DENVER, CO, Feb. 9, 2015 -- At its January meeting, the Water Research Foundation's (WRF) board of trustees (BOT) announced that it has approved $4.37 million to fund three new research programs and other innovative research activities of the organization in 2015. This allocation will be leveraged with partnership funding and in-kind support, significantly increasing the total amount of resources dedicated to WRF's extensive research agenda.
The board also voted to maintain eight existing focus areas under WRF's Focus Area Program, discontinuing three, and adding two, for a total of 10. The two new focus areas are "Persistent Waterborne Pathogens in Distribution Systems and Premise Plumbing" and "Defining Attributes and Demonstrating Benefits of Intelligent Distribution Systems." Those areas that were discontinued relate to hexavalent chromium, carcinogenic volatile organic compounds and contaminants of emerging concern.
The portion of research funding allocated to the three new research programs will be distributed as follows:
- The Focus Area Program (60 percent of WRF's total research program budget) identifies a limited number of broadly relevant subscriber issues and solves them with a targeted, multi-year research response. Approximately $2.33 million has been allocated to this program for 2015.
- The Emerging Opportunities Program (20 percent of the total research program budget) enables WRF to respond quickly to emergent subscriber challenges and research ideas identified throughout the year. Approximately $775,000 has been allocated to this program for 2015.
- The Tailored Collaboration Program (20 percent of the total research program budget) enables WRF to partner with utility subscribers on research that may be more limited or regional in impact. Approximately $775,000 has been allocated to this program for 2015.
In announcing the 2015 research funding, Denise Kruger, board chair, noted, "For nearly half a century, the Foundation's mission has been to advance the science of water through active collaboration and the delivery of trusted, cutting-edge research. The BOT's funding decisions reflect our commitment to solving our subscribers' most pressing problems now, and throughout the next 50 years."
The board concluded that WRF made sufficient progress in those discontinued focus areas, while acknowledging that the underlying topics remain very important for subscribers. Future work on these topics may be conducted under the Emerging Opportunities and Tailored Collaboration Programs.
At subsequent meetings held Feb. 4 and 5, WRF's Focus Area Council made annual focus area project funding decisions (click here for a complete list of the 10 current focus areas and related projects funded for 2015). Requests for proposals for these projects will be available on March 27, 2015 at www.waterrf.org.
See also:
"WRF completes groundbreaking study exploring hex chrome treatment for CA water supplies"
"WRF research develops tool to help utilities reduce leakage losses in distribution system"
About the Water Research Foundation
The Water Research Foundation is an internationally recognized leader in sponsoring research that supports the water community in holistically and cooperatively managing water from all sources to meet social, environmental, and economic needs. WRF’s research provides reliable and relevant solutions to the most critical challenges facing the water community today and into the future. Founded in 1966, WRF is a 501(c)(3) non‐profit organization that has sponsored nearly 1,500 research projects and serves more than 1,000 subscribing organizations. For more information, visit www.WaterRF.org.
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