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Students help Jerry Miller pick up trash from a creek as part of the CCRG project.

Community Collaborative Research Grants (CCRG)

Deadline

October 26, 2026
5:00 PM ET

Open To

Scientific leads and local knowledge experts

Funding Amount

Up to $25,000 ($5,000–$25,000)

The Community Collaborative Research Grant Program, or CCRG, is an innovative funding opportunity that requires research approaches that couple local knowledge with scientific expertise. The CCRG is supported by WRRI and North Carolina Sea Grant, in partnership with the William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science (KIETS).

The purpose of the CCRG program is to support work across the state through a collaborative research approach that utilizes local ecological knowledge. Projects can address a range of water resource and coastal challenges, with targeted focus areas including:

  • Risk communication around natural hazards
  • Natural and nature-based solutions to stormwater, stream erosion, flooding, and storm impacts
  • STEM education and pedagogical processes
  • Regulated and unregulated contaminants
  • Water quality of surface and groundwater
  • Economic evaluation of ecosystem services
  • Fisheries and aquaculture

Projects that partner with the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership (KFP) or the KIETS Climate Leaders Program (CLP) are strongly encouraged.

Eligibility & Requirements

  • Two-Person Team: Projects must be co-led by a team of one scientific expert and one local knowledge expert (e.g., NC college/university faculty, local or state government staff, NGO staff, NC business owners, or private NC citizens).
  • Ineligible Work: Projects focused solely on monitoring activities, literature search compilations, method or sensor development, or workshop planning are not eligible. Proposed work must be novel and not currently under review elsewhere.

Submit a Proposal

Access the eSeaGrant submission portal

Apply
View the RFP
Application Form Instructions
Read about past CCRG projects

Application Details

Funding is available for one-year projects (12 months maximum), and awards will range between $5,000 and $25,000. Full details on eligibility and application requirements are included in the Request for Proposals (RFP). The planned start date is May 1, 2027.

Contact

For questions related to the RFP or submission process, contact Kaitlin Tucker ([email protected]) or John Fear ([email protected]).

For questions about the eSeaGrant portal or proposed budgets, contact Mary Beth Barrow ([email protected]).

All funding opportunities