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 rural 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…

Aug 29, 2023

Faculty Funding

Open Funding Opportunities There are currently no open funding opportunities. Please check back later! Closed Funding Opportunities These opportunities are currently closed. WRRI-USGS 104(b) Grants WRRI issued its annual RFP for faculty pre-proposals for the FY 2025-2026 Competitive Grants Program. This RFP is sponsored by WRRI and the USGS 104(b) program. Faculty or university affiliates…

Aug 29, 2023

Other Funding Opportunities

Community Collaborative Research Grant (CCRG) The Community Collaborative Research Grant Program, or CCRG, is an innovative funding opportunity that requires research approaches that couple local knowledge with scientific expertise. The CCRG is supported by WRRI and North Carolina Sea Grant, in partnership with the William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science (KIETS). This opportunity…

Aug 29, 2023

Student Funding

Open Funding Opportunities Mountains to Sea Graduate Research Fellowship This opportunity is funded by NC WRRI and North Carolina Sea Grant. It is open to full-time graduate students at North Carolina’s colleges and universities. Proposed research should be conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Research should address one or more of these focus…

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.”

May 24, 2023

2021 Projects

WRRI-supported researchers explore a wide range of topics in water resources, from emerging contaminants and drinking water quality, to stormwater infrastructure, to environmental justice issues, community engagement, and much more. Read on to learn about funded projects for 2021. Faculty Projects Novel Mass Spectrometry Approaches for the Identification of Pesticides and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances…

May 17, 2023

2022 Projects

WRRI-supported researchers explore a wide range of topics in water resources, from emerging contaminants, to flooding, to stormwater management, community engagement, and more. Read on to learn about funded projects for 2022. If searching for Faculty projects, visit the 2021 Projects page. Graduate Projects Advancing Understanding of Flood Water Quality Distributions and Drivers through Statistical…

May 3, 2023

NC WRRI Releases New Strategic Plan, Highlights Research and Engagement Initiatives

The North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute recently released a new strategic plan to guide the program’s investments toward effective responses to the state’s immediate and long-term needs in water resources management. The updated plan is available on the NC WRRI website, along with a document highlighting research and engagement initiatives. “This plan represents input…

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…