The Tailored Collaboration (TC) Program is a matching program designed to support utility-specific/regional issues. It provides an opportunity for subscribing utilities to partner with WRF on regional research projects or projects that address issues of interest to a significant subgroup of WRF subscribers. Each year, 20% of WRF’s budget is allocated to this program.
The 2025 TC program is now closed for pre-proposal submission.
How a taste & odor event prompted the City of St. Louis to turn to WRF's TC program
Learn about several topics the City of Calgary has addressed through this program
Learn how a collaborative effort is investigating biofilter optimization
Overview
Projects funded under the TC Program are chosen annually through a two-stage competitive process:
Stage 1: WRF issues an annual call for pre-proposals. Submitted ideas are reviewed by the Tailored Collaboration Review Committee (TCRC) and comments are provided to applicants.
Stage 2: Stage 1 applicants are invited to submit full proposals to compete for funding. The full proposals are evaluated and approved by the TCRC.
Applicants can apply for a 1:1 match of up to $150,000 in WRF funds.
Program Details
- Each TC proposal must be sponsored by a utility that has paid its WRF subscription
- Cash match is required in order to submit a proposal to the program
- WRF will provide a 1:1 match, up to $150,000, for every $1 in cash that a subscriber or group of subscribers provides toward the project.
There is no minimum in-kind contribution required.
-
2023
- Determining the Role of Spectral Imaging as an Early Warning System for Presence/Significance of Algal Blooms (5266)
- HTL Aqueous Stream Anaerobic Co-Digestion and Ammonia Recovery to Enhance the Technical and Economic Viability of HTL Technology for Biosolids Treatment (5267)
- Lithium Treatment Strategies in Drinking Water (5268)
- Understanding the Factors Affecting PFAS Variability in the Potomac River Watershed (5269)
- Pop-Up Hyporheic Zones (PUHZO): A Novel Modular Technology to Treat Phosphorus in Urban Drool and Dry-Weather Creeks (5270)
- Balancing Carbon Management, Energy Production, Nutrient Removal and Densification (5271)
- Evaluation of Adsorptive Medias for Optimizing Siloxane Removal from Biogas (5272)
- RT-ddPCR for EBPR Biomonitoring (5273)
- Evaluating the Full-Scale Impacts of Densified Activated Sludge on Disinfection Efficacy; Connecting Water Quality and Disinfectant Dose-Response (5274)
- Characterization and Pilot Testing of Microwave Reactivation for PFAS-laden Granular Activated Carbons (5275)
- PFAS Fingerprinting for Source Identification Using Machine Learning (5276)
- Cal-Val Guide To Treatment Credits For Indirect Potable Reuse In California (5277)
-
2022
- A Simple and Cost-Effective Alternative Analytical Method for Monitoring and Optimizing Chloramine Chemistry in a Distribution System (5215)
- Cured-in-Place-Pipe (CIPP) Rehabilitation Emissions Study (5216)
- Evolution and Characterization of Water Quality in Quarry Lakes (5217)
- Inactivation of Amoeba-Internalized Legionella pneumophila by UV-LED and Multi-Barrier Approaches (5218)
- Performic Acid Disinfection in Wastewater Effluent and CSOs in Context of Disinfection Byproducts and Future Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Viruses (5219)
- Sewer Methane Methods for Everyone (5220)
- Impact of Solid Stream Treatment on Microplastics in Biosolids (5221)
-
2021
- Impact of UV Treatment on Microbial Communities in a Full-Scale Drinking Water Distribution System (5151)
- Identifying Service Line Materials without Excavation: Distinguishing LSLs from Non-LSLs (5152)
- Evaluation of Bench-Scale Methods to Predict Drinking Water PFAS Removal Performance of Ion Exchange and Novel Adsorbents at Pilot- and Full-Scale (5153)
- Autonomous In Situ Monitoring of Harmful Algal Blooms (5154)
- Developing Strategic Consumer Messaging for Microplastics in Drinking Water Supplies (5155)
-
2020
- Post-Wildfire Distribution System Water Quality Impacts and Potential Responses (5106)
- Understanding Pyrolysis for PFAS Removal (5107)
- Acid+ Digestion (5108)
- Application of Finite Element Analysis in the Design of Large-Diameter Buried Pressure Pipes: Special Cases (5109)
- Filtration Process Control for Pathogen Removal and Climate Change Adaptation (5110)
- Stuyding the Fate of PFAS through Sewage Sludge Incinerators (5111)
-
2019
- Managing Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) to Extend Asset Life (5069)
- Application of Nanobubble Technology in Water Treatment (5070)
- Demonstration of Progressive Carbon Efficient Nitrogen with Biological Phosphorous Removal in a Conventional BNR Facility (5071)
- Mitigation Strategy Plan for Direct Greenhouse Emissions from BNR Processes in New York City (5072)
- Understanding and Improving Reuse Biofilter Performance during Transformation from GAC to BAC (5092)
Please contact Mary Smith, Director of Research Services and Jian Zhang, PhD, PE, Research Principal with questions about the Tailored Collaboration Program.