funding

The main street of Conover, NC, a small southern town. Small shops line the street on each side, and light green water tower is visible in the distance.

Oct 3, 2023

Free Mapping Tool Will Help Small NC Towns Meet Water Quality Requirements

The world is digitized. From data to images to maps, they can be found in a digital format. One NC group is working to make that true for NC’s water utilities boundaries. A collaborative research team led by Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability is working to lessen the digital divide for…

In a brightly lit room, someone fills up a clear glass with water from the sink.

Sep 27, 2023

NC WRRI Fellows Work to Improve Well Water Quality Through PFAS Research

BY EMMA SCARDINA Graduate students Tiffany VanDerwerker of North Carolina State University and Charlotte Robbins of UNC Chapel Hill are supporting communities through their research on PFAS in well water. VanDerwerker’s research considered an alternative water source for homes that have contaminated well water. Robbins’ project analyzes how PFAS leaks from landfills into surrounding groundwater…

Jul 19, 2023

The Road Less Traveled: An Academic Journey from Undergrad to Professor

Emine Fidan, former NC WRRI and NC Sea Grant Joint Funding recipient defended her dissertation in November 2022 and began her appointment as a professor in January 2023. When asked what advice she would give to other graduates, she said, “I would just say not to be discouraged by your failures in research. And that’s because I had so many. A huge part of my Ph.D. was just trying something new, finding out that it didn’t work, trying something else, and then reaching another obstacle.”

A graphic image detailing sources that contribute to PFAS in water.

Apr 25, 2023

NC Urban Water Consortium-Funded Researcher Looks to Eliminate PFAS

Scientists in North Carolina and beyond continue to identify harmful effects of chemicals once considered useful and innovative — but those chemicals are now causing damage to our water systems and to our bodies. Now known as forever chemicals because of their persistent and lasting nature, these chemicals include PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that…

Person uses fishing pole to fish in ocean from a boat.

Apr 17, 2023

New Community Collaborative Projects Amplify Overlooked Stories, Engage Aspiring Scientists and More

Four new projects in North Carolina are launching this year as part of the Community Collaborative Research Grant Program (CCRG), administered by North Carolina Sea Grant and NC Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), in partnership with the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology, and Science (KIETS).

Apr 11, 2023

New NC WRRI Fellows to Consider Pressing Issues in Water, Engage Local Communities

Six graduate students across North Carolina recently began new fellowship projects. Four of these are funded by the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI), and the Urban Water Consortium and Stormwater Consortium, facilitated through NC WRRI, are each funding one project. Topics range from PFAS contamination in well water and streams, to green…

The Greensboro Science Center’s on-site aquaculture facility showcases some of the the state’s freshwater mussels.

Jan 6, 2023

Community Collaborations Research Grant Now Accepting Proposals

North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute is accepting Community Collaborative Research Grant program proposals now through Jan. 17, 2023.

A rendering of the proposed green infrastructure project, which would help treat rooftop runoff at the Biltmore Hills Park Community Center.

Dec 7, 2022

WRRI to Receive Environmental Grant Funding

The North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) will receive $205,440 to work with the Walnut Creek Wetlands Community Partnership to install green infrastructure and implement wetland restoration practices announced Attorney General Josh Stein.

Jul 1, 2021

WRRI Supporting 10 Graduate Students for 2021-22

By Justin Lindemann “We are pleased to see our funding partners join us again in support of a strong lineup of important projects from up-and-coming researchers,” notes John Fear, deputy director for the state’s Sea Grant and Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) programs. “With research focusing on chemicals of concern, factors for erosion, a variety…

Feb 18, 2021

WRRI Requests Proposals for Community Collaborations

The North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute’s Community Collaborative Research Grant program is now open and accepting proposals through March 5, 2021 (new extended deadline). The program brings communities and university researchers together to study high-priority environmental and economic issues in North Carolina. New grants will range from $5,000 to $25,000 for projects that take place over…