Each year, our Board of Trustees:
· Selects research projects in January.
· Issues RFPs in March.
In 2011, our $8.5 million research budget was leveraged with additional funding to be valued close to $18 million. With these monies:
· 31 projects were awarded.
· 21 projects were funded competitively.
· Some 25% of the budget will support our three Strategic Research Initiatives.
Projects for these programs are approved in January at the Board of Trustees meeting.
Tailored Collaboration Program
The board approved spending $1.36 million for projects within the Tailored Collaboration Program. Under this program, a utility subscriber or group of subscribers can obtain matching funds for a research idea that they have developed. These proposals are accepted throughout the year and are evaluated as received. Utility subscribers and others interested in the Tailored Collaboration Program can review the current proposal guidelines.
List of Projects Funded in January 2011
Research Advisory Council RFPs
- Addressing Revenue Gaps Through Improved Financial Practices and Effective Utility Management (#4366 )
- Answers to Challenging Infrastructure Management Questions (#4367)
- Assessing Performance of Biofilm Sampling Approaches (# 4368)
- Best Practices for Water Utility Legal Protection and Claims Management from Infrastructure Failure Events (# 4369)
- Controlling the Formation of Nitrosamines During Water Treatment (#4370)
- Effective Organization and Component Analysis of Water Utility Leakage Data (# 4372)
- Guidance for Treatment of Variable Manganese Loading (#4373)
- Main Breaks: Current Knowledge and Research Roadmap (#4374)
- Methodology For Determining Baseline Commercial, Institutional And Industrial End Uses Of Water (#4375)
- Protocol for Testing Medium Pressure UV Inactivation of Viruses (#4376)
- Quality Management of Infrastructure Assets from Manufacture to Installation (#4377)
- Water Footprints and the Value of Water: New Concepts for Sustainable Water Utilities and Communities (#4378)
- Workshop: Research Needs about Opportunistic Pathogens in Premise Plumbing (#4379)
Climate Change Strategic Initiative RFPs
- Addressing Climate Change by Applying Adaptive Management Techniques to Infrastructure Management (# 4380)
- Effective Communication of Climate Change Effects to Stakeholders (#4381)
- Impact of Climate Change on the Ecology of Algal Blooms (#4382)
Distribution System Water Quality Strategic Initiative RFPs
- Addressing The Potential Water Quality and Utility Management Impacts Due To Green Building Design (#4383)
- Case Studies to Identify Occurrence and Causative Factors of Backflow as Measured by Meters (#4384)
- Identifying Gaps in Understanding the Benefits/Costs of Boil Water Advisories as a Public Health Protection Measure (#4385)
Endocrine Disrupting Compounds / Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products Strategic Initiative RFPs
- Decision Support Tool to Reduce Exposure of EDCs and PPCPs to Drinking Water Consumers (#4386)
- Development of a Water Utility Handbook on EDCs/PPCPs for Public Education and Consumption (#4387)
Projects Funded by the Partnership Program
RFPs are not expected to be issued for these projects.
- Cast Iron Graphitic Corrosion Detection Tool (# 4389)
- Collaborating on CDC's Epidemiological Study-Effective Microbial Control Strategies in Response to Main Breaks (#4390)
- Condition Assessment of Large-Diameter Iron Pipe (#4391)
- Development of a Microbial Standard for Assessment of Performance of Total Coliform Analytical Methods (# 4371)
- Effects of Weather on Leakage and Bursts (Pipe Breaks) (#4392)
- Expert Workshop and Research Update on EDCs/PPCPs in Drinking Water (#4388)
- Quantifying the Benefits of WQ Catchment (Watershed) Management Initiatives (#4393)
- Scoping Study for a Sustainability Rating Tool (#4394)
- Selecting Methods for Projecting Life Cycle Asset Management Investment Needs (#4395)
- Transformation Chemistry of EDCs/PPCPs and Resulting Toxicity Following Drinking Water Disinfection (#4396)