Program Overview

The Waste Management and Research Center, within the Department of Natural Resources, is the State of Illinois’ focal agency for promoting increased efficiency in industry. The Center’s Pollution Prevention Program combines direct technical assistance with research activities focused on technology development and implementation to reduce waste and consequently improve the bottom line of our industrial clients. Our nearly daily exposure to the in-plant process and waste management issues facing Illinois industries enables us to identify numerous problems that could benefit from research. Some of these problems are addressed directly by our staff, usually working in close association with industrial personnel. Other problems require outside expertise to supplement our own capabilities.

The industrial-based research identified by our Pollution Prevention Program staff is a central focus for the funding efforts of the Center. Funding is also used to address other important waste management, resource conservation, alternative energy, sustainability, and environmental issues. For the past 20 years, WMRC has provided research funds to universities, industrial groups, not-for-profit organizations and the consulting community to explore waste management and pollution prevention issues of consequence to the State.

These projects have demonstrated the need and fostered the development of new technologies for pollution prevention, and industrial energy and water conservation. They have added to our level of knowledge on how technologies and various industrial processes function, and have identified new applications for existing technologies. Other projects have defined waste contamination problems in the state, identified health risks to humans and ecosystems from such problems, and developed information, both chemical and biological, that facilitated decision-making on both environment restoration and economic development issues. WMRC is the primary source in Illinois for funding this critical research.

Each new funding cycle begins with a focused solicitation identifying issues of special interest to WMRC, the Department and the State. All proposals submitted to WMRC receive an initial internal review to select quality proposals focusing on our issues of concern. This subgroup of proposals is then reviewed externally by experts in the field of the proposed work. Those proposals that receive favorable reviews are funded as available resources allow.

WMRC usually funds about $ one-half million in hazardous waste related research annually addressing problems that face the state. That is spread among about 10 to 15 research projects, some of them new and some continuing. We usually have about $200,000 available for new projects, depending upon the budget provided to us by the State. Project length typically runs from several months to 3 years. Annual funding for most projects is about $40,000 to 50,000. Over the past 5 to 7 years, approximately 30% of the proposals submitted to WMRC have received funding. Co-funding opportunities are encouraged. We also fund several smaller seed projects for $5,000-$15,000 each. Seed funding is intended to provide researchers an opportunity to generate results sufficient to strengthen proposals to other funding sources. Solicitation for new proposals begins in January of each year.