P2AD Supports Environmental Technology Research
A great deal of progress has been made over the last several years in reducing the generation of industrial wastes at the source. Continued progress will be based on the ability to fashion new and innovative technologies to address our most intractable environmental management problems.
As a part of its core strategy for promoting pollution prevention, P2AD serves as a catalyst for the development and deployment of new manufacturing methods and technologies that save energy and reduce waste. For many businesses, environmental management costs are a significant and growing percentage of their production costs. Without the benefit of new technologies, these costs will continue to rise and adversely affect industrial competitiveness, job growth, and economic development.
Moreover, the development of innovative environmental technologies is an indispensable part of the movement toward sustainable manufacturing. Sustainability must be based in large measure on the efficient use of raw materials and energy, elimination or substantial reduction in the generation of waste, and the effective reuse of manufacturing byproducts. Maximizing these factors will allow U.S. industry to not only survive, but prosper in the global economy of the next century. To that end, many state and federal grant programs have been established to support technology research affecting significant industrial sectors.
P2AD supports these efforts by identifying research needs; locating federal, state, and private sector funding opportunities; establishing partnerships to develop research projects; providing assistance in drafting proposals; providing technical direction and administrative support for selected projects; and finding industrial applications for new and emerging technologies.
Identifying Research Needs
P2AD engineers conduct on-site assessments at industrial facilities throughout the state. These assessments provide the Division's engineers with the opportunity to work with CEOs, plant managers, and environmental engineers on the most pressing energy and environmental problems affecting their operations. This interaction helps P2AD identify areas where the most pressing research needs exist.
Through P2AD's regional environmental network initiative, companies come together to discuss common environmental problems and share potential solutions. This initiative also provides input from the business and manufacturing communities on the types of research needed to address real world environmental management problems.
Identification of Funding Sources
New concepts can only be transformed into new technologies when sufficient funding is made available. Fortunately, the federal and state government, as well the private sector, recognize the need to support applied research in environmental technologies. There are a number of grant programs specifically designed to provide funding in this area. As a service to potential grant seekers, P2AD maintains information on a variety of programs to promote the development and commercial deployment of environmental technologies. P2AD continuously reviews the available electronic and print media to identify new funding sources. In addition, P2AD disseminates information on funding opportunities through workshops, conferences, public presentations and printed materials. The box on the next page provides a description of some federal and state grant programs of particular interest.
Establishing Partnerships
A common feature of many grant programs is the mandate to develop partnerships with other organizations. Many agencies require that funded projects represent a collaborative effort between state government, private industry, research universities, and/or environmental organizations. These collaborative ventures are favored by many funding agencies because they tend to create a critical mass of industrial experience and scientific expertise.
Some programs require that the selected project be supported by some combination of grant money and contributions from project participants and third party contributors. In addition to identifying funding sources, P2AD works with potential applicants to identify other interested organizations and helps to develop viable partnership arrangements.
Proposal Drafting
Most grants for funding environmental technology projects are awarded on a competitive basis. Applications are received and evaluated based on a detailed solicitation which outlines the purposes of the program, the selection criteria, and the data to be submitted. It is not uncommon for granting agencies to receive 15 to 20 times more applications than the number of available awards. In this intensely competitive environment only the best written proposals have a serious chance to be funded. For those grant programs in which it is directly involved, P2AD staff (including environmental specialists and engineers) will provide input on the technical, financial, and administrative aspects of a proposed project.
Administrative Support
Many federal grant programs require eligible projects to secure the active participation of a state agency. Some programs even require that applications be submitted by a specific agency of state government, in conjunction with other participants from industry and academia. In this case, the state agency is required to provide technical direction and assume administrative responsibility for the project.
P2AD has significant experience in the administration of applied research grants and is proactively seeking opportunities to establish new partnerships in support of applied research initiatives.
Technology Transfer
The successful completion of a research project is only one step in bringing that technology to industry. Once its economic and technical viability is demonstrated, new technologies must be successfully deployed in the real world. P2AD, working in conjunction with its technical assistance partners in the Georgia Environmental Partnership (GEP), seeks to match industrial problems with innovative, cost-effective technological solutions. GEP conducts on-site assessments, industry-specific workshops, and regional network meetings. These events provide an opportunity to discuss new and emerging technologies that can have a positive impact on the economic competitiveness of Georgia industry.
P2AD will continue to look for ways to facilitate the identification, development, funding, and dissemination of environmental technology research initiatives. By focusing on the specific research needs of Georgia industry, the future competitiveness of the state's industries can be assured while preserving its natural resources for future generations.
Grant Information
National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment, and Economics (NICE3) Grant Program OR the Innovations and Inventions Program - contact Tim Eastling, DOE Atlanta Regional Support Office, (404) 347-7141.
Traditional Industries Program - contact Susan Shows, Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute, (404) 894-6113.
Georgia Research Alliance - contact William Todd, Director, (404) 332-9770.
|
