Climate research
ARPA–C. The administration is proposing to house ARPA–C in the Department of Energy with several agencies pitching in funds. USGS states its initial $60 million contribution would focus on reducing “barriers between science production and user application” in the following five areas: “planning tools for habitat and biodiversity, models for drought prediction, predictive tools for fire and post-fire risk management, coastal change and vulnerability forecasts for planning and disaster response, and models to assess potential and risks for geologic storage of hydrogen, including hydrogen produced using renewable energy.”
Climate science centers. Funding for the Climate Adaptation Science Centers program would double to $84 million under the request. Of the increase, $25 million would expand work across the network of eight university-based centers, with a focus on developing “climate adaptation services” that would support natural resources management. Of the remainder, $10 million would support expanded engagement with Tribal communities and $5 million would go toward synthesizing research from the centers into nationally relevant products. USGS also notes it plans to establish a ninth center in fiscal year 2021 that will be located in the Midwest, as per congressional direction.