Federal Research Environment for Water A Presentation to UC Riverside Kaitlin Chell, Michael Ledford, and Karen Mowrer Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC January 2014

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC is a leading full-service government relations firm specializing in advocating for the public policy interests of institutions of higher education and other research and education organizations Began working with UC Riverside in November professional staff members 26 clients, all nonprofits involved in research and/or education –15 universities –3 contractors running national research facilities –8 associations Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC 2

Big Picture Water (availability, quantity, quality) is getting more federal attention –Multi-agency water partnership discussions –USDA – Water and Food Systems Grand Challenge –Water part of some infrastructure/resilience discussions However, Obamas Climate Action Plan and Hurricane Sandy rebuilding report barely touch on water-related issues 3

Federal Water Research Funding 4 National Research Council. (2004). Agency contributions as a percentage of the total federal funding for water resources research. Confronting the Nations Water Problems: The Role of Research. Retrieved from

National Science Foundation Rethinking approach to sustainability (SEES) portfolio; fewer solicitations and opportunity to engage on foci –Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) Understand and predict the interactions between the water system and climate change, land use (including agriculture, managed forest and rangeland systems), the built environment, and ecosystem function and services through place-based research and integrative models. Co-funding from USDA/NIFA Latest round of proposals were due September 10, 2013 Many inside NSF hope the program will continue in some form beyond that 5

Global Climate Change –Drought; impacts in the arctic with climate in mid-latitudes; predictors on seasonal and multi-decadal timescales; catastrophe risk management Other GEO Themes –Resilience to natural and technological disasters; understanding of the natural processes that produce hazards; developing better hazard mitigation strategies and technologies; assessing disaster resilience Funding for EAR –FY 2012 actual = $ –FY 2013 current plan = $ NSF/GEO in FY

U.S. Department of Agriculture Creating wedge for new focus in water New water resources challenge area in FY 2014 (expected this month) –Webinar and request for comments in summer 2013 –Ensuring agricultural water security –focus on various sources of water, including surface water, groundwater, and the use of reclaimed water; –Nutrient management in agricultural land, specifically focusing on nitrogen and phosphorous; and –Addressing the impacts of chemicals that might cause concern to agriculture and identifying possible waterborne pathogens 7

Department of Defense Main water focus is through Army Corps of Engineers (limited extramural funding available) DOD sustains military operations and the war fighter –2009 technologies workshop – identified sustainable water usage as the top- ranked environmental requirement for the Army –SERDP-reducing energy and water consumption; invests in both basic and applied –ESTCP-technology demonstration and validation program –SERDP/ESTCP Energy and Water program area focused on reducing energy and water consumption at military installations with the goal of improving energy security and water conservation New leadership at SERDP/ESTCP presents opportunities for changes DARPA-transformational research to support agency missions; may have some interest 8

NASA ROSES –Topical calls in FY 2013 Terrestrial hydrology Energy and water cycle study Earth science applications: water resources –New early career investigator program in Earth Science DESDynI (L-band SAR) keeps getting pushed back; ~2021 launch date –Deformation aquifers and other groundwater resources SMAP launch October 2014 –Soil moisture 9

USAID Grand Challenge in Securing Water for Food BAA –Water efficiency and reuse –Water capture and storage –Salinity and saltwater intrusion –Supports scaling up and dissemination technologies with potential to advance global technologies (does not support basic research) Stage 1: $100,000-$500,000 Stage 2: $500,000-$3 million $15 million total for projects Concept notes due January 17 10

U.S. Water Partnership New membership organization announced by Secretary Clinton in spring 2012 –Focus is on developing world –Working with private industry, NGOs, and universities –Eager to partner with universities 2014s new initiatives –Community irrigation –Utility strengthening –Technology/commercialization –Water security/conflict prevention No research funding available, but interested in partnering to go after funding at NGOs and foundations –Interested in beginning dialogues 11

Looking Ahead Universities have to adjust to changing science bureaucracy in a flat budget environment R&D and basic research still a TOP priority on both sides of the aisle in Congress, but there is competition for limited dollars Public-private partnerships will remain the favored mechanism for large-scale efforts, especially related to initiatives like the U.S. Water Partnership Increased compliance burden continues Advisory committees still key to determining and influencing agency policy and research directions; NSB interested in elevating water issues Traditional research funding agencies are placing an increased emphasis on cooperative agreements (with shared milestones) for new initiatives 12

Contact Kaitlin Chell Lewis-Burke Associates LLC 1341 G Street, NW Eighth Floor Washington, D.C e: p: f: