Researchers at the University of Virginia received two $20 million Community Change grants late last year from the Environmental Protection Agency to advance climate research.
The grants, part of the Inflation Reduction Act, support climate efforts in Appalachia and Alaska. Funding for the Appalachian team, which includes researchers at both UVA and UVA Wise, will reduce pollution and carbon emissions through construction that meets community needs, such as climate-resilient housing for 100 Buchanan County residents who live in floodplains, and 11 community gathering spaces that can also serve as shelter during disasters.
The other $20 million grant is slated for applied research in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, where the goal is to enhance infrastructure in the Iñupait community while protecting the permafrost under the city of Utqiaġvik.
Researchers are celebrating the potential benefits of the funding, but the future of the grants remains uncertain under the Trump administration. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing the dispersal of funding approved through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The legality and impacts from the executive order remain in question at press time.
