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On behalf of the Canadian Municipal Water Management Research Consortium (CMWMRC), the Canadian Water Network (CWN) is calling for expressions of interest for research proposals under two project topics within its focus area, Options to Address Emerging Contaminants. The CMWMRC wishes to identify and support two to three well-integrated, national and multidisciplinary research teams that can provide the Consortium with a strong national knowledge base on the following topics:
Elaboration on these topics is presented subsequently in the "Background" and "Description of Project Topics" Sections ContextThe CMWMRC's primary focus in the realm of research support is to advance the state of Canada's national knowledge capacity to empower beneficial policy and practice decisions in the management of municipal water supplies. The CMWMRC approach emphasizes the importance of drawing on, complementing, and interpreting results in the context of the large body of international research relevant to Canadian issues. The CMWMRC seeks to support strategic, highly credible research initiatives that have a strong potential to contribute to a well supported understanding and articulation of the current state of the knowledge in specified strategic areas. This call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) seeks to identify comprehensive well integrated, multidisciplinary national research teams in the two specified areas. The research teams must be led through academia (see "Eligibility" requirements below), but the proponent teams are encouraged to exploit and develop partnerships with non-academic and international colleagues to maximize value of the outcomes. Deadline for Submission of EOIs is September 14, 2009 EOI GuidelinesEligibilitySubmissions can be made by any person who is employed or otherwise given academic status by a university, post-secondary educational institution, hospital, institute or other organization eligible to receive research funds from any one of the federal granting agencies: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and/or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Team members receiving research funds as a part of the submission must meet the same criteria. Participation of International Researchers and Non-Academic ResearchersAlthough only researchers meeting the above criteria may receive research funds through this grant, projects are encouraged to incorporate collaborations with international researchers or non-academic partners wherever it will strengthen the project outcomes. Whereas direct research funds cannot be transferred, project funds can be used to support their participation through eligible expenses such as travel and other costs that will clearly support a beneficial collaboration. Project TimelinesFunding is for projects commencing January 2010 with completion by September 2012.
BudgetsTotal budget requests from the CMWMRC must not exceed $500,000. Budgets must be clearly justified in terms of the total amount requested and the timing of proposed expenditures. Value accrual from the Consortium research investment will be a key criterion in evaluation of proposed projects. Budget estimates and anticipated partner support are required at the time of submittal of the EOI. Full budgets and letters confirming partner support will be required at the time of full proposal. Funding EnvelopeThe total number of projects funded will depend on the strength of the proposals, budget requests for selected projects, and the total budget available based on partner interest and co-investment. A minimum overall Consortium funding level for the call is expected to be $1.2 million. Relevance to End Users and Partner ParticipationConsortium work has a strong focus on the relevance of research to partner needs; the focus of this current call is to demonstrate the applicability of robust science approaches to supporting decisions. The "Options to Address Emerging Contaminants" focus reflects knowledge needs expressed during consultations with prospective end-users and stakeholders, many of whom are current CMWMRC participants. In order to ensure relevance of research outputs within the context of end-user needs, it will be important to engage municipal and/or government or other end-user partners in the EOI and subsequent project selection processes. Following initial screening and selection of a short-list of EOIs with strongest potential, it is the intention of the CMWMRC management team to circulate selected EOIs to solicit additional partner interest nationally. Strategic Consortium Research PartnersIn addition to the three founding CMWMRC partners - CWN, the Alberta Water Institute (AWRI) and the Ontario Centres of Excellent (OCE) - strategic partners are identified who have expressed an interest in providing direct funding or in-kind support to this particular research call. Project Topic EC-2: Determining the efficacy of emerging contaminant removal within existing treatment trains, with particular emphasis on the effects of Canadian cold climate and seasonal conditions (see description of Project Topic EC-2 on page 7, below)
Environment Canada, Aquatic Ecosystem Management Research Division The Aquatic Ecosystem Management Research Division (AEMRD) of Environment Canada is interested in collaborating on the research topic "Determining the efficacy of emerging contaminant removal within existing treatment trains, with particular emphasis on the effects of Canadian cold climate and seasonal conditions." AEMRD can contribute to the solicited research efforts in two ways: (a) contributing knowledge from past investigations of selected emerging contaminants in treatment trains of various sewage treatment plants, and (b) providing pilot plant facilities for research on emerging contaminant attenuation in various sewage treatment trains. Key Contact: Peter Seto Environment Canada
