Request for Applications to address Solid Waste Management

The sustainability movement has reached the business models of nearly every industry in the United States, and many companies, municipalities and states have set aggressive sustainability goals that include how waste streams are being managed.

EREF is an IRS 501(c)3 non-profit organization and is one of the largest sources of funding for solid waste research in North America. EREF is not affiliated with any other entity or group and governed by a duly elected Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is the decision-making body that has responsibility for establishing policies that define program interests and fundamental objectives to be served by the Foundation.

Strategic Research Priorities

• EREF’s Board of Directors has identified 3 key Priorities that focus on the impacts of solid waste management, circular and sustainable materials management, and mitigating environmental risk and/or harm:
  • Climate Change Impacts/Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions, including direct measurement, modeling, data & methodology
      • Efficacy of direct emissions measurement technologies and variables that impact their ability to quantify whole site landfill emissions
      • Comparing the accuracy of landfill models and GHG reporting methodologies relative to direct measurement technologies
      • Understanding the contribution of GHG emissions from landfills due to hotspot sources versus typical gas field maintenance/upgrade activities.
    • Impacts & reduction strategies from waste management collection & disposal options, including waste-to-energy, landfill gas to energy, etc.
  • Emerging Contaminants
    • Potential impacts of emerging contaminants on waste management operations including leachate disposal/treatment, composting facility operations, anaerobic digestion facilities and digestate management
      • Relative contributions of PFAS to and from receiving solid waste management facilities (e.g. landfills, MRFs, compost facilities)
      • Economic impacts of PFAS management at solid waste facilities
      • Potential impacts of PFAS on compost or anaerobic digestion facility operations and facility outputs (e.g., produced compost, AD effluent)
    • Fate and transport/environmental and health impacts from emerging contaminants, including those managed by waste facilities
      • Assess the potential fate and transport/environmental health impacts of PFAS from waste collection through final disposal
      • What are the exposure pathways of PFAS from landfills and how do these compare with other exposure sources?
      • Evaluate if PFAS sequestered within the waste management system (e.g., landfills composting) and, if so, where it is commonly being sequestered.
    • Best practices/effective management strategies during waste collection and disposal
  • Advancing Materials Circularity & Recycling
    • Evaluation/efficacy of policies that impact waste management or circularity
      • Measuring and evaluating the effect of extended producer responsibility frameworks
      • Quantifying the effectiveness of bottle bills
      • Evaluation of source separated organics management policies and the efficacy of those policies to improve materials circularity
    • Assessment of trade-offs between environmental burdens associated with circular priorities (e.g., via LCA)
      • Evaluate the potential trade-offs associated with environmental impacts, policy and practice related to different end of life pathways.
      • Evaluation of the environmental impacts and associated trade-offs from different vehicle fuel types and collection vehicle operational practices and their associated impact on emissions.
    • Understanding barriers/benefits experienced across the value chain (e.g., end market, recycled content needs)

Eligibility Criteria

• Non-U.S. Institutions: There are no restrictions in regards to geographic location. Any U.S. or non-U.S. institutions are eligible to apply.
• Non-Academic Institutions: Proposals will be accepted from non-academic institutions provided the principal investigators are qualified to conduct the research.
• Who Can Serve as a Principal Investigator
  • Principal investigators (PI) must be qualified to do the work proposed and should be experts in the subject matter referenced in the pre-proposal/proposal.  Typically this would include full-time faculty at academic institutions, post-doctoral employees, and principals or senior personnel at non-academic institutions.  Graduate students are not eligible to be principal investigators.
• Multiple Pre-Proposal Submissions
  • Pre-Proposal submissions are limited to two (2) submissions per principal investigator during a particular submission period.  Beyond this, the PI cannot be listed as a PI or co-PI on other submissions that round, but may be listed as a supporting investigator on other submissions.
• Repeat Submittals
  • Pre-proposals that did not receive an invitation to submit a full proposal may re-submit a revised version of the original pre-proposal once, and thereafter, approval must be obtained by EREF beforehand.  In the event a research topic is very closely related to a prior submittal by the same entity, EREF staff will make any determinations regarding whether or not a submitted proposal constitutes a re-submittal.
• Including Educational Objectives/Efforts in Research Proposals
  • Pre-proposals do not need to contain specific or direct educational objectives.  There is no special consideration given to proposals when such objectives are included.  If the proposed research includes substantial efforts related to education, these may be deemed an educational project.
• Educational Projects
  • Grants are typically not provided to support the development of educational projects.  However, collaborations or partnerships with entities seeking to develop educational materials for sustainable solid waste management, including conferences or events, which advance the Foundation’s educational mission may be considered.  It is preferred that this be done with EREF being a primary stakeholder/partner in the event and that utilizes a revenue model that covers expenses for the project.  To be considered, proposed concepts should be discussed with EREF and should include: (i) a description of how the concept is unique or provides a value-add to the solid waste field, (ii) how EREF might be included as a partner/stakeholder, and (iii) how it relates to EREFs mission.
• Additional Limitations
  • It is EREF’s policy that all results from funded projects are made publicly available and are without bias.  Thus, EREF will typically avoid funding proposals prepared with the following aims:
    • To directly commercialize and/or patent a particular technology or process
    • To provide venture capital or operating funds for start-up companies
    • To provide funds that primarily aid in the formation or initialization of community programs (e.g. recycling programs, re-use projects, etc)
    • To directly support lobbying activities
    • To fund conferences or events, except as noted under “Educational Projects”
    • To conduct research or evaluations with an extremely narrow scope.  Examples include projects that impact a small portion of the solid waste stream, benefit a single entity or community, or that cover a very small geographical area (e.g. a single county or town).

For more information, visit Environmental Research & Education Foundation.