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The Strategic Research Initiatives Program focuses resources on critical drinking water issues through a coordinated, long-term research effort that comprises multiple projects. This sustained approach allows for a continuing momentum of research in selected topic areas, and projects within an initiative serve as discrete steps toward a common strategic objective. The program also fosters a more complete and timely research response to key issues than does a collection of stand-alone projects.
Topics for Strategic Research Initiatives are selected by the Foundation Board of Trustees through a process that entails extensive input from Foundation subscribers and other stakeholders in the drinking water community. Initiative topics are selected based on criteria that include long-term importance to water utilities, breadth of impact, and the potential for the Water Research Foundation to leverage subscriber funding through partnerships.
Once topics are approved by the Board, an expert panel is formed for each initiative that develops a strategic research plan and provides long-term stewardship of its execution. The strategic plan is based on several specific objectives that represent problems to be solved or opportunities to be attained by the initiative. All projects funded under the strategic initiative must contribute to meeting one or more of the objectives. An expert workshop is also held to provide input to the expert panel in developing a recommended research agenda—a multi-year list of projects and their objectives. Projects recommended for funding by the expert panel are ultimately approved by the Board of Trustees.
Researchers for most Strategic Research Initiatives projects are procured competitively through an annual request-for-proposal (RFP) process similar to that of the Solicited Research Program.
Strategic Research Initiatives are:
To submit a proposal in response to an issued RFP, see the guidelines for submitting solicited proposals.
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