Demonstrating Capacity to Draw On and Complement International ResearchThere is a high degree of interest and a large amount of work on-going internationally on various aspects of emerging contaminants in municipal water systems: emerging contaminants are a key theme of the Global Water Research Coalition; the EU work proceeds primarily under the European Framework Directive; municipal treatment work in North America is supported by WRF, WERF, Environment Canada and other state and provincial entities; and significant activities in Australia and elsewhere are also currently underway. This call seeks to connect with and supplement this extensive international effort. A key expectation of the research projects funded under this program will be the ability to connect the proposed work with the larger international research effort. Background and ContextThe Canadian Municipal Water Management Research Consortium (CMWMRC) was established in 2008 as a joint initiative of the Canadian Water Network (CWN), the Alberta Water Research Institute (AWRI) and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). Initial core funding has been provided by these three entities. The purpose of the CMWMRC is to support those involved in the management and regulation of municipal water supplies to address a number of key challenges to attaining the overall goal: Achieve water neutral and energy neutral adaptation to growth, climate change and future challenges to the effective maintenance of safe, secure municipal water systems The CMWMRC is currently comprised primarily of senior municipal water managers and government representatives, as well as industry participants and other stakeholders with a direct interest in the Consortium. It is administered through the CWN and is operated as a complementary element of the CWN's overall programming. CMWMRC activities are guided by an end-user based Consortium Advisory Committee (CAC). The CWMRC's goals are achieved through a combination of research and complementary knowledge synthesis and translation activities that are well positioned and integrated with concurrent national and international initiatives for practical impact. Through national consultations and the end-user based CAC, the CMWMRC has selected five key focus areas of particular interest to those involved in the management and regulation of Canada's municipal water supplies: Key "Drivers" for Water Management Decisions/Options 1. Putting Risks in Context 2. Incorporating Water Valuation and Costing in Management Strategies Next Stage Infrastructure and Management Options 3. Options to Address Emerging Contaminants 4. Cost-Effective Reuse of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater and Residuals 5. Innovative Options for Combined Energy and Demand Management The CMWMRC's approach is to first review end-user needs in consideration of the relevance and capacity of existing science and technology to address those needs. Targeted research or knowledge synthesis and translation projects are selected in those areas for which the Consortium has the best opportunity to provide key incremental value. The CWMRC seeks to directly support the community of practice committed to excellence in management of municipal water supplies. CMWMRC Focus Area: Options to Address Emerging ContaminantsThe CMWMRC uses a relatively broad definition for "emerging contaminants" to include a variety of emerging issues for municipal water management such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, nano-particles, fire retardants, plasticizers and other trace organics. Selection of Strategic Topic AreasTo identify potential research areas related to emerging contaminants, consideration was given to several factors. Although many knowledge gaps still exist, considerable research is underway internationally by government agencies and research bodies, particularly related to the human health risks. The CMWMRC will maintain a close assessment of how these research efforts evolve. Given the ongoing debate as to whether these compounds represent a significant concern, their low levels in the environment and the attendant challenges from an analytical point of view, the CMWMRC has chosen to focus its efforts on looking at those areas for which an impact is most likely to be evident and measureable. In addition, given the uncertainties inherent in risk discussions for real systems (i.e., due to mixtures and toxicity of unknowns and transformation products), an appropriate research "niche" identified for the CMWMRC was a focus on providing municipal managers and regulators with better information and techniques to characterize where discernable impacts are occurring. Research that makes the existing wealth of knowledge more applicable to the Canadian context by ensuring that key science conclusions are applicable under Canadian conditions (such as colder water temperatures, seasonal effects and different ecosystems) is also an appropriate focus for the CMWMRC. The key elements of this analysis that emerged in during CMWMRC consultations of key user needs and questions were as follows: Where are effects of emerging contaminants most likely to be in evidence, and where could CMWMRC research provide best value?
Are there areas of the science of particular relevance to the Canadian context that are not addressed?
