The Biden-Harris administration announced nearly $11 million is available through the Joint Fire Science Program for current wildland fire research opportunities. Thousands of research projects supported by the Joint Fire Science Program have yielded practical tools and practices for efficient land management, according to an Aug. 4 news release.
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been instrumental in supporting firefighter health, safety and many other wildfire management issues," Dana Skelly, of the USDA Forest Service and chair for the Joint Fire Science Governing Board, said in the release. "The Joint Fire Science program not only helps fund critical research to improve wildfire management, it also ensures that the best available science is getting to the field through out Fire Science Exchange Network."
President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated substantial funding of $8.25 billion to enhance wildfire resilience endeavors, encompassing provisions for fuels management projects, rehabilitation of burned areas, bolstering the federal wildland firefighting workforce and the advancement of wildland fire science and research, the release reported.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made the $11 million in funding through the Joint Fire Science Program possible. Proposals are being welcomed by the Joint Fire Science Program from both governmental and non-governmental organizations, with the application window open until Sept. 28, the release said.
Established in 1998, the Joint Fire Science Program gained statutory authorization from Congress as a collaborative venture between the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, aiming to furnish funding and scientific insights for inquiries concerning the administration of wildland fires, fuels and fire-affected ecosystems, the release said.
What sets this program apart is its capacity to bridge the realms of science and management, uniting these communities to pinpoint critical fire science research requirements and devise pragmatic, well-founded remedies for field managers, according to the release. Addressing the evolving needs of stakeholders, the program customizes timely wildland fire research through its yearly proposal solicitation process.
