Cannabis Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO)
Cannabis Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO) supports public agencies, nonprofits, and tribes in researching cannabis cultivation’s impacts to protect wildlife and advance sustainable legal cultivation.
Funder: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Due Dates: Ongoing (Research and Innovation)
Funding Amounts: No minimum or maximum grant award amount
Summary: Supports research and innovation addressing cannabis cultivation’s environmental impacts and advancing sustainable legal cultivation in California.
Key Information: Nonprofit applicants must have final IRS approval of Section 501(c) tax-exempt status.
Description
The Cannabis Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO) is administered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) through its Cannabis Restoration Grant Program. It supports research and innovation that improve understanding of how cannabis cultivation influences the environment, provide actionable solutions to cultivation-related impacts, and address environmental factors supporting sustainable legal cultivation. The work contributes to conserving California’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
The opportunity responds to pressures including unlawful water diversions, habitat destruction, poaching, and prohibited herbicides, rodenticides, and other contaminants. Proposals directly benefiting species listed as endangered or threatened under the California Endangered Species Act receive higher scores. Projects should also provide conservation co-benefits aligned with species recovery plans, California’s 30X30 framework, the State Wildlife Action Plan, or similar plans, and/or support a local equity program.
