This contract will provide support to invest appalachia to increase its internal capacity to infuse and incentivize rural resilience through its investment, regional partnership, capacity building,…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded Invest Appalachia, Inc. a $400,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Climate and Atmospheric Research program (CFDA 11.431) effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028. The award supports capacity-building activities to advance rural climate resilience and adaptation in the Central Appalachian region. The primary deliverable is the hiring and deployment of a full-time Rural Resilience Specialist who will facilitate the establishment of the Central Appalachian Climate Adaptation Hub, an umbrella initiative that coordinates regional resilience investment opportunities. The Specialist will develop community preparedness plans, translate research into accessible formats, and foster collaboration among federal agencies, NOAA's Climate Adaptation Program (CAP), academic institutions, regional nonprofits including the Central Appalachian Network, the Appalachia Funders Network, and Invest Appalachia's investment partners.

Work will be performed in Asheville, North Carolina, in partnership with Ohio University, which was awarded a subaward on April 17, 2026. Ohio University will provide thought partnership, technical expertise, research leadership, and administrative oversight for academic engagements. The university's specific contributions include coordinating an academic community of practice, designing the partnership network strategy, managing Institutional Review Board (IRB) compliance and ethical oversight, and developing resource hubs, best practice documentation, and toolkits to support rural weather resilience and investment pipelines across Central Appalachia.

This contract will provide support to invest appalachia to increase its internal capacity to infuse and incentivize rural resilience through its investment, regional partnership, capacity building, and other work in the central appalachian region. Specifically, these resources will facilitate the hiring of a full-time rural resilience specialist over a three year period to support a partnership with NOAA cap, academic institutions, regional nonprofits (e.g. central appalachian network), the appalachia funders network, and IAS investment partners. The central appalachian climate adaptation hub (working title) will act as an umbrella for advancing regional resilience investment opportunities. The rural resilience specialist will play a critical role in advancing IAS mission of creating a resilient and thriving appalachian region by facilitating community preparedness plans, accessible research, and collaboration across federal, regional, and local stakeholders.