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This program is a mechanism through which Water Research Foundation can respond rapidly to urgent, immediate, or unforeseen research needs of the drinking water community. Projects in this program focus primarily on determining the extent of an issue and setting the stage for additional research, if warranted, under one of the other Foundation research programs.
The Rapid Response Research Program funds smaller, fast-track projects to determine the scope of a selected issue and its impacts, define the current state of knowledge, and identify knowledge gaps to direct follow-on research efforts. The program emphasizes delivery of credible information to help subscribers communicate to their consumers effectively about pressing, high-profile issues.
Input on potential research issues and ideas for the Rapid Response Research Program come from subscribers, Foundation research planning committees, and other stakeholders in the water supply community. Issues are considered and selected as they arise, based on criteria that include time sensitivity, nature of impact, extent of the issue, and identifiable research solutions. Issues submitted to the program are forwarded to the chairs of the Water Research Foundation’s various research planning committees, who evaluate and provide a recommendation to the Foundation Executive Director. The director has the final authority to select issues for development and funding.
Uniquely among Foundation research programs, research contractors must be prequalified to be eligible for funding under the Rapid Response Research Program. Projects under this program typically are competitively procured among prequalified contractors by request for proposals (RFP); in some instances a project may be sole-sourced to a prequalified contractor. To prequalify for the Rapid Response Research Program, see the Rapid Response Research Program Prequalification Guidelines. Project funding is limited to $50,000 and project duration (project start date to delivery of final work products) is limited to six months.
Instructions for preparing proposals under the Rapid Response Research Program are provided in each project-specific RFP. The Foundation also provides separate guidelines for developing the Outreach Plan, which is a required component of the proposal.
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