Description of Project TopicsThe following initial research thrusts were presented to the Consortium Advisory Committee for consideration in June of this year. This resulted in the approval of two topics for the Consortium to support; they are articulated below and displayed in context in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Initial Areas for Research Focus in Options to Address Emerging Contaminants Project Topic EC-1: Practical monitoring and assessment strategies to discern ecosystem health impacts of wastewater discharges of emerging contaminantsIn the absence of pending regulatory approaches or limits for emerging contaminant impacts to the environment, those managing municipal water supplies are looking for appropriate rationales and techniques to conduct practical site assessments that will indicate whether significant ecosystem impacts are occurring as a result of emerging contaminants in wastewater discharges. Ongoing international research addressing issues of ecotoxicology and risk assessment related to emerging contaminants is expected to improve our "predictive" capacity to determine where problems might be expected to exist. The CMWMRC wishes to advance parallel research that addresses the practical challenge of assessing the actual impact of emerging contaminants on ecosystem health in realistic settings in the vicinity of wastewater discharges. Proposed approaches should help better discern the significance of emerging contaminant impacts relative to other existing factors in wastewater impacted systems. Outcomes should assist in identifying those situations for which the impacts of emerging contaminants might be of most concern for ecosystem health, making them a greater priority than they might otherwise be. The relevance of the research to the size and nature of the impact (e.g., technology types and large centralized versus small or decentralized systems) systems should be articulated. Research results and techniques must be of relevance to representative populations/ecosystems that exist in Canada. Research project approaches might include, but not be limited to: evaluation of whole toxicity methods that could be applied in field settings; demonstrations of how system factors dominate exposure and resulting impacts, such as biomagnifications in the food chain; relationship of habitat and life cycle to exposure and impacts; or controlled experiments that demonstrate the relevance of expected impacts based on lab or pilot field test under real (wastewater impacted) conditions. Project Topic EC-2: Determining the efficacy of emerging contaminant removal within existing treatment trains, with particular emphasis on the effects of Canadian cold climate and seasonal conditionsUnderstanding the capacity of existing treatment technology trains to deal with new challenges from emerging contaminants is of interest to those managing municipal water and wastewater treatment systems. Treatment systems are designed to address known priority risks in accordance with existing regulatory standards. While further research is being carried out to better determine the significance of emerging contaminants of concern, there is an interest in advancing an understanding of the capacity of existing technologies and treatment trains to be optimized to also reduce emerging contaminants, if needed. Significant capital investments are being made in construction and maintenance of treatment infrastructure. Those responsible for decisions about design and investments associated with treatment systems have an interest in determining system flexibility to deal with possible future challenges, such as the need to remove emerging contaminants. Significant research exists on the behavior of emerging contaminants for conventional treatment technologies. However, the results of that research are not always presented in a way that supports optimization of treatment systems to deal with emerging contaminants. Of particular concern to Canadian municipalities is the relevance of system capacity and performance under the colder water temperatures and seasonal variability characteristic of Canadian conditions. This may present a particular challenge for smaller systems. The CMWMRC wishes to understand the relevance and exploit the value of existing international research on the behavior of emerging contaminants in treatment systems, as applied to Canadian conditions. Research should exhibit a thorough understanding of the state-of-the-knowledge and provide an approach that clarifies the applicability of key conclusions for Canadian treatment scenarios. The relevance of the proposed research to "best practices" as they relate to large versus small systems, or centralized versus decentralized systems, should be clear. Projects should demonstrate the capacity of treatment systems typical of Canadian settings to be optimized to include removal of emerging contaminants without sacrificing system performance overall. Research projects with broad significance nationally are preferred, including particular relevance to Alberta and Ontario conditions. EOI InstructionsExpressions of Interest RequirementsLengthExpressions of Interest must be four pages maximum length. Submissions exceeding this will be rejected. Proponents should focus on clear summary descriptions at the EOI stage. Reviewers value highly proponents' ability to clearly and concisely articulate key points and succinctly articulate the context and strengths of their proposed approach. Tables or figures may be used if desired, but must be legible and accommodated within the four page maximum length. Proponents may use the word processor and format of their choosing with an easily legible font, but EOIs should include the information described in the "Contents" section below. ContentsExpressions of Interest must include at least the headings listed below:
Project Topic Category: Identify if submission is in response to Topic Area EC-1 or EC-2 Project Title: Title for proposed research project Name of PI: Single lead Principle Investigator (PI) is required as submitting proponent for EOIs Institutional Affiliation and Contact Information for PI:
Provide a summary overview of what the project will produce and how the proposed research project will make a key contribution relative to the challenge described in the chosen Topic Area. Indicate how the project addresses the needs described in the EOI call, to whom the results of the project will be delivered in the context of municipal water managers and regulators, and the expected outcomes as a result. In describing intended outcomes, be explicit about the expected timeline of impacts of the work relative to the project timeline.
