Automobile Emissions Research and Technology Fund

The California Attorney General’s Office established the Automobile Emissions Research and Technology Fund (the “Fund”) to provide California local agencies and California public or non-profit colleges or universities access to grants for study, research, development and/or the acquisition of technology in the following areas: (1) modeling and monitoring of vehicle emissions and air quality impacts in California; or (2) public health and environmental impacts of vehicle emissions in California (including without limitation impacts on environmental justice communities, children, and other vulnerable populations).

As you may recall, Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Porsche, and their associated entities (“Volkswagen”) engaged in an extensive emissions cheating scheme that misled regulators and consumers and put thousands of polluting diesel vehicles on California roads. California brought an enforcement action against Volkswagen and ultimately resolved its claims through a series of settlements. As part of the settlement with the California Attorney General’s Office, $10 million was designated to establish the Automobile Emissions Research and Technology Fund.

Each applicant may apply for a grant of up to $2,000,000, which will be disbursed at the discretion of the California Attorney General’s Office. We anticipate one funding cycle, and the application submission deadline is June 25, 2021.

California local agencies, or California public or non-profit colleges or universities, are authorized to seek grants. Grants must go toward the study, research, development and/or the acquisition of technology in the following areas: (1) modeling and monitoring of vehicle emissions and air quality impacts in California; or (2) public health and environmental impacts of vehicle emissions in California (including without limitation impacts on environmental justice communities, children, and other vulnerable populations). No more than 20% of the $10,000,000 fund, or $2,000,000, shall go to a single recipient. Distributions shall be used to augment, but not to supplant or cause any reduction in, the budget of the grantee. The AG’s Office will provide additional consideration to grant applications that would support work that involves partnerships with environmental justice communities.

Please review closely the Application Instructions and Application linked below. We anticipate a single disbursement cycle. Applications must be received by June 25, 2021. The AG’s Office may, in its sole discretion, invite submissions of additional applications after this date.

Applications must be submitted electronically to emissionsfund@doj.ca.gov. A confirmation email will be sent to the applicant once the application has been received. It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow up to confirm that the application has been received.

Applications should be no more than five pages, not including the application form and supporting documentation. Applications should include a section describing the appropriate metrics through which the grant’s effectiveness can be measured.

Grant Factsheet, pdf

Grant Instructions, pdf

Grant Application, pdf

Any questions should be submitted to emissionsfund@doj.ca.gov.