Composition

The Research Committee shall be composed of at least six members chosen as follows:

  • The committee chairperson shall be appointed by the President for a two-year term.  The committee chair will select committee members
  • A representative from each of the three regent universities.
  • A representative from an environmental engineering firm.
  • A representative from a wastewater treatment facility.
Executive Committee liaison shall be a Federation Delegate

The Chair of the Research Committee is Mike Roth.

Duties

  • Establish and maintain communication with the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF).  Pursue an active role in nominating areas or topics of research included in WERF annual requests for proposals.
  • Conduct an annual research needs survey through the IAWEA membership, Iowa DNR, regent universities and municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
  • Based on the research needs survey, seek to facilitate and support the formation of research consortiums to help finance and conduct research pertinent to the needs of Iowa based wastewater facilities.
  • Identify treatment facilities that are conducting plant scale research projects, either internally or externally funded, and encourage their staff to report on the results through technical presentations at the IAWEA annual conference, the IAWEA Reporter (newsletter), regional workshops and other professional meetings.
  • Establish a poster session during the IAWEA annual conference to facilitate the dissemination of project results, particularly from smaller scale projects.
  • Actively search for projects conducted by Iowa engineers, treatment facility staff and other IAWEA members that meet the criteria for the following WEF awards:
    • Morgan Operational Solutions Award which recognizes plant scale research and problem solving.
    • Camp Applied Research Award which recognizes outstanding engineering design and research.
  • Consider the financial support, either solely or cooperatively, of special research projects that address a timely and crucial need for Iowa treatment facilities.