Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Projects
Funds laboratory-scale and pilot-scale water treatment research to reduce the cost, energy use, and other barriers to desalination and purification technologies for eligible applicants.
⚑ Research projects must be laboratory-scale or pilot-scale water treatment studies; pilot-scale projects must use natural water sources and generally follow prior laboratory work. · Strong applications should show widespread applicability and a pathway to technology commercialization. · Award ceiling $800,000. · Cooperative Agreement or Grant.
This is an applied engineering/water-treatment R&D program focused on desalination technologies, lab/pilot-scale treatment, and commercialization, which is outside this team’s social-science/public-opinion portfolio. The team might touch water-reuse attitudes in principle, but none of the listed members has a primary program in desalination or water purification research.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-07-30
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topics: water_resources, environment, energy (primary); social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
The Bureau of Reclamation"s Desalination and Water Purification Research (DWPR) Program aims to increase water supplies by reducing the costs, energy requirements, and other barriers to adoption of treating impaired water for beneficial uses.This NOFO invites proposals from eligible applicants to conduct innovative laboratory and pilot-scale water treatment research. Strong applications will demonstrate widespread applicability and benefits of the proposed research and provide a pathway for technology commercialization. This initiative supports the Bureau of Reclamation's mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public by providing water managers with new and innovative technologies and approaches to develop additional water resources and increase water supply flexibility.The DWPR Program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O. 14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332).
Eligibility
The program office will review all proposed projects to determine whether the application is an eligible activity under the NOFO and can proceed to merit review evaluation. Applicants can apply for two categories of projects under this NOFO: Laboratory-Scale Projects. Laboratory-scale projects are typically bench-scale studies involving small flow rates. These projects are used to determine the viability of a novel process, new materials, or process modifications. Laboratory-scale projects can also include modeling studies, decision support tools, literature and technology reviews, etc. that address objectives identified in the Program Goals section. Research at this stage can involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty. These projects should be completed within 24 months of award. Pilot-Scale Projects. Pilot-scale projects test a novel technology or process at a sufficiently large scale to determine the practicality of implementing the technology. These projects should involve flow rates above 1 gallon per minute and use natural water sources rather than synthetic or laboratory-made feed water. Pilot-scale studies are used to generate data over a sufficient time period that can be used to estimate the operational requirements (e.g., labor, chemical addition, power requirements) of the process and show performance with respect to finished water quality goals. Pilot-scale projects are generally preceded by laboratory studies (funded previously by the DWPR Program or others) that demonstrate technology feasibility. These projects should be completed within 36 months of award. Projects not eligible for funding under this NOFO include, but are not limited to: Proposals for planning activities eligible under the WaterSMART: Water Recycling and Desalination Planning funding opportunity, Proposals for the construction of permanent research facilities or infrastructure, and Proposals for the testing of established water treatment processes for the purposes of generating site specific information.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Bureau of Reclamation <bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.