Deadlines

Eligibility

Projects must include at least two co-organizers who will work as equal partners: 

• One co-organizer(s) must be a student or full-time employee (faculty, administrator, postdoc, researcher, undergraduate or graduate students) at Columbia University, Teachers College, or Barnard College.
• One co-organizer(s) should be affiliated with a community- or place-based nonprofit organization or group; or be a member of a local or Indigenous community. Note: The definition and boundaries of a community and membership are at the applicants’ discretion. The grant review committee recognizes and respects the historical and political complexities of community and identity. We kindly ask the applicant(s) to explicitly identify the community they belong to. 

Amount

Up to four awards are available in amounts up to $4,800. Projects can start as soon as January 2024 and funds must be expended by June 30, 2025. Grants can be combined with any other funding held by the applicants. 

Funds can only support direct costs. Funds can be used to cover informal and formal community-building costs. The outside co-organizer, community-based organization staff, or other parties outside of Columbia University are eligible for honorariums. Honorariums cannot be provided to any Columbia University faculty, student, or staff. Funds cannot be used for lobbying or political activities. 

Description

The Community-Driven Co-Production of Knowledge Earth Network is accepting applications for collaborative climate change projects between community groups/members of a local or Indigenous community and Columbia University affiliates. This Network (funded by the Columbia Climate School and administered by the Center for Science and Society), grew out of the conviction that there is a fundamental need for active and equal partnerships of Indigenous and historically marginalized communities with academia to set climate research agendas, generate knowledge, confront past and present climate injustices, and determine interventions. This partnership works against extractive relationships where communities may have been exploited for their local knowledge by researchers. Proposals should address how projects will support efforts towards the redistribution of power and resources to counteract historically unequal research dynamics.

Funds will support climate change projects that foster community and mutually beneficial collaboration in line with this vision, including, for example, advocacy efforts, community building, digital projects, events, pilot studies, reading groups, or training development (not a comprehensive list). For examples of equality in collaborations, see Justice Funders and the Urban Institute Community Partnerships Guide. This grant is funded by the Columbia Climate School and administered by the Center for Science and Society.

Apply

Potential applicants are encouraged to email [email protected] with any questions. Please visit the Call for Applications for additional information. 

To apply, please submit the following as a single PDF document by 11:59PM ET on October 15, 2023 to [email protected] with “Co-Production of Knowledge Grant” in the subject line of the email: 

• Cover page including (1) title of proposal, (2) applicants and their affiliations and email addresses, (3) an executive summary or abstract of the project, and (4) the total funding amount sought. 
• Proposal narrative of no more than two pages in single-spaced 12-point font). The narrative should include: 
  • A description of the project and how it furthers co-production of knowledge efforts. Note: There is no singular definition of co-production of knowledge; we are looking to learn more about applicants’ viewpoints and understandings of this method to produce knowledge collaboratively.
  • Project’s broader impact and how Project members would define success. Note: applicants are encouraged to think beyond the traditional academic and metric-driven definition of impact.
  • Brief statement on how your project connects to the Center’s ongoing efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in policies, systems, and spaces in science and society.
• Timeline of research and/or activities
• Budget with a line-by-line breakdown and justification of all expenses and list of any outside support (if applicable)
• Participant section, which should include:
  • CVs or short biographies including relevant professional, academic, and lived experiences (no more than a paragraph each) for co-organizers and other major participants. 
  • If participants are representatives of an organization, please also include a brief summary of the organization’s mission, goals, and relevant activities. Please include a website link, if available
  • The reciprocally beneficial responsibilities and impacts expected through the activities of the seed grant for each collaborator (no more than two paragraphs).