The program announcement is open for a 45-day period. Candidates should be institutions of higher learning or other organizations that have suitable facilities, partnerships and science capabilities. Successful applicants are expected to be chosen by mid-August.
DOI Secretary Ken Salazar called for the eight Climate Science Centers in a secretarial order signed in September 2009. With this order, he put into action the DOI's first coordinated strategy to address current and future impacts of climate change on America's land, water, ocean, fish, wildlife and cultural resources.
The University of Alaska was chosen as the first center. The Northwest and Southeast centers called for in this program announcement will be established during fiscal year 2010. Those in the Southwest and North Central regions will be selected via this competition announcement, but their formal establishment will be subject to available funding. The remaining three regions will be open for competition under a second program announcement that is planned for release in 2012.
Applicants wishing to host a Climate Science Center must be able to contribute climate science capabilities that complement and enhance U.S. Geological Survey and DOI scientific and computational capacity, and those of other science partners.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of the Interior