Provide a very brief synopsis of the state-of-the-knowledge and other ongoing research activity of relevance to the topic area and your proposed research approach in particular. Indicate your awareness of that work, where your proposed research approach fits in the overall context of this knowledge base and ongoing research, and how your project will provide a value-added contribution in the context of that knowledge base.
Describe what you propose to do and accomplish in the research project. Provide an overview of the methodology and how it would generally unfold over the 32-month duration of the project. Outline any key expected major milestones. Highlight any elements of the project that would provide key opportunities for analysis of the research findings in the context of the challenge area, as well as opportunities for knowledge translation of significance to decision makers in municipal water management and/or regulation.
List the proposed core research team members and their affiliations. Describe the overall team experience and qualifications. Highlight the particular strengths of this team in conducting the work and achieving the outcomes you have proposed. Note: Include in this section the core team members who will be responsible for the majority of the work for which you are seeking support. Additional research, institutional and international collaborators should be highlighted as "research partners" in Section 7.
Summarize the expected inclusion of graduate students or other trainees in this work and the anticipated nature of their role in the research project, including potential training opportunities and interaction with the end-user community.
Describe how your project will involve partners from: i. the "end-user" community who are representative of the community of decision-makers expected to apply results of the research, and ii. the "research partner" community including individuals from other research institutions in academia or the public sector and other participating collaborators who would provide real and specific contributions to achieving the proposed research outcomes. Describe and distinguish among those partners who have already indicated a willingness to participate on the proposed project and what their level of participation is expected to be, and "anticipated" partnerships and their role in the project, should it be called to full proposal.
Provide a brief overview of the expected budget request from the Consortium and how it will be used over the course of the project to achieve the proposed outcomes. Provide an indication of how other resources or matching funds will be applied to supplement and leverage the Consortium funds to achieve outcomes. In cases of leveraged work, the nature of the additional or unique results expected from this project should be very clear. Outline any matching funds or resources anticipated from the partner community. EOI Submission InstructionsExpressions of Interest must be submitted by email as an attached PDF file to Don Brookes at dbrookes@cwn-rce.ca, with Cc to Katrina Goreham at kgoreham@cwn-rce.ca, no later than midnight September 14th. Please indicate in the cover email whether the submission is in response to the call for Topic Area EC-1, or EC-2. Confirmation of receipt of Expressions of Interest will be sent within 48 hours. If a confirmation is not received, contact Don Brookes at the above email or by telephone at 519-888-4567 ext. 33269. InquiriesFor administrative inquiries about submissions, please contact Don Brookes at dbrookes@cwn-rce.ca email or by telephone at 519-888-4567 ext. 33269. For technical inquiries about the current Call for Expressions of Interest, please contact Dr. Grahame Farquhar at gfarquhar@cwn-rce.ca. Call for Full ProposalsThe CMWMRC will review submitted Expressions of Interest and request full proposals from those submissions assessed to best meet the CMWMRC's requirements. The request for proposals will be made by October 19, 2009. The CMWMRC will also inform those who are not requested to submit a proposal at the same time. Proposal Evaluation CriteriaProject proposals resulting from this round of Expressions of Interest will be judged on how well they satisfy the project Evaluation Criteria, which will include the following: Potential for ImpactProject teams must clearly articulate how and what the proposed research will contribute to the project topic area being addressed. It must be clear that consideration has been given to the importance of the research to decisions made by municipal water managers, policy or regulatory development personnel and practitioners. Intended impacts should be defined on a timeline from the near to the longer term. Excellence of Approach and Connection and Value-Add to Ongoing International ResearchAll projects must demonstrate excellence and credibility in the level of the science applied. Project teams must demonstrate a thorough awareness of the past and ongoing international research that is relevant to this topic area and show how their proposed research would relate to and build upon existing knowledge and work currently underway. If team members have on-going parallel but related research initiatives