NIDIS Coping with Drought Research Competition
What Is the Coping with Drought Research Competition?
Since 2007, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has funded more than 70 innovative drought research projects through the Coping with Drought research competition. Research through the Coping with Drought competition assesses impacts of drought on agriculture, ecosystems, and water resources and develops decision support tools for regional, state, and local use. This research contributes to the understanding of how communities become aware of drought threats and how they can improve preparation and planning. The projects incorporate consultation with stakeholders, and focus on information that is most useful for decision-making to reduce vulnerability; models and tools that bring this information to decision makers; and strategies for improving NIDIS’ engagement with communities in preparedness.
FY25 NIDIS Coping with Drought Competition: Understanding and Assessing Drought in a Changing Climate
In August 2024, NIDIS announced up to $4 million in funding for 8 two-year projects as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 NIDIS Coping with Drought: Understanding and Assessing Drought in a Changing Climate competition. This competition seeks projects focused on improving drought indicator performance to account for non-stationarity with the goal of more accurate drought assessments that support communities in preparing for, mitigating, and responding to drought.
In Fiscal Year 2025, approximately $2 million will be available for the first year of funding for up to 8 new awards, pending budget appropriations. It is anticipated that most awards will be at a funding level between $50,000 and $250,000 per year over 2 years for a total of up to $500,000.
This competition addresses needs identified in the NOAA/NIDIS Drought Assessment in a Changing Climate Technical Memorandum, based on a technical workshop co-hosted by NIDIS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Climate Hubs. The Technical Memorandum captures the input from more than 100 subject matter experts, who during the meeting identified priority actions and outstanding research questions across fifteen focus areas. This Technical Memorandum is the focus of the Fiscal Year 2025 NIDIS Coping with Drought grant competition, which seeks projects to advance a key focus area: “Improving Drought Indicator Performance.”
Learn more about this competition:
- Deadlines:
- Letters of Intent (LOIs) are due by September 18, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Full applications are due by December 9, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Letters of Intent or applications received after the above deadlines will not be reviewed or considered.
- Informational Webinars: NIDIS will host two informational webinars about this funding opportunity. Webinar recordings will be posted on this web page.
- Competition Informational Webinar: Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
- View webinar recording and FAQs.
- Post-LOI Informational Webinar: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
- Competition Informational Webinar: Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
- Learn More and Apply:
Previous Coping with Drought Competitions
The Coping with Drought competition is typically offered every one to two years. Themes may differ for each competition and are informed by needs and emerging issues identified by a broad range of stakeholders across the United States. Explore featured NIDIS-supported research from previous Coping with Drought competitions below.
Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 NIDIS Coping with Drought Competition
In September 2023, NIDIS announced approximately $2 million in funding for projects to support tribal drought resilience as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
The Climate Program Office FY 2024 NIDIS Tribal Drought Resilience with Inflation Reduction Act Support competition sought applications focused on addressing current and future drought risk on tribal lands across the Western U.S. to support decision-making and build tribal drought resilience in a changing climate.
While tribal nations have historically shown that they are resilient and can adapt to change, it is now more important than ever for tribal nations to be prepared for future droughts. This opportunity will provide support for tribal nations to implement activities to increase their resilience to drought and account for the impacts of climate change on water availability.
The FY 2024 application period closed on Thursday, February 15, 2024. Awardees will be announced in 2024.
Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 NIDIS Coping with Drought Competitions
For the FY 2022 Coping with Drought competitions, NIDIS funded twelve 2-year projects across two research areas: Ecological Drought (7 projects) and Building Tribal Drought Resilience (5 projects).
The competitively selected projects total $6,269,035 over 2 years, including $5,697,148 in cooperative agreements and $571,887 in other awards.
FY 2022 Coping with Drought: Ecological Drought Projects
FY 2022 Coping with Drought: Building Tribal Drought Resilience Projects
Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 NIDIS Coping with Drought Competition
For the FY 2020 Coping with Drought competition, NIDIS funded five 2-year projects that aim to improve our understanding and use of drought indicators, thresholds and triggers, and drought impact reporting to inform decision-making to prepare for and respond to drought. NIDIS encouraged applicants to focus on industry and economic sectors beyond agriculture (e.g., tourism and recreation, navigation, water utilities, manufacturing, ecosystem services, and public health).
FY 2020 Coping with Drought Projects
Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 NIDIS Coping with Drought Competition
For FY 2019, the Coping with Drought research competition focused on projects within the NIDIS Regional Drought Early Warning Systems (DEWS). Individual topics to be addressed included business and decision calendars, water markets, and drought triggers and indicators.
Featured FY 2019 Coping with Drought Projects
Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 NIDIS Coping with Drought Competition
For FY 2018, the Coping with Drought research competition focused on science communication and understanding behavioral changes due to forecasts, decision calendars, improved and varied communication techniques, and innovative collaborations in water-scarce and water-stressed environments.
Featured FY 2018 Coping with Drought Projects
Fiscal Year (FY) 2007–2016 NIDIS Coping with Drought Competitions
The Coping with Drought research competition began in 2007. Explore featured NIDIS-supported research projects from FY 2007–FY 2016. Or, see a complete list of past projects.