RFP-20250512 closed on June 6, 2025 for Clarkson and ESF faculty proposals.
If you are from an organization, agency, or institution outside of Clarkson/ESF, and would like to collaborate with us, we want to hear from you.
The Center, since its inception in 2019, has funded projects through research seed grants, concept commercialization and implementation grants, and education and outreach grants to faculty at Clarkson University and SUNY ESF.
With interdisciplinary expertise between Clarkson University and SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry (ESF), along with hands-on research facilities in New York, Clarkson University and SUNY (ESF) collaborate with industry, stakeholders, and other external partners to address technological, economic and workforce development needs.
Through the Center’s internal grants, we offer innovative and practical solutions to current and future problems related to the quality, safety and resilience of water resources in New York State and beyond.
Request for Proposals [RFP-20260420] – Projects from Clarkson and ESF Faculty
Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Program (CRISP) $1,000,000
The New York State Department of State’s Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Program provides funding to help counties develop actionable resilience strategies that reduce climate-related risks and advance projects toward implementation to strengthen community resilience.
Each funded Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Plan (CRISP) will serve as a practical roadmap for future resilience investments and decision-making. By preparing projects for implementation and positioning communities to compete for future funding, the program helps counties accelerate resilience investments that protect people, infrastructure, natural resources and local economies from the growing impacts of climate change.
Eligible applicants include NYS counties within NYS ECL Article 14 (The Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act) New York coastal water areas, regional planning councils and not-for-profits that meet the program’s eligibility criteria.
For more information on this funding opportunity, click here.
Coastal Lakeshore Economy and Resiliency (CLEAR) Implementation Design Grants $1,500,000
This program provides funding to develop preliminary design for nature-based shoreline protection measures, resilient stormwater systems, and/or blue-green infrastructure resiliency projects for communities in the eight counties along Lake Ontario, the upper St. Lawrence River and the lower Niagara River. Counties including Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wayne have had Blue (water) and green (vegetated) infrastructure projects utilize natural or nature-based approaches to flooding and stormwater management. Examples of these projects include living shorelines, dune restoration, vegetated buffers, and wetland restoration.
Eligible applicants include municipalities and counties located within Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wayne Counties, as well as Regional Planning Boards and Soil and Water Conservation Districts on behalf of an eligible municipality or county.
For more information on this funding opportunity, click here.
Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve Local Assistance Grant Program $2,000,000
This program provides funding for projects in the following four priority categories identified in the South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP):
Water quality improvement projects
Design, engineering and implementation of coastal resilience projects
Design, engineering and implementation of public water access and blueway trail implementation
Projects supporting the goals of the SSER CMP
This funding opportunity builds upon work outlined in the SSER Strategic investment plan and will make the SSER a better place to live, work and recreate for generations to come. The SSER is a unique and diverse ecosystem located along the Atlantic coastline on Long Island that provides critical habitats for hundreds of wildlife species. The SSER program guides the preservation, protection and enhancement of the natural, recreational, economic and educational resources of the Estuary through partnerships with a diverse group of stakeholders.
Eligible applicants include municipalities (counties, towns, villages, cities), Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Shinnecock Indian Nations, the Unkechaug Indian Nation, Academic Institutions, and Not-for-Profit organizations within Long Island’s South Shore estuary; for SSER boundaries, click here.
For more information on this funding opportunity, click here.
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the opening of a new grant opportunity, the Harmful Algal Bloom Research Grant. While the current research efforts of DEC and its partners to advance the understanding of HABs and improve management have been successful, this HAB Research Grant Program expands research capacity and provides funding and opportunity for collaboration to a broad range of research partners throughout the state. Funded projects will help advance the goals of DEC’s HAB Roadmap and the HABs Research Guide to help strengthen our HAB program.
Research focus areas supported by the HAB Research Grant Program include: Prevention and Mitigation; Causes of HABs; Monitoring and Modeling; Communication, Engagement, and Outreach.
DEC’s HABs Research Grant Request for Applications is available online through the NYS Statewide Financial System (SFS) Grants Management. The deadline to apply is September 15, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.
NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation President & CEO Maureen A. Coleman announced that $75 million in grant funding is available through the Green Resiliency and Green Innovation Grant Programs. This Earth Day announcement underscores EFC’s continued commitment to protecting New Yorkers from flooding, improving water quality, and providing municipalities with resources to affordably modernize critical systems.
Go to EFC’s website at the links below for program guidance, eligibility requirements, and application materials.
EFC’s Community Assistance Teams are available to help municipalities navigate the application process. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review all requirements and submit applications early to avoid any last-minute issues.
Green Resiliency Grants and Green Innovation Grant Program: https://efc.ny.gov/grg
Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grants: https://efc.ny.gov/EPG