Research Grant Opportunities
The Center on Climate Change and Urbanism (CCU) within the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Tulane University represents the culmination of a several generation’s worth of research and practice to understand how the built environment causes climate change and responds to it. Through research, design investigations, public programming, and university courses and studios, we are here to support students and faculty, as well practitioners, from across the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. Whether you are an undergraduate student who is interested in exploring how climate change will shape your future career or a seasoned built environment professional, we are here to build bridges around a common dialogue.
"Our goal at CCU is to bridge communities of practice and scholarship to define our role in mitigating and adapting to climate change."
We are now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 cycle of CCU research grants. Please see the below grant types. For applicants to the Faculty Research Fellowship and the Latin America/Caribbean Grants, a range of funding is available, from smaller projects that may require small amounts of support to larger, more resource-intensive interdisciplinary collaborations.
Faculty Research Fellowship Grants
We are now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 cycle of CCU Faculty Fellows.
Eligibility: All permanent Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment (TuSABE) faculty (tenured, tenure-track, and professors of practice) are eligible to apply for research fellowship funding from CCU.
Description: The intent of this fellowship grant program is to support interdisciplinary research into the built environment’s role in causing, mitigating, and adapting to climate change. Preference will be given to projects that consist of collaborations with non-TuSABE Tulane faculty in other disciplines, as a way to catalyze and support interdisciplinary research in which a permanent TuSABE faculty member is the project lead. Research questions and methods grounded in design, science, social science, applied science, humanities, and applied practices in the built environment are welcome. In their proposals, faculty applicants should identify the interdisciplinary collaborator(s), research question, scholarly contribution, and anticipated outcomes and outlets for their supported research. Preference is given to projects that are anticipated to support peer review journal article publication. The development and execution of courses, seminars, studios, and public symposia or lectures are eligible under this award.
Expectations:
Individual grant awards are anticipated to range between $5,000 and $15,000 per project. Awards are expected to be made by December 2026, and grant recipients must expend the full distribution of the awarded research funds by May 31, 2028. Funds may be used for eligible expenses under university and school expense policies, as well as summer salary. Faculty Fellows will be expected to give a short lunchtime presentation during the academic year, and submit a brief summary of activities for documentation of the research at the end of the grant. CCU should be acknowledged as a funder of the research in all publication and dissemination of the work.
Application: To apply, please submit a single PDF containing: cover letter (1 page), proposed budget (1 page), and a short project abstract (1-2 pages, max 500 words) to ccu@tulane.edu by August 28, 2026. PDFs should be no longer than 4 pages. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be selected by the leadership team of CCU.
Latin America and Caribbean Research Grants
We are now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Latin America and Caribbean research funding cycle.
Eligibility: All permanent Tulane University faculty (tenured, tenure-track and professors of practice from TuSABE and all other Tulane schools) are eligible to apply for research funding associated with Latin American and the Caribbean from CCU. Graduate students and post-docs may also be eligible, if supervised by a member of the permanent faculty. Collaborations with faculty from the School of Architecture and Built Environment are encouraged, but they are not required.
Description: The intent of this grant program is to support interdisciplinary research into the built environment’s role in causing, mitigating, and adapting to climate change, with a focus on Latin American and Caribbean contexts and impacts. Research questions and methods grounded in science, social science, applied science, humanities, and applied practices are welcome. The proposed research should serve as an adjunct to the themes of urbanism and urbanization in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation. For instance, engineers may be working on nature-based solutions in urban areas and public health scholars may be researching the health impacts of climate change on urban dwellers. Faculty applicants should identify the central research question, scholarly contribution, and anticipated outcomes and outlets for their supported research. Preference is given to projects that are anticipated to support peer review journal article publication. The development and execution of applied research, courses, seminars, and public symposia or lectures are eligible under this award.
Expectations: Individual grant awards are anticipated to range between $5,000 and $15,000 per project. Awards are expected to be made by December 2026, and grant recipients must expend the full distribution of the awarded research funds by May 31, 2028. Funds may be used for eligible expenses under university and school expense policies, as well as summer salary. Grantees will be expected to give a short lunchtime presentation during the academic year and submit a brief summary of activities for documentation of the research at the end of the grant. CCU should be acknowledged as a funder of the research in all publication and dissemination of the work.
Application: To apply, please submit a single PDF containing: cover letter (1 page), proposed budget (1 page), and a short project abstract (1-2 pages, max 500 words) to ccu@tulane.edu by August 28, 2026. PDFs should be no longer than 4 pages. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be selected by the leadership team of CCU.
Student Research Grants
Please check back in August for the timeline and process for the 2026-2027 CCU Student Research Grants.
Eligibility: Current undergraduate majors, minors, or graduate students in any of TuSABE’s programs (with graduation date of May 2027 or later).
Description: Undergraduate and graduate students interested in applying for research support should first secure a faculty sponsor for their project. Projects undertaken as part of an independent study or thesis are eligible for funding.
Expectations: Individual grant awards are anticipated to range between $1,000 and $3,000 per project. Successful applicants must expend the full distribution of the awarded research funds by the end of the 2026-27 academic year. Student grantees will be expected to submit a brief summary of activities for documentation of the research at the end of the grant. CCU should be acknowledged as a funder of the research in all publication and dissemination of the work.
Application: To apply, please submit a single PDF containing: cover letter explaining the project and listing the faculty sponsor (1 page), proposed budget (1 page), and a short project abstract (1-2 pages, max 500 words) to ccu@tulane.edu (deadline will be announced in August 2026). PDFs should be no longer than 4 pages. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be selected by the leadership team of CCU.
Please check back shortly for more information on funded research projects from the Faculty Fellows and Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment faculty.