Pooled Monitoring Initiative’s Restoration Research Award Program
This grant funds research to address key scientific questions that improve watershed restoration practices and outcomes in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Funder: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Full application deadline, projected) | January 2027 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Annual pool of ~$2M; no cap for research projects; literature reviews up to $50,000; project duration flexible.
Summary: Supports research addressing critical watershed restoration questions in the Chesapeake Bay, aiming to improve restoration outcomes and inform policy and practice.
Key Information: This is a forecasted opportunity; all dates are projected and subject to change.
Description
The Pooled Monitoring Initiative’s Restoration Research Award Program funds research to answer key questions that are barriers to effective watershed restoration in the Chesapeake Bay region. Through a pooled funding model, the program supports collaborative, high-impact studies that provide scientific evidence to improve restoration techniques, clarify optimal site conditions, inform regulatory permitting, and guide monitoring programs. Each year, top research questions are identified for funding, spanning topics from stormwater and stream restoration effectiveness, pollutants of emerging concern, social science to accelerate practice adoption, and trade-offs in ecosystem services. Funded research is intended to directly inform restoration practitioners, regulators, and policy-makers, accelerating the adoption of best practices and advancing restoration science.
