Today, the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring opened applications for communities across the U.S. to monitor and evaluate factors influencing local heat risk, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, selected communities will receive $10,000 and technical support to collect heat distribution data through community-led campaigns.

“The Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring supports essential research and data collection around extreme heat,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “It equips communities with the knowledge to make informed and equitable decisions about heat resilience, while engaging community members and community-based organizations throughout the process.”

The center will build on the research developed over eight years of NOAA-supported urban heat island mapping campaigns. Past campaigns have informed local cooling solutions, decision-making, advocacy and education around heat resilience in more than 80 communities.

The Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring

The Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring (CCHM) was created by NOAA and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) with $4.55 million in funding through the Inflation Reduction Act to address extreme heat and its impacts. The CCHM and the Center for Heat Resilient Communities make up the NIHHIS Centers of Excellence, which strengthen heat resilience across the country through heat research and governance strategies.

The CCHM is a unique partnership of science museums, researchers and technical experts, including: The Museum of Life and Science in North Carolina; the Museum of Science in Boston; the Arizona Science Center; the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; AQUEHS Corp.; CAPA Strategies; the North Carolina State Climate Office and Utah State University. Selected communities will partner will one of the center’s four regional hubs to co-create heat monitoring campaigns tailored to their local priorities and strengths.

“We’re excited to work directly with frontline communities to co-develop the heat monitoring campaigns,” said CCHM Director Max Cawley. “Local partnerships will shed light on how heat risk affects people on the ground in their communities and what can be done about it.”

How to apply

The application window for this opportunity is open nowoffsite link and closes on January 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. In support of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, the center will prioritize applications from communities that have experienced historical patterns of discrimination, underinvestment and disenfranchisement and have limited resources to conduct heat monitoring on their own. Rural communities, tribal nations, U.S. territories and communities that have not previously undergone heat mapping are especially encouraged to apply.

Communities that submit an optional Expression of Interestoffsite link by November 15, 2024 will have the opportunity to be matched with a “mentor” community to share their experiences with participatory science and provide additional guidance. The center will also host upcoming webinars and Q&A sessions to answer questions from prospective applicants.