Colorado State University

Climate-Ready Agriculture and Water Innovation Grants – Request for Proposals 

2026-2028 Internal Funding Opportunity 

Deadline: February 2nd, 2026 

Funding: Up to $200,000 total over two years 

Apply Here: https://smr.to/p106183 

Download the RFP HERE

Overview 

The CSU School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES), Colorado Water Center, and CSU Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) invite proposals for targeted, interdisciplinary research projects that explore innovative approaches for promoting climate resilience and water sustainability in agricultural systems. This joint initiative seeks to foster community-engaged research that advances CSU’s strategic priorities and builds capacity for securing external funding. 

Projects should involve meaningful engagement with local stakeholders, integration across disciplines and CSU colleges, and partnerships with CSU Extension. We encourage interdisciplinary proposals that include professionals at multiple career levels, support junior faculty, thoughtfully engage students, and demonstrate potential for real-world impact. 

Funding Available 

We will fund 1-2 projects for a total of $200,000 in funding will be awarded over a two-year period (FY27 & FY28). Proposals should demonstrate a clear plan for leveraging this funding toward long-term outcomes, including external grant development, building community partnerships, and developing interdisciplinary scholarship at CSU.  

Timeline 

Application deadline: February 2nd, 2026 

Notification of awards: March 2026 

Funding Period: July 1st, 2026-June 30th, 2028 (encumbered by May 31)   

Eligibility 

• Must be led by CSU faculty members (tenure-track, research, and extension) and other team members are allowed 

• Preference will be given to: 
  • Interdisciplinary teams, including from multiple colleges 

• • Projects involving both junior and senior faculty 

• • Collaborations between campus and extension faculty 

• • Teams with existing community relationships 

• • Teams that thoughtfully engage students  

Proposal Requirements 

Submit a single PDF document (max 6 pages, single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font) including: 

1. Project Title and Summary A concise 2–3 sentence summary of the project’s focus and relevance.
2. Project Description and Background Describe the problem being addressed and how it responds to this call’s priorities, research and other project objectives, and any relevant background.
3. Methodological Approach Include details about your project methods, hypotheses or propositions, data collection and analysis procedures, and any other relevant activities.
4. Community Engagement Describe how the project engages or involves community partners. Describe existing relationships and how you will build upon them. 
5. Team Composition Describe the roles or key personnel; identify the lead PI responsible for managing the award. Highlight interdisciplinary collaboration, junior/senior faculty mentorship, and CSU extension involvement. Please also highlight or list other ongoing relevant work and awards. 
6. Timeline, Outcomes, and Metrics Indicate anticipated timelines and describe expected outcomes, deliverables, and how success will be measured. Include plans for leveraging future funding. 
7. Budget and Justification (not included in page limit) Provide a detailed budget and explanation of how funds will be used. For any salary, fringe must also be included. 
8. CVs of lead personnel (not included in page limit). 
9. Letters of support, particularly from community partners (not included in page limit). 

Evaluation Criteria 

Proposals will be evaluated based on: 

• Alignment with themes: sustainable water management, climate resilience, innovative agricultural practices, community engagement 

• Project approaches and objectives that are feasible and address and important research need and real-world problem solving 

• Team composition 

• Strength of community partnerships and involvement 

• Inclusion of extension staff members and extension role in project 

• Potential for external funding and long-term impact