Call for Proposals: Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program

Deadline: 16 February 2018

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada is seeking proposals for its Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program to support Indigenous communities in the development and implementation of community-based climate monitoring projects.

The program is a new climate change funding opportunity offered by INAC. Through the development of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, the National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs) identified the need to support Indigenous peoples in monitoring the effects of climate change in their communities.

Funding Information

The amount of available contribution funding for the 2018-2019 fiscal year is ­­­$5.5 million.

Eligibility Criteria

• Indigenous communities and organizations
• First Nation band or tribal councils
• Indigenous individuals
• Eligible applicants can work with external partners such as:
  • other Indigenous communities
  • federal, provincial, territorial or regional governments
  • non-governmental organizations
  • academic institutions
  • consultants
• For all project proposals, regardless of partnerships, a community support letter is required.

Program Requirements

• Projects must consider the following key components:
  • be a community-driven initiative
  • monitor climate indicators or environmental effects of climate change on their traditional lands
  • incorporate the use of Indigenous Knowledge and science-based climate information
  • provide Indigenous youth (ages 15 to 29) with educational, skill development or employment opportunities
  • facilitate an elder-youth connection with opportunities for intergenerational knowledge transfer
  • incorporate a data management plan to effectively collect, manage, store and share the data resulting from the monitoring project
• Projects under the program will need to consider key climate indicators, such as:
  • Climate Data:
    • air temperature
    • precipitation
    • humidity
    • wind
    • extreme weather events
  • Wildlife and Vegetation:
    • population
    • distribution
    • health and seasonal timing of plants and animals
    • habitat quality
    • species at risk
    • invasive species
  • Land and Water:
    • permafrost conditions
    • coastal erosion
    • landslides
    • soil quality
    • wildfires
    • drought
    • water quality and quantity
    • water salinity
    • water temperature
    • flooding
    • glacier retreat
    • freshwater ice
    • sea ice
    • freshwater level
    • sea level
    • snowpack
    • storm surges
  • The climate indicators listed above were identified by Indigenous community representatives through the National Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Symposium hosted in Winnipeg, Manitoba from November 7 to 9, 2017. However, climate change is having impacts that are unique to individual regions, communities, and groups. Therefore, the program encourages eligible applicants to submit project proposals even if their climate indicators of interest are not listed above.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit the project proposal, work plan and budget spreadsheets, and community support letter at the address given on the website.

Note: Only Canadian Indigenous individuals, communities, groups, organizations and tribal councils are eligible to apply for funding under Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada’s (INAC) Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program.

For more information, please visit Call for Proposals.