Focus on Recruiting Emerging Climate and Adaptation Scientists and Transformers | 24 558

FORECAST (NSF) Grant Opportunity FAQs

1. What is the NSF FORECAST program?

Focus on Recruiting Emerging Climate and Adaptation Scientists and Transformers (FORECAST) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity designed to modernize how students at Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) are prepared for climate-related careers. It emphasizes a student-centered approach that builds innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical problem-solving skills tied to real-world climate and adaptation challenges.

2. What is the main goal of FORECAST?

The overall goal is to strengthen a national climate and adaptation workforce that can translate research into tangible societal benefits, especially for communities facing disproportionate climate risks. The program focuses on preparing students to work across research, innovation, policy, practice, and community planning contexts.

3. Who are “Transformers” in the context of FORECAST?

In this program, “Transformers” refers to the next wave of scientists equipped to confront the real-world impacts of climate change. They are expected to pair technical expertise with collaboration skills, including working with communities, decision-makers, and public institutions to help ensure research can be used in practice.

4. What does FORECAST mean by “engaged research”?

FORECAST emphasizes “engaged research,” meaning research efforts are paired with community needs so solutions are co-developed with the people most affected. The intent is to connect research to real conditions and decision-making, rather than treating communities as passive recipients of research outcomes.

5. What is “convergence research” and why does it matter here?

Convergence research, as described in the opportunity, involves bringing together perspectives and methods from multiple disciplines to address complex climate and adaptation challenges. In FORECAST, this supports practical, cross-cutting solutions that reflect the realities of climate risk and resilience work.

6. What kinds of skills are participants expected to build?

Beyond research fundamentals, participants are expected to build skills such as communicating across sectors, understanding how government contexts shape climate and resilience work, collaborating with communities and public institutions, and developing pathways for research outcomes to be applied in policy, practice, or community planning.

7. How does FORECAST approach graduate and workforce pathways differently?

FORECAST moves away from traditional, one-size-fits-all pathways. It promotes a student-centered model with intentional professional development, mentorship, and cohort-based support that integrates innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving connected to real climate and adaptation needs.

8. Who can participate as students in FORECAST-supported activities?

The opportunity limits student participants to two groups: senior undergraduate students (particularly rising seniors) and students enrolled in master’s degree programs.

9. Are there citizenship or residency requirements for student participants?

Yes. A key eligibility requirement is that FORECAST participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

10. How does FORECAST address broadening participation in STEM?

The program is explicitly focused on broadening participation in STEM by building cohorts drawn from the full range of diverse talent at ERIs, including groups that have historically been excluded or underserved in STEM fields.

11. What are the proposal categories (tracks) in this solicitation?

FORECAST is organized into three proposal categories: Track 1, Track 2, and Planning Grants.

12. What is Track 1?

Track 1 funds a single national Coordination Hub. This Hub is responsible for organizing and coordinating support for a national cohort of rising seniors, particularly students from ERIs and/or from historically excluded and underserved groups. The Hub model implies shared infrastructure and more standardized professional development experiences across institutions.

13. How many Track 1 awards will NSF make?

The structure indicates only one Track 1 Coordination Hub will be funded.

14. What is Track 2?

Track 2 supports projects that build and train cohorts of master’s degree students at ERIs. These projects are expected to center mentorship, structured cohort experiences, and institutional capacity-building so ERIs can better prepare graduate students for climate and adaptation careers that bridge research, innovation, and community impact.

15. What are Planning Grants and what are they for?

Planning Grants are a ramp-up mechanism. They support ERIs and their partners in developing relationships, program design, and internal capacity needed to launch a future Track 2 cohort, especially for institutions not yet ready to implement a full Track 2 effort.

16. Who is eligible to submit a Track 1 proposal?

Track 1 proposals may be submitted by accredited U.S.-based institutions of higher education (including two-year and four-year colleges and community colleges) acting on behalf of their faculty, as well as eligible U.S. non-profit, non-academic organizations such as museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies involved in education or research.

17. Can non-academic organizations apply under Track 1?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes eligible U.S. non-profit, non-academic organizations (for example, museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies) involved in education or research for Track 1 submissions.

18. What if a Track 1 proposal includes work at an international branch campus?

There are specific NSF instructions for proposals involving funding work at an international branch campus of a U.S. institution. The proposal must clearly explain why the international location benefits the project and why the work cannot be done at the U.S. campus.

19. Who is eligible to submit Track 2 or Planning Grant proposals?

Eligibility for Track 2 and Planning Grants is limited to master’s degree-granting Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) as defined in federal law (42 USC 18901).

20. How does NSF define an Emerging Research Institution (ERI) for this solicitation?

In this solicitation, ERIs are described as institutions with established undergraduate or graduate programs that have less than $50 million in federal research expenditures.

21. How will NSF determine whether an institution qualifies as an ERI?

NSF will use data from NSF 24-308 (the Higher Education Research and Development, or HERD, Survey tables) to determine whether an institution qualifies as an ERI for submission eligibility.

22. What kinds of student cohorts does FORECAST prioritize?

The program prioritizes cohorts drawn from ERIs, with an emphasis on including students from historically excluded and underserved groups in STEM. Track 1 focuses on rising seniors, and Track 2 focuses on master’s students at ERIs.

23. What role do mentorship and professional development play in the program?

Mentorship and structured professional development are treated as central elements of FORECAST rather than optional add-ons. Track 2 specifically emphasizes mentorship, structured cohort experiences, and capacity-building at the institution level.

24. What is the funding opportunity number and federal assistance listing for this solicitation?

The funding opportunity number is 24-558. The program is listed under CFDA 47.050 and is categorized as a science and technology research and development discretionary grant opportunity.

25. What is the closing date listed for the opportunity?

The original closing date listed in the excerpt provided is January 29, 2025.

26. Does the excerpt state the award ceiling or the number of expected awards?

No. The synopsis excerpt provided does not specify an award ceiling or the number of expected awards. It does indicate a limited number of major awards, including only one Track 1 Coordination Hub, plus additional Track 2 awards and Planning Grants.

27. What kinds of impacts is NSF looking for through FORECAST?

Based on the program description, NSF is aiming for workforce and societal impacts: preparing students to translate climate and adaptation research into benefits that show up in policy, practice, innovation, and community resilience, particularly in communities with disproportionate climate risks.

28. How does FORECAST connect research to public decision-making?

The opportunity emphasizes skills like communicating across sectors, understanding government contexts, and creating pathways for research to be used in policy or community planning. It also stresses collaboration with decision-makers and public institutions as part of the “Transformer” model.

29. What national directives or guidance does FORECAST align with?

The opportunity aligns with guidance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education, both of which encourage a more responsive scientific enterprise focused on pressing societal challenges.

30. What is the difference between Track 1 and Track 2 in practical terms?

Track 1 is a single national Coordination Hub focused on a national cohort of rising seniors and shared infrastructure across institutions. Track 2 supports institution-based projects at ERIs that build and train cohorts of master’s students, emphasizing mentorship, structured cohort experiences, and institutional capacity-building.