Funding for Wildfire Science

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service funds wildfire science that addresses critical knowledge gaps and emerging challenges in wildland fire management.

A woman crouches in yellow-green grass and manipulates a sleek, black, knee-high devise with a cylindrical top with several indicator lights that sits on a pole. The corner of a black case is visible on the ground beside her. Directly behind her are a cluster of trees with tangled branches. Beyond the trees, parked vehicles are just visible.

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service works to supply land managers nationwide with the research and tools to tackle the wildfire crisis head-on. Together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, we fund the Joint Fire Science Program. 

By funding innovative studies and ensuring those findings reach the frontlines, the Joint Fire Science Program transforms scientific discoveries into real-world solutions. This work informs wildland fire policy and practical solutions to create more fire-adapted communities and fire-resilient landscapes.

Federal and state agencies, tribal governments, local municipalities, academic institutions, nonprofits, and private companies are invited to apply.

The program offers three distinct funding tracks.

Primary Research

The program funds wildland fire science to advance important research that can inform sound decision-making on the ground. Specific research priorities are announced each year.

Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) Awards

Current master’s and doctoral students at U.S. colleges or universities who are conducting research in wildland fire or related sciences are invited to apply for awards that connect students to real-world fire and land management challenges, ensuring their work translates into practical impacts.

Regional Fire Science Exchanges

The Joint Fire Science Program supports a nationwide network designed to make wildland fire science more accessible, relevant, and actionable. The Fire Science Exchange Network creates vital connections between scientists, fire managers, practitioners, and communities across 15 ecologically distinct regions of the United States.

Each regional exchange operates as a local hub, hosting targeted workshops, translating cutting-edge research into practical decision-making tools, and fostering partnerships between researchers and fire professionals. Together, the exchanges ensure that scientific findings quickly become practical solutions that fire professionals can actually use.

The program accepts proposals each year to lead a particular regional fire science exchange for a period of two years.

How to Get Started?

More information about these funding opportunities, including details on how to apply, is available on the Joint Fire Science Program website.

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