Funding Opportunities

Sustainable water management strategies demand collaboration among researchers, stakeholders and governing bodies. Ohio WRC supports water related research relevant to the State of Ohio. Furthermore we connect researchers from multiple Ohio Universities with federal and state agency representatives, water management professionals, non-governmental organizations and the public.

Open Funding Opportunities

FY2024 Ohio Water Resources Center 104(b) Request for Pre-Proposals

Click here for the official request for proposals announcement and detailed instructions.

The Ohio Water Resources Center (WRC) is seeking research pre-proposals to address current water resources issues in the State of Ohio. This annual competition for in-state researchers is made possible through the Water Resources Research Institute 104(b) Program. The aim of these grants is to stimulate water-related research relevant to Ohio to the point where a highly competitive external proposal can be developed.

The Ohio WRC will accept any pre-proposal related to Ohio water resources issues but expects to give priority to proposals that address:

  • water resilience and security - e.g., water availability, flooding/drought, climate impacts to resilience, aging infrastructure, risk, and reliability
  • water technology - e.g., use of sensors, advanced treatment technologies, water reuse, residuals management
  • water quality - e.g., nutrients, salinity, contaminants of emerging concern

Projects that also incorporate concepts of water equity, including environmental justice and socioeconomic drivers related to water, such as identifying causes and impacts of water-related disparities, developing or evaluating tools or strategies to improve water quality or evaluate environmental justice, or providing scientific information to benefit underserved communities are also sought. For a list of recently funded proposals, visit our website: https://wrc.osu.edu/past

The application deadline for Ohio pre-proposals is 11:59 PM, Thursday, September 28, 2023. Pre-proposal decisions and an invitation to submit a full proposal will be announced the week of October 30, 2023. Full proposals will be due December 14, 2023 at 11:59 PM and funding decisions are expected the week of March 11, 2024. Funding is anticipated to begin on September 1, 2024.

Special Call for Proposals

FY23 Ohio WRC Time Critical Research proposals - With the recent environmental disaster in East Palestine, the Ohio Water Resources Center at The Ohio State University has opened a flexible request for research proposals to address time critical water resources issues in the state of Ohio. This funding mechanism is used for proposals having urgency with regard to availability of, or access to data, including quick response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events. It may be possible to use this time critical RFP for cost-share with other funding. Contact ohiowrc@osu.edu to determine if a project may fit into this category of urgency prior to submission. Click here for more detailed instructions.

Closed Funding Opportunities

National Competitive Grants FY23 - 104(g)

USGS, in cooperation with the NIWR, requests proposals for nationally competitive grants to support research on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply. The goals of the National Competitive Grants program are to promote collaboration between the USGS and university scientists in research on significant national and regional water resources issues; promote the dissemination and results of the research funded under this program; and assist in the training of scientists in water resources. 

Three distinct National Competitive Grants were announced with different priorities: General 104(g), Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), and PFAS. Awards are available only to Water Resources Research Institutes (WRRIs) established pursuant to the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act. However, any investigator at an institution of higher learning in the United States is eligible to apply for these grants through a WRRI. The application, with a full proposal along with the SF-424 and SF-424B and budget forms, must be submitted to the Ohio WRRI (ohiowrc@osu.edu) for submission through grants.gov. The links to 104(g) specific RFPs are provided below.

Please note that the April 27th deadline in the RFPs is the deadline for Ohio WRC to apply; the investigator application is due to ohiowrc@osu.edu on April 17th at 5 pm. To allow us to plan, please email ohiowrc@osu.edu as soon as possible if you plan to apply to any of these grant opportunities (optional, not required).

WRRIs from across the US hosted a joint webinar on March 9th, 2023 at 2 p.m. Eastern time that focuses on the National Competitive Grants RFPs. Please check the recording and slides for more information.

Ohio Professional Organizations and Agencies

American Water Works Association - Ohio Section - Established in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the world’s most important resource.

Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO) - leads in facilitating environmental education that fosters global stewardship and a sustainable future for all Ohioans.

Environmental Professionals Network at OSU - Ohio is home to thousands of environmental professionals working every day to make the world a better place. Join our community today!

Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Soil and Water Division - Provide leadership and services that enable Ohioans to conserve, protect, and enhance soil, water, and land resources.

Ohio Water Development Authority - Provides financial assistance for environmental infrastructure from the sale of municipal revenue bonds through loans to local governments in Ohio and from issuance of industrial revenue bonds for qualified projects in Ohio.

Ohio Water Environment Association - The Ohio Water Environment Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) association that provides technical education and training for Ohio water quality professionals who clean water and return it safely to the environment.

Ohio Water Well Association - The Ohio Water Well Association is a trade association of people like you who have increased their ability to successfully meet business challenges by joining together.

Operator Training Commitee of Ohio (OTCO) - OTCO’s philosophy has always been to make broad comprehensive training available in order to produce well-informed, technically qualified water and wastewater personnel who are firmly grounded in the fundamentals--not just to train individuals for passing examinations.

Water Management Association of Ohio - The Water Management Association of Ohio promotes the comprehensive understanding, conservation and multifaceted use of Ohio's water resources.