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July - August 2003 Arizona Water Resource 9
<br />UA Water Quality Center Negotiates Collaborative Research Projects
<br />By supporting research, the University of Arizona's National Sci-
<br />ence Foundation Water Quality Center is fulfilling the traditional
<br />role of a university center. What is unique or nontraditional about
<br />the WQC is its modus operandi, its plan of operation, or what cen-
<br />ter Director Ian Pepper describes as its "concept."
<br />The WQC is based on the concept that the most effective ap-
<br />proach to resolving water quality problems is building varied, broad -
<br />based interest and support. This means outreach in its most literal
<br />sense of reaching out — reaching out to the private sector, govern-
<br />ment agencies and specialists in various water related disciplines, to
<br />make up a coalition of interests. It also means reaching out to the
<br />public to gauge its water quality concerns.
<br />Pepper says, "I have presented this concept to many different
<br />companies, agencies and others, and I have never met any entity
<br />that did not like it. The concept is intrinsically sound."
<br />Key to WQC's operation and its most distinctive characteristic
<br />is its private sector link. The WQC is part of a National Science
<br />Foundation network of about 50 industry - university cooperative re-
<br />search centers, each with a different area of expertise. The UA pro-
<br />gram is the only NSF cooperative center to address water quality.
<br />In taking on water quality, the WQC is concerned with an issue
<br />of broad community interest, not one limited to the private sector,
<br />to include also utilities, government agencies and the general public.
<br />The UA WQC therefore has a broader focus than most other NSF
<br />industry - university research centers, most of which specialize in an
<br />industry related concern, such as electronics or computers.
<br />NSF guidelines outline the process of establishing a center. A
<br />brief white paper is initially submitted with about eight letters of
<br />intent from private and public sector entities pledging their interest
<br />and support. If the materials are in order NSF might then provide
<br />an applicant with a $10,000 planning grant to organize the center
<br />and firm up commitments. If NSF decides to support a project the
<br />agency provides backing for administrative and operational costs.
<br />Research is supported by membership funding.
<br />Membership in the WQC is at three levels, with $3,000 for
<br />an associate member, $10,000 - $15,000 for an enhanced associate
<br />membership and $30,000 for full membership. Members also can
<br />provide additional funding to support specific research projects.
<br />Present WQC membership includes eight full members; six
<br />enhanced associate members, and four associate members. Each
<br />center member appoints one representative from its organization
<br />to serve on the WQC industrial advisory board. The board meets
<br />twice a year for two days, the first day devoted to presentations of
<br />research project reports and proposals for research. The second day
<br />the board votes on which research projects to fund.
<br />Research topics or areas are sought that have a sufficiently
<br />broad application to be useful to a number of WQC participants,
<br />including both public and private interests. For example, research
<br />projects on land application of biosolids benefit various county and
<br />city wastewater departments, including Pima County Wastewater
<br />Management, along with private sector biosolid applicators.
<br />Pepper says, "The key to center operations and probably its
<br />most novel aspect is the integration of academia, government and
<br />the private sector. I think this is a trend you are going to see more
<br />of in the future. It is certainly a concept that (UA) President Likens
<br />endorses."
<br />This organizational mix is evident in WQC's funding sources.
<br />Pepper says, "We get funding from NSF. We get direct funding
<br />from the State of Arizona, funding from Pima County Wastewater
<br />Management Division and City of Tucson. We are getting funding
<br />from the federal, state, county and city level. Also from consulting
<br />groups and the private sector."
<br />Pepper acts as a broker to ensure smooth working relation-
<br />ships among the various interests. He says, "A lot of private sector
<br />companies are not set up to do research." What then is needed is a
<br />way to work out an appropriate match between private entities and
<br />university researchers, and that is where the center comes in. Pepper
<br />says, "I find out about the problems of the private sector." He then
<br />approaches UA faculty members with the expertise to take on those
<br />problems and offers WQC support for their research. A private sec-
<br />tor interest thus taps into university resources, gaining the services
<br />of researchers along with laboratory and equipment.
<br />Pepper views the WQC as operating sort of as a "franchise,"
<br />linked to the NSF national network, but operating independently in
<br />meeting local needs and conditions. This enables the center to focus
<br />on more immediate issues, of concern to the here and now. Pepper
<br />says, "We deal with issues affecting the quality of water people are
<br />now drinking. This is not about modeling, about what might hap-
<br />pen 30 years from now. We deliberately have a very rapid response
<br />to emerging issues, which I think is important "
<br />For example, the WQC is supporting UA microbiologist Chuck
<br />Gerba's research on the Naegleria fowleri parasite and the Norwalk
<br />virus, two pathogens that recently emerged as water quality prob-
<br />lems in Arizona. The WQC also is conducting research on CAP
<br />water issues and the SARS virus
<br />WQC's research budget recently received a boost from UAs
<br />Technology and Research Initiative Fund. TRIF funding comes
<br />from monies received from a portion of the state sales tax dedi-
<br />cated to education. Pepper says, "TRIF funds gave me the ability to
<br />match, or at least partially match private sector funds. I now could
<br />go to a company and say. `We have a lot of expertise, a lot of equip-
<br />ment, a lot of facility, and we can match your research contribution.'
<br />It is an offer that is hard to refuse."
<br />Of the $1 million of TRIF funding available to UA water re-
<br />searchers $369,000 will be used to support WQC research.
<br />A WQC branch or partner site operates at Arizona State Uni-
<br />versity. Its establishment three years after the UA center was in re-
<br />sponse to NSF interest in multi- university centers. J%
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