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Request for Proposals (RFP): Science for Solutions Research Grant

The Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ) is accepting proposals for the Science for Solutions Research Grant to fund research and innovative air quality studies that directly inform Utah policy. Proposals must address UDAQ’s Fiscal Year 2027 goals and priorities.

Key Information

  • Anticipated Funding: UDAQ expects to award approximately $440,000 in State funding.
  • Submission Limit: Applicants are limited to three proposal submissions per funding cycle.
  • RFP Opens: November 17, 2025
  • RFP Closes: January 19, 2026
  • RFP document: Science for Solutions Research Grant – FY 2027

Note: Grant awards are contingent on proposal quality, availability of funds, and other applicable considerations.

Fiscal Year 2027 Goals and Priorities

As Science for Solutions is an applied research grant, the UDAQ seeks to fund proposals with explicit ties to furthering well-informed policy decisions. The UDAQ asks that applicants include a section in their application that explains how the proposed science will inform and advance policy decisions that will help improve Utah’s air quality. Find information regarding previously funded Air Quality Research projects. 

Air quality concerns relevant to DAQ are listed in the following goals and priorities. To be considered for funding under this RFP, each project proposal must address at least one of the following topics:

To be considered for funding under this RFP, each project proposal must address at least one of the following topics:

  1. Summertime Ozone Chemistry and Sources
    The Wasatch Front often experiences exceedances of the national ambient air quality standard for ozone during the summer. Regulating locally-formed ozone to reach attainment is complicated by the fact that ozone has a mix of different sources and its formation can be limited by NOx, VOCs or both. To help establish control strategies, more research is needed to identify and characterize summertime ozone formation, as well as factors that contribute to the total observed ozone including background conditions. 

    In the summer of 2024, the Utah Summer Ozone Study was conducted, which was an intensive field campaign conducted throughout the greater Wasatch Front Data from this campaign is now publicly available. The UDAQ encourages applicants to leverage this and other relevant field data in proposals in an effort to take full advantage of this shared scientific resource. 

    The following topics are directly relevant for UDAQ modeling and policy goals:
    1. Furthering the understanding of biogenic VOC emissions (formaldehyde, isoprene, terpenes, etc.), soil NOx, and oxygenated VOCs.
    2. Further the understanding of O3-NOx-VOC sensitivity in Utah’s nonattainment areas.
    3. Utah-specific validation of remote sensing/satellite products.
    4. Assessment of factors contributing to increasing monitored ozone and model uncertainty, including topics like: changes in population, hotter and drier summers, changes in ozone chemical regimes, and “background” (international/regional) ozone and ozone precursors.
    5. Simplified machine-learning or box models to assess changing chemical regimes using recent observations. Ideally, simplified models will easily adapt to various emission scenarios to aid in rulemaking development.
  2. Emissions Inventory Improvements
    Recent studies have highlighted discrepancies between emission inventory estimates and measurements of several key precursors to the formation of ozone and PM2.5. These include carbonyls, hydrocarbons, alcohols, halogens, ammonia, and many others. Reconciling differences between inventory estimates and observations is needed for improved modeling of ozone and PM2.5. Improved representation of emission sources and their estimated activity, spatio-temporal distribution and chemical speciation is particularly needed. For the Wasatch Front, this includes a better characterization of:
    1. Source-specific emission rates estimates for VOCs/volatile chemical products (VCPs).
    2. Improved emission rates, emission factors, source activity, and spatial allocation for sources such as: on-site mobile sources (heavy duty equipment at construction sites, quarries, etc.), long-haul and short-haul trucks, halogens, animal husbandry, lawn and garden equipment, landfills, and composting facilities.
    3. Wildfire emission inventory improvements, applicable to multiple years especially for UDAQ’s 2017 and 2024 modeling years.
    4. Refining MEGAN model inputs for biogenic sources, such as LAI and land use data, specifically for use in the 2017 and 2024 air quality modeling years.
  3. Meteorology-Chemistry Coupling
    Air mass exchanges are important meteorological processes affecting the transport and formation of air pollutants. Measurements and models to better characterize the complex meteorological features, chemical mechanisms and physical processes associated with wintertime and summertime air pollution episodes are needed.
    1. Vertical oxidants exchange.
    2. Canyon, slope, and valley flows.
    3. Snow and cloud cover representation.
    4. Lake breeze and its impact on boundary layer evolution and pollutant transport.
    5. Top-down turbulent erosion, Persistent Cold Air Pool depth and strength.
    6. Snow surface chemistry.
    7. Improvement to regional boundary conditions from global models.
    8. Annual meteorological modeling and model performance for the State.
  4. Great Salt Lake Dust
    Reduced levels of the Great Salt Lake increase the exposure of contaminant-containing sediments which could impact public health and regional levels of particulate matter. This evolving PM source is commingled with historic natural and anthropogenic dust sources, such as Lake Sevier and Bonneville dry lakes, quarries, and mine tailings. Better understanding of local dust source regions, source compositions, how sources change over time, and what populated areas are most impacted is critical for improved monitoring and planning.
    1. Dust event modeling.
    2. Composition measurements.
    3. Analysis of historic trends and/or future scenarios.
    4. Community impact assessments.
    5. Health impact assessments, including bioaccessibility of measured pollutants.
  5. Emerging Air Quality Challenges in Rural Communities
    1. Elevated ozone levels extending beyond the traditional summer months (June, July, August), for example, spring and wintertime ozone formation in the Uinta basin.
    2. Air quality concerns related to wood burning, including wintertime heating and controlled burning for wildfire mitigation.
    3. Air quality impacts of new emission sources, such as data centers and quarries.

Submission Instructions

Please download and review the RFP document for eligibility and conditions.

  • RFP document: Science for Solutions Research Grant – FY 2027
  • Compliance is mandatory: Your proposal must meet all submission instructions and content requirements or it will not be reviewed.
  • How to submit: Send your complete proposal application package via email to [email protected] on or before the deadline.
  • Email Subject: The subject line must include: project title, applicant (organization) name, and FY2027.
  • Late Submissions: It is your responsibility to ensure timely submission. Late proposals will be deemed ineligible unless you can clearly prove the delay was due to UDAQ mishandling or a technical problem with the state email system.
  • University Applicants: If you are affiliated with a university, you must submit your proposal through your sponsored projects/research office.

Contact Information

Please contact Chris Pennell ([email protected]) for questions relating to this RFP.

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