to all aspects of climate and climate change in Rio and Brazil. The Climate Hub focuses on three major components: advancing education regarding climate and climate change; supporting joint research and pedagogical collaborations between Columbia faculty and students with counterparts in Brazil; and organizing conferences and public events.