underway, they should indicate how the proposed project adds to, but differs from, these existing activities. Project Partners and Connection to User NeedsConsortium work has a strong focus on relevance of research to partner needs; the focus of the current call is on demonstrating the applicability of robust science approaches to supporting decisions. As well, the Consortium places high value on the ability of its members to connect with expert nationally and internationally networked teams. Therefore, strong participation in the proposed project of representatives from municipal, provincial, federal and industry partners is encouraged and will be looked upon favourably at the time of evaluation. Excellence and Diversity of Research Team MembersThe quality and diversity of the research team relative to the topic area are essential measures of its ability to address the needs and value of the science from the users' perspective. As such, these characteristics of the team will form an important part of the evaluation process. Budgets and Value-for-InvestmentProject Proposals will be evaluated in part on the appropriateness of their budgets relative to the work being done. Expenditures of Consortium-based funds should be outlined. When existing researcher funding is also being used to support the project, clear delineation of existing versus Consortium expenditures must be shown. Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)The support and development of HQP continues to be a key element in the mission of the founding Consortium partners - the AWRI, the CWN and the OCE. Evaluation of the project proposals will include an assessment of the extent to which HQP development has been included. Attachment #1: Executive Summary June 4th, 2009 Working Session "Applicability of Emerging Science for Management of Emerging Contaminants in Municipal Water Supplies"What are the Decision-Makers Asking of the Science?In determining the level of concern and the management options with respect to emerging contaminants, those responsible for managing and regulating municipal water resources generally have four main categories of questions they must address. These questions relate to a determination of whether or not there is a problem to be addressed and what the options are to manage the issue (Figure 1). Their questions are particularly relevant in the context of determining how to prioritize actions: 1. Is there reason to expect a problem - potential cause for concern?
2. What should I measure to determine the level of concern for my circumstance?
3. Where does this issue fit within local conditions relative to other risks and priorities?
4. What are the options to manage the problem?
Figure 1. Key Questions Needing Science Support for Emerging Contaminants What is the Status of the Science to Address Key Questions?The prevalence of concerns about the risk of emerging contaminants (dominantly trace organics) driving the science over the past few years has been largely in response to public concerns and perceptions of human health risk. These concerns result, in large part, from the apparent "ubiquitous appearance" of many compounds due to the evolution of new analytical methods that permit detection of a vast number of compounds at extremely low levels. As such, the primary question that water managers and regulators must address through application of the science is the core issue of whether a problem exists in the first place. In addition, to address potential concerns and to be prepared to act when necessary, they must be in a position to assess their capacity to manage problems, should they be identified. A major barrier in application of science in the area of emerging contaminants remains the successful integration and dissemination of the complete knowledge base and in the communication of effective messages of what that knowledge base supports. With respect to the state-of-the-knowledge that currently underpins many of the questions being asked, the workshop participants identified and commented on a variety of research areas, with particular focus on the following four topic areas: 1. Assessing human health risks due to waterborne exposure to emerging contaminants
2. Assessing ecotoxicity and impacts to ecosystem health from emerging contaminants
3. Assessment of mixtures and identification of useful "indicator" compounds
4. Capacity of natural and engineered barriers to reduce or remove emerging contaminants
Recommendations - Potential Areas of Contribution for the CMWMRCSession results were considered in conjunction with previous CMWMRC analyses to identify areas of potential focus most appropriate to the CMWMRC. A need for better synthesis of the available knowledge and dissemination of key science messages arising from that work remains a consistent theme. With respect to options to advance research: Where are effects of emerging contaminants most likely to be in evidence and where could CMWMRC research provide best value?
Are there areas of the science of particular relevance to the Canadian context that are not addressed?
Figure 2. Areas for which CMWMRC may wish to consider advancing research |
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