Eleven CSUs are leveraging California Climate Action Seed and Matching Grants to help achieve a climate-resilient future.
Photo Courtesy Chico State/Jason Halley
As the climate changes and the state, nation and world feel the devastating effects, researchers across the California State University are testing and pioneering methods to increase climate resiliency. California Climate Action Seed and Matching Grants, administered through the University of California (UC) to drive climate action, are powering a sample of this extensive climate-related work, with funds supporting projects at 11 CSUs—Chico, East Bay, Humboldt, Long Beach, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San José and San Luis Obispo.
“I am thrilled to see so many of our campuses working on the important problem of climate adaptation and action,” says Ganesh Raman, assistant vice chancellor for Research at the CSU Office of the Chancellor. “These grants allow our faculty to conduct research that is directly connected to the needs of our state by addressing key areas of climate action, including ecosystem resilience, workforce training, climate change mitigation and the effects on humans. Each of the funded projects also includes a community engagement aspect—with several projects allowing faculty to partner with local indigenous Tribes and to use indigenous knowledge to better protect our future.”
The grants were developed through a historic partnership between the UC system and the state using funds set aside in the California State Budget Act of 2022-23. The UC distributed more than $80 million in grants across 38 projects. Recipients of Climate Action Matching Grants received between $2 million and $10 million, while Climate Action Seed Grant recipients were awarded between $500,000 and $2 million.
“With these investments, California is harnessing the ingenuity of our world-renowned universities and people to deliver climate action across our state,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. “California is leading the charge in tapping our natural resources to protect our people, our communities and our planet.”
This Earth Day, we look at those funded CSU-led projects addressing critical climate challenges.
California Soil Carbon Accrual Project and Workforce Training Program | Chico State
A Chico State team sets up a monitoring tower in an agricultural field. Photo credit: Jason Halley
Chico State’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS), along with the College of Agriculture, College of Natural Sciences and partner institutions including Cal State East Bay, received nearly $6 million to research climate threats to agriculture in California, such as soil erosion, degradation and water availability.
“Climate change is upon us, and no one feels the effects more than production agriculture,” CRARS Director Cindy Daley said. “It’s imperative that we develop more effective farming strategies that build resilience for future food security and create a climate-literate workforce, with the skills and knowledge to manage these changes into the future.”
The Soil Carbon Accrual Project compares the impacts of conventional farming practices and regenerative farming on environmental factors like levels of carbon, nutrient density and microbial diversity in the soil, as well as water usage and economic return.
Developed with the Chico State Geographical Information Center, the California Agriculture Resiliency Index uses sustainability factors like water resources, soil quality and land use to predict how well the state’s agricultural regions will remain climate resilient and will support diverse farming practices in the future.
Finally, the Technical Assistance Provider Training Program and Professional Certificate Program in Smart/Regenerative Agriculture Practices and Implementation prepare expert leaders to help California navigate the transition to climate-smart farming practices.
Collaborative of Native Nations for Climate Transformation & Stewardship | San Diego State
Co-led by San Diego State and the Climate Science Alliance, the Collaborative of Native Nations for Climate Transformation & Stewardship (CNNCTS) brings together Tribal nations, government agencies and universities, including Cal State Long Beach, to help establish a model for indigenous-led land stewardship to improve the state’s climate resilience. CNNCTS secured a $7.1 million grant through SDSU to study environmental conservation and management methods.
“Tribal communities have always been resilient in the face of change, and this project is creating an opportunity for them to be at the forefront by sharing and demonstrating the value of the work that they’ve already been doing,” said Megan Jennings, co-director of the SDSU Institute for Ecological Monitoring and Management.
First, CNNCTS will test the indigenous practices of cultural burning and tree cutting to restore forests, reduce the effects and spread of invasive insects like the goldspotted oak borer, and mitigate the risk and damage of wildfires.
Second, the funds will help CNNCTS Tribal partners establish demonstration sites to instruct others in land restoration. For example, the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians set up a greenhouse to cultivate seeds and plants that can restore areas damaged by wildfire, while the Pala Band of Mission Indians are operating a greenhouse to encourage people to plant home gardens.
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