The Western Environmental Science Technical Assistance Center for Environmental Justice (WEST EJ Center) will give you or your organization free hands-on help, training, resources, and support towards environmental or energy justice. Go to About Us for details on our organization and How We Can Help for our menu of services.
Yes, we provide 100% free services. We are funded by the US EPA and Department of Energy.
We can help individuals and organizations with a range of services, including:
- Conducting environmental and energy justice analyses.
- Navigating government websites.
- Identifying, applying for, and managing funding and grant opportunities.
- Participating in government/regulatory decision-making processes.
- Training for student interns and community champions.
If you don’t see a service, please Contact Us.
We serve the areas of Arizona, Nevada, California, Hawai’i, and the US Affiliated Pacific Islands. We also serve all federally and non-federally recognized Native American tribes and Indigenous communities in this area. Region 9 is US EPA’s way of referring to this whole region.
If you live outside our service area, there are other Centers that we can refer you to.
No, we cannot give out funding. We can help you find funding opportunities and apply for and obtain grants. We are also available to provide support in post-award grant management aspects, including reporting, quality assurance, and gaining a better understanding of grant policies and procedures, among other areas.
We are dedicated to delivering technical assistance and training services to a wide range of organizations and communities, including:
- Individuals
- Non-profit organizations.
- Community-based and grassroots organizations.
- Tribal nations and other tribal organizations and communities.
- U.S. Territories.
- Underserved communities and organizations.
- Rural and remote communities and organizations.
- Local and state governments.
- Educational institutions (e.g., schools, colleges, and universities).
- Disadvantaged businesses.
- Philanthropic and civic organizations.
- Faith-based organizations and churches.
- Utility and healthcare providers and clinics.
If you are not sure if your organization is eligible for help, please Contact Us.
Please complete our Contact Form. Within 1 business day, we will contact you using your preferred contact method as indicated in the form, to discuss the next steps. If you have any questions, you can also reach out to us by phone or email.
You can ask us for help at any time online here, or by emailing or calling us (WESTEJ-Center@arizona.edu; Toll-free: 1 (877) 518-4634). We will reply to you within 2 business days, except around holidays when this may take longer.
Yes, we will collaborate with your organization to identify current and upcoming funding opportunities geared explicitly towards supporting projects focusing on energy and environmental justice within your community that meet your needs.
No, we cannot help write the funding application itself. However, we can offer hands-on help to make sure all parts of the application are ready to submit. We will also offer related trainings if needed. We can also assist in connecting your organization with accessible or pro-bono funding application writing services.
Yes, the WEST EJ Center can help with needs assessments.
Yes, we can help guide individuals in navigating federal websites.
In Region 9, there are two Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs): the WEST EJ Center, based at the University of Arizona, and the Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice (CCEEJ), at San Diego State University (SDSU). Because both EJ TCTACs will offer similar services to eligible community organizations, you can contact either one. The University of Arizona excels in environmental health and exposure assessment and has extensive experience working with Latino communities and multiple bilingual staff. SDSU specializes in energy and environmental health and quality. Both EJ TCTACs have extensive experience collaborating with underserved, rural, remote, tribal, and Indigenous populations. These two EJ TCTACs are working in tandem to ensure equitable and effective service delivery to all communities in Region 9.
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