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Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge

Two people in safety vests standing in a forest recently damaged by fire.

Funding opportunity - Closed

The Call for Applications is now closed.

About the program

With $48 Million to invest over 4 years starting in April 2024, the Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge Program aims to encourage collaborative research and demonstration projects focused on innovation in wildfire risk assessment, risk mitigation, and adaptive forest management as per the Blueprint for Wildland Fire Science in Canada.

This new program will address gaps in foundational knowledge by developing and evaluating wildland fire risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies and technologies that support Indigenous peoples, local and provincial/territorial governments and fire management agencies to reduce wildfire risk in the face of a changing climate.

Within this program, the Supporting and Mobilizing Indigenous Fire Knowledge grant focuses on building and enhancing capacity to support Indigenous communities in identifying and managing their own wildfire risk. It is informed by Indigenous knowledge and land management practices, and provides support for knowledge sharing and the development of tools and resources by and for Indigenous communities.

Wildland fire risk

Risk is understood as the product of the hazard of wildland fire, and its subsequent impacts on people, resources and assets of concern. The hazard of wildland fire is further composed of its likelihood of occurrence, and its magnitude (for example, intensity and/or rate of spread).

The impact of a fire is considered relative to specific communities, resources and assets. It is composed of exposure to the wildfire and susceptibility to harm. Likelihood, magnitude, susceptibility, and exposure are considered the four “elements” of wildland fire risk.


Two types of funding

Contribution funding

Closed for applications

Contribution funding consists of non-repayable contributions to support collaborative research projects and demonstration sites. Building on an existing foundation of wildfire research, emphasis will be placed on fostering new collaborations and partnerships among researchers, decision makers, the forest industry, Indigenous and forest-based communities, government, and non-government organizations.

Grant funding

Closed for applications

Grant funding consists of non-repayable grants to Indigenous-led projects that support the development of resources and dissemination of knowledge by and for Indigenous communities. This includes activities to strengthen community readiness and explore ways to develop cultural practices and fire-management knowledge among Indigenous communities.

Indigenous, Metis and First Nations proponents are eligible to apply for either type of funding.


Program research themes

The program will support initiatives that advance knowledge in the following three themes.

Theme 1: Wildfire risk assessment

Priority research topics:

  • Developing methods and baseline data for risk assessments at community and regional scales
  • Integrating multiple values including air quality, carbon balance, fibre recovery
  • Leveraging new technologies to accelerate risk assessments
  • Leveraging new technologies, and integration of research into predictive models and decision-making tools

Theme 2: Wildfire risk mitigation

Priority research topics:

  • Testing and demonstrating the real-world feasibility, cost and effectiveness of prevention or mitigation strategies or technologies, including new approaches
  • Understanding social acceptability of different interventions
  • Creating awareness that leads to action by increasing the efficacy of education, outreach, and mobilization strategies
  • Estimating the effects of relevant risk-reduction interventions, including return on investment

Theme 3: Adaptive forestry practices

Priority research topics:

  • Testing and demonstrating enhanced fibre recovery from fuel management activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offset the costs of treatment
  • Developing approaches to integrate wildfire risk reduction as an outcome in forest management practices
  • Identifying, testing, and demonstrating new forest management practices that minimize impacts of future wildland fires

Types of projects and eligibility

Type 1 - Collaborative research: catalyze research partnerships across the range of players in the innovation ecosystem including academic institutions and other research-based organizations/institutions, industry and land-managers.

This table lists the eligible recipients for the collaborative research projects and the stacking limits.
Eligible recipients Stacking limit
Indigenous organizations, groups and communities Up to 100%
Not-for-profit organizations Up to 100%
Provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies Up to 100%
Canadian academic institutions Up to 75%
For profit organizations Up to 75%

Type 2 - Demonstration sites - place-based partnerships to test and showcase innovative adaptive vegetation management and forestry practices in an operational context.

This table lists the eligible recipients for the demonstration site projects and the stacking limits.
Eligible recipients Stacking limit
Indigenous organizations, groups and communities Up to 75%
Not-for-profit organizations Up to 75%
Provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies Up to 75%
Canadian academic institutions Up to 75%
For profit organizations Up to 75%

Funding matching requirement: For all proposed projects, 50% of the NRCan funding must be matched by the recipient.


Type 3 - Grant supporting and mobilizing Indigenous fire knowledge: support the development of tools and resources and dissemination of knowledge by and for Indigenous communities. Strengthen community readiness by exploring ways to incorporate cultural practices and knowledge of Indigenous communities in fire management.

This table lists the eligible recipients for the grant Supporting and Mobilizing Indigenous Fire Knowledge and the stacking limit.
Eligible recipients Stacking limit
Indigenous organizations, groups and communities Up to 100%

Stacking limit refers to the total amount of government funding for the proposed project (including all federal, provincial, municipal assistance for the same eligible expenditures).


Contact us

If you have any other questions or comments, email wildfireprograms-programmesdefeuxdeforet@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

 

 

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