Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2)

The Regional Resilience Innovation Incubators (R2I2) is a cross-directorate NSF solicitation led by the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). R2I2 will support community- engaged team science to co-design high-impact solutions to climate-related societal challenges that leverage recent advances in fundamental climate change and Earth system science research. Each R2I2 project will address specific regional climate challenges and will develop and demonstrate solutions to those challenges that can be effectively applied in real- world settings. Investment in R2I2 will leverage past federal investments in addressing climate change and will provide a bridge connecting advancements in basic science with local knowledge, informed decision making, and technological innovations for societal applications.

R2I2 will be implemented in two phases, concept creation and implementation. This solicitation, focused on Phase-1, will fund a series of pilot projects focusing on project concept creation and refinement for solutions specific to a U.S. climate region.

Targeted areas for establishing R2I2 incubators will be based on ten climate regions defined by the Fifth National Climate Assessment (Table 1.1): Northeast, Southeast, U.S. Caribbean, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, Northwest, Southwest, Alaska, and Hawaii & U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. Although geographic diversity will be a factor considered when determining the portfolio of awards, the review process may result in funding multiple projects in one climate region and none in others. Individual R2I2 projects may propose solutions that apply to more than one climate region defined above. This solicitation will also fund an award for the creation of a R2I2 National Office (RNO) to support the collective and coordinated implementation of R2I2 award activities.

NSF envisions the release of a separate solicitation for Phase-2 implementation projects in fiscal year 2026, subject to the availability of funds. Only Phase-1 award recipients will be eligible to submit Phase-2 proposals. Phase-2 awards will be selected based on a merit review of Phase-2 proposals and performance during Phase-1.