U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Asks for Desalination Research Pre-proposals

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Desalination & Water Purification Research & Development Program is soliciting preproposals for research studies, pilot-scale systems, and demonstration projects. Approximately $1 million is available in Fiscal Year 2002 for this effort. The funding supports investigations into ways of reducing the cost of desalting and water purification technologies. The ultimate purpose is to augment water supply in the United States. The work is authorized by the Water Desalination Act of 1996.

Research focus areas include membrane processes, non-traditional and alternative desalination processes/technology, ancillary and economic improvements, concentrate issues, pilot-scale system testing, and demonstration plant/module design, construction, and testing.

The official solicitation can be found at www.eps.gov/spg/DOI/BR/postdate_1.html . Scroll down the page to the February 13 posting date and select either line 1 or line 3. Line 1 contains information about research proposals excluding demonstration projects; line 3 contains information about demonstration projects.

To be sent a pre-proposal package, FAX a request to Randale Jackson at (303) 445-2432. Pre-proposal packages are due to Reclamation by March 31, 2002 and should not exceed 6 pages in length. Reclamation will issue full proposal packages beginning April 30, 2002. Full proposals can be submitted without a pre-proposal.

Those proposing a project must be willing to cost-share 50% or more of the project, except for academic institutions, which are not required to cost- share projects. Academic institutions include United States-Mexico binational research foundations and inter-university research programs established by the two countries.

Any source, including individuals, academic institutions, commercial or industrial organizations, private entities, public entities (including state and local), or Indian Tribal Governments, may submit a pre-proposal. Foreign entities, other than United States-Mexico binational research foundations and inter-university research programs established by the two countries, are not eligible for funding. Federal agencies are also not eligible to apply.

Research may be conducted at Reclamation research facilities, on a cost- reimbursable basis. Facilities include laboratory and pilot-scale equipment located in the Technical Services Center in Denver, Colorado, and advanced test facilities at the Water Quality Improvement Center in Yuma, Arizona.

Source: PRNewswire