Anticipating tomorrow’s climate challenges

The Climate Foresight program aims to germinate transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborations that explore complex and emergent climate challenges and generate transformative knowledge and solutions. 

Climate Foresight supports bold, cross-sectoral initiatives that address complex and poorly understood climate issues. By funding early scoping workshops and ongoing networks, this program fosters innovative collaboration between researchers, knowledge holders, and those directly applying climate insights.

PICS believes deep insights begin with in-person connection, generative conversations, and a commitment to shared inquiry.  

Research that supports transformative change

Transformative change involves systemic, mutually reinforcing shifts in:

• “views – ways of thinking, knowing and seeing;
• structures – ways of organizing, regulating and governing; and
• practices – ways of doing, behaving and relating.”

(IPBES, 2024)

These shifts result in “a change in the fundamental attributes of human and natural systems.”

(UNFCCC, 2024)

Research for transformative change is action-oriented, aiming to address the root drivers of complex, systemic problems through deep engagement with diverse constituencies and ways of knowing. The Climate Foresight Program supports collaborative exploration and solution development to drive transformative climate action.

Climate Foresight Dialogues

What big challenges are on the horizon, and how can we explore transformative solutions to those problems?

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions is looking for researchers ready to lead that conversation. Our call for proposals is now open.

The Climate Foresight Program has a two-phase process of research support:  

1. Climate Foresight Dialogues will bring together teams of up to 15 scholars and practitioners situated across multiple academic disciplines and sectors in an issue-scoping and partnership development retreat in an inspiring B.C. setting. Topics for Dialogues are solicited through an open call. 
2. Following the Dialogues, PICS will support interested participants to co-develop collaborative projects to generate transformative knowledge and solutions approaches. Promising initiatives will be considered for funding contributions of up to $300,000, as well as continued support from PICS to mobilize and communicate knowledge and outputs to relevant audiences.   

The invitation

We invite researchers at PICS universities to pitch big ideas on the under-researched and complex problems that require interdisciplinary and intersectoral responses.  

What stands in the way of low-carbon, resilient, and inclusive futures for British Columbia? Who are the people—researchers from diverse disciplines, and other knowledge holders and practitioners—you would bring together to co-design transformative solutions to these challenges?

PICS will support all aspects of planning and hosting a Fall 2025 multi-day, retreat-style dialogue to explore your proposed challenge and collaborative responses, to a value up to $30,000. A writer-in-residence will produce a public-facing account of the Dialogue.   

Eligibility

•  Leadership: At least two faculty co-leads from PICS-network universities (SFU, UBC, UNBC, UVic), with preference given to teams from two+ PICS universities. A third co-lead may be from a PICS or non-PICS post-secondary institution, private or practitioner sector, community or Indigenous organization, or government. Leadership should represent diverse disciplines. 
   
• Participants: PICS staff will work with Dialogues co-leads to recruit up to 12 additional Dialogue participants. Dialogue participation should be diverse, including interdisciplinary scholars, other knowledge holders, practitioners, and decision makers relevant to the proposed topic, and different age cohorts. In keeping with PICS’ B.C.-focused mandate, at least half of participants should be B.C.-based. Subject to budget, others may be national and/or international depending on expertise and perspective required for the chosen topic. PICS staff will participate as facilitators and/or observers. 

If you have any additional questions, please contact Sara Nelson in advance of the deadline. 

FAQs

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Identification

Corresponding co-lead name: *

Title and institutional affiliation: *

Email: *

Co-lead name: *

Co-lead title and institutional affiliation: *

Co- lead email: *

Additional co-lead name (optional):

Additional co-lead title and institutional affiliation (optional):

Additional co-lead email (optional):

Part 1: Proposal narrative

The following sections detail the focus, intentions, significance, and potential participants for your Dialogue retreat. You may cite relevant sources as needed in any consistent reference format. A reference list may be uploaded as a separate document at the end of the section.

