Interested applicants must register to apply by August 20, 2024, at 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time. Only registered organizations may apply.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program will invest $50 million in the Gulf Futures Challenge to fund projects that apply, translate, or communicate science, engineering, or medical knowledge to produce inclusive, innovative, and transformative solutions to the key challenges facing the Gulf region. The Challenge aims to discover and promote experimentation and new ideas at the intersection of three futures: 

1. The Future of the Energy Transition
2. The Future of Environmental Change along the Coast
3. The Future of Healthy and Resilient Communities

Nonprofits, local, state, and tribal governments, and academic institutions are eligible to participate as lead organizations, with partnerships and collaborations encouraged. Lead organizations must be based within Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi or Texas, and proposed projects should occur within 100 miles of the U.S. Gulf coastline. Proposals should bridge knowledge to action to produce inclusive, innovative, and transformative solutions to the key challenges facing the Gulf region. This challenge is not intended to fund infrastructure or restoration projects. Before applying, interested applicants are invited to take the Organizational Readiness Tool assessment and refer to the Gulf Futures Challenge Rules to determine eligibility. Take some time to review the application, which is accessible in PDF form here.

Applicants must register to apply by August 20, 2024, at 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time. Once registered, applicants must submit an online application by September 20, 2024, at 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time.  

Up to ten finalists will receive up to $1 million in project development support and technical assistance to strengthen their proposals. Two of the finalists will be selected to receive awards of $20 million each to implement their solutions.  

• If you have registered for the Gulf Futures Challenge, you will have received a confirmation email confirming your registration. Within the hour, you will have received another email containing instructions for accessing the Gulf Futures Challenge application.
• If you have already begun your application, you may sign in to your Submittable account at manager.submittable.com/login. Once signed in, you may access and continue your Gulf Futures Challenge application. You may also view your application, once complete, via your Submittable account. If you have lost or forgotten your password, please follow the instructions here.
• You may register for a Gulf Futures Challenge Pre-Registration Webinar on July 9 at 10 a.m. U.S. Central Time, here. This webinar covers an overview of the Gulf Futures Challenge, a demonstration of the registration platform, and answers to some frequently asked questions.