Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers

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Description

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers award provides substantial institutional funding to develop centers focused on the intersection of climate change and human health. The program aims to foster strong interdisciplinary connections among research, education, and public communication to better understand and mitigate the health impacts of climate change.

This award supports U.S. and Canadian non-profit research and educational institutions or consortia that have already demonstrated progress toward becoming centers of excellence in climate and health. The funding encourages collaboration across basic, applied, and translational research, as well as outreach efforts that enhance public understanding or education related to climate and health.

The program emphasizes building lasting partnerships between scholars from diverse disciplines and between academic institutions and affected communities. A significant component of the award supports either general education or public communication efforts, with a recommendation to focus deeply on one rather than superficially on both.

Post-graduate training and interdisciplinary education are also supported, with up to 20% of the budget allocated to graduate education and training activities that energize faculty collaboration and expand research opportunities for trainees.

Due Dates

• August 7, 2025, 3:00 PM ET — Application Deadline

Funding Amount

• Up to $10,000,000 awarded per institution or consortium.
• Funding intended to support center development over multiple years.
• Up to three awards will be made across two competition rounds.

Eligibility

• Open to U.S. and Canadian non-profit research and educational institutions or consortia.
• Applicants should already be actively working toward establishing themselves as centers of excellence in climate and health.
• Institutions just beginning to integrate climate and health into their planning are expected to be uncompetitive.

Application Process

• Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) addressing five critical questions about their proposed center’s theme, structure, capacity building, interdisciplinary reach, and expected impact.
• The LOI is approximately 1.5 pages with word limits for each question.
• Full application details and LOI instructions are available on the funder’s website.
• Proposals should emphasize either education or public communication as a substantial element.
• Applications are submitted via ProposalCentral.

Additional Information

• The award supports bridging gaps between disciplines to accelerate discovery, intervention development, and translation of climate-health research into practical applications.
• The program encourages consortia united by common regional or thematic interests (e.g., urban health, rural life, specific geographic regions).
• Public communication or general education efforts are critical for translating research insights into health interventions.
• Training and graduate education components should not exceed 20% of the total budget.
• Up to three awards will be made over two rounds, indicating a competitive process.

External Links

• Burroughs Wellcome Fund Home
• CHEX Centers Funding Opportunity
• Letter of Intent Instructions (PDF)
• Request for Proposals (PDF)
• Proposal Submission Portal
• Sign Up for CHEX Information
• Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Information