1a: Dialogue retreat title and summary statement

Title: *

Summary statement: *

A concise explanation of the topic, preliminary definition of the problem statement, and preliminary aspiration(s) for the Dialogue retreat’s outcome that can be widely understood by a range of individuals and groups. It should introduce the project name and provide a clear, stand alone, and accessible explanation of your initiative. Please avoid citations in your summary statement.

1b. Background and significance of the topic

Explain the challenge that your Dialogue retreat will address. In your answer, explain why this issue is critical for climate research and/or action; in what areas it is under-researched or little understood; and what the consequences are of these knowledge gaps. *

1c. Characteristics of complexity and emergence

Explain your preliminary understanding of the root drivers of this challenge, and the characteristics that make it a complex and emergent problem that requires interdisciplinary and intersectoral responses. (Please refer to Appendix B of the Guide for Applicants for PICS’ perspective on collaborative and transformative research.) *

1d. Need for transformative approaches

Explain your preliminary understanding of the barriers to change on your topic, and why current responses to this problem require transformative approaches. (Please refer to Appendix B of the Guide for Applicants for PICS’ perspective on collaborative and transformative research.) *

1e. Potential for transformative impact

How would the Dialogue retreat contribute to a longer-term collaborative project that would give rise to transformative approaches? Describe how the Dialogue event would support identification of transformative insights, and how subsequent collaboration could lead to co-produced approaches and applicable knowledge for practitioners, communities, and/or decision makers. (Plese refer to Appendix B of the Guide for Applicants for more information on PICS impact areas). *

1f. Suggested participants

Describe, broadly, the types of participants and backgrounds you consider critical to this conversation (specific individuals with affiliations if known, and if not, the expertise, organizations, and/or initiatives you would look to recruit), and why this assembly would be well-situated to address the challenges you have identified. Highlight relevant information such as related work and existing relationships on which the Dialogue would build, and any other tangible measures of relevant expertise, qualifications, experience, and perspective. Demonstrate the potential for involvement of researchers from multiple PICS universities. *

Note: Suggested participants do not need to have confirmed interest at this stage, but applicants should have a reasonable belief in their interest in attending and be able to contact them for recruitment.

1g. Leadership, feasibility, and capacity

Describe the co-leads' experience with transdisciplinary and co-designed initiatives, and why they are equipped to lead this team in the proposed activities. Highlight relevant information such as related work, existing relationships, awards, and any other tangible measures of relevant expertise, qualifications, and experience. *

1h. Reference list (optional)

Please upload a document listing any references cited in the application. References may be in any consistent citation format.

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Part 2: Dialogue logistics (not scored)

2a. Availability

Please confirm co-leads' availability for a two to three day Dialogue scheduled in October or November 2025. If you have identified specific preferred dates, please list them. If there are blackout dates when co-leads will be fully offline and unavailable for planning in summer or fall, please highlight those. *

2b. Venue needs (optional)

Dialogues will be held in person, at a retreat-style location in B.C. organized by PICS. Are there any specific needs that your group would have regarding venue amenities or accessibility (including technology needs)?

Part 3: Co-lead resumes/CVs

Please attach a two- to four-page resume or CV for each co-lead, including information on position and education, and highlighting awards, service and community engagement, publications, and other achievements relevant to the proposal. *

Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 6 files.

Part 4: Suggested reviewers

Please list the names and email contact information for two suggested reviewers. PICS may or may not request reviews from these individuals. Suggested reviewers may not be: Affiliated with your research team or lab; someone with whom any of the co-leads has collaborated on research in the past three years; someone who has or has had a supervisory/supervisee or mentoring/mentee relationship with any of the co-leads over the course of their studies or career; someone with whom any co-lead has a personal relationship; or someone with a financial interest in the outcome of the decision.

Reviewer 1

Name *

First

Last

Title and institutional affiliation: *

Email: *

Reviewer 2

Name *

First

Last

Title and institutional affiliation: *

collaborative and action;

Email: *

Part 5: Co-lead signature

Corresponding co-lead name: *

First

Last

*

• As corresponding co-lead, I attest that all co-leads have read, contributed to, and support the dialogue proposal.

Signature *

Clear Signature

SubmitSave and Resume Later