Submit Your Ideas for Novel, Transformative Research
(Denver, CO) 1/19/24 – The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is now accepting pre-proposals for projects to receive funding through our Unsolicited Research Program. The Unsolicited Research Program funds innovative, transformative research projects that can significantly advance scientific knowledge and result in practical water quality solutions. This highly competitive program awards funding every two years and focuses on a variety of One Water research topics.
Selection of research proposals is a two-step process: 1) the WRF Research Advisory Council (RAC) reviews all pre-proposals, then selects a short list of proposers to submit full proposals, and 2) the full proposals are then evaluated and selected for funding by the RAC. The available funding amount for the program in 2024 is $1,805,347, and an individual project may receive $25,000 – $175,000.
“The Unsolicited Research Program provides a unique and exciting opportunity for proposers to identify what the focus of research will be,” said Jeff Moeller, WRF Research Unit Leader. “This program has historically resulted in projects pursuing new lines of research with transformative results for WRF subscribers and the water sector.”
Pre-proposals are chosen based on technical and scientific merit, project originality, technical approach, significance and value of research, project schedule, and qualifications of key personnel/organizational capacity. Proposed projects may complement WRF’s Research Priority Program, address regional and national issues, involve the piloting of novel technologies, and address issues related to drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems.
Pre-proposals are due March 28, 2024, by 3:00 PM MT. Pre-proposal selection notifications and shortlist full proposal invitations will be sent by June 10, 2024.
Learn more about the Unsolicited Research Program and submission guidelines.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Jeff Moeller, Research Unit Leader, at jmoeller@waterrf.org or (571) 384-2104.