The Water Research Foundation, a non-profit foundation devoted to drinking water research, announced a 2010 research budget of $6.25 million. These funds, representing fees from the foundation’s subscribers and Congressional funding, will be leveraged with in-kind support and partnerships to a total research value of $15 million.
Approximately one-third of the funding will go toward three targeted areas: climate change, distribution system water quality and endocrine-disrupting compounds/pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The foundation will devote $600,000 in funding to its Unsolicited Research Program, a program that promotes basic and fundamental research on original concepts and novel techniques. The foundation also approved $665,000 for projects within its Tailored Collaboration Program, under which utility subscribers can gain matching grants for research ideas.
The foundation’s board of trustees announced the budget and selected 18 projects for competitive funding at its Jan. 15, 2010, meeting. Three additional projects will be conducted with international partners.
“We appreciate our subscribers’ support in these difficult economic times,” said Robert Renner, the foundation’s executive director. “For our part, we are seeking to do more with less by leveraging their funds more than 140% to build a robust research budget, and honing in on the most crucial topics for further study.”
Source: Water Research Foundation
