Environmental Research & Education Foundation Grants

The Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) is a leading nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing sustainable solid waste management across North America. As one of the largest private sources of solid waste research funding, EREF operates as an independent 501(c)(3) organization governed by an elected Board of Directors. Its mission is to promote excellence in science, engineering, and education related to solid waste, thereby improving environmental performance, sustainability, and efficiency throughout the sector. The Foundation’s research funding priorities align with its long-term strategic vision to address key environmental challenges and opportunities within integrated solid waste management systems. The EREF Strategic Priorities Request for Proposals (RFP) supports innovative research projects that address critical issues within the waste management field. The program’s scope includes the exploration of new technologies, data methodologies, and sustainable management practices that contribute to greenhouse gas reduction, circular economy advancement, and risk mitigation from emerging contaminants. Funded projects must directly relate to sustainable solid waste management and align with one or more of EREF’s three key priorities: Climate Change Impacts and Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Emerging Contaminants; and Advancing Materials Circularity and Recycling. Under the Climate Change Impacts and Greenhouse Gas Emissions priority, EREF seeks proposals that improve understanding of emissions sources, measurement accuracy, and mitigation strategies in waste collection, landfills, and waste-to-energy systems. Research may include emissions modeling, measurement technologies, or comparative analyses of emissions management strategies. The Emerging Contaminants priority invites studies examining pollutants such as PFAS, microplastics, and pharmaceuticals — focusing on their occurrence, fate, and environmental effects within waste management systems. The Circularity and Recycling priority emphasizes research on evaluating policies, assessing life cycle trade-offs, and identifying barriers or enablers to achieving true circularity within material recovery systems. Funding is provided for projects that align with EREF’s definition of solid waste, encompassing municipal, commercial, industrial, and renewable energy wastes but excluding agricultural, mining, and nuclear waste streams. The Foundation explicitly excludes projects that develop new life cycle models, gasification or pyrolysis technologies, or narrowly scoped research benefiting only single entities or small regions. Proposals must demonstrate clear scientific merit, scalability, and relevance to the broader waste management sector. The application process requires submission of a pre-proposal using EREF’s online system, InfoReady. Pre-proposals must follow the provided template and submission criteria and will be used to determine eligibility for full proposal invitation. Hard copy and email submissions are not accepted. Proposals must clearly demonstrate alignment with one or more strategic priorities and conform to EREF’s definition of solid waste. Pre-proposals that fall outside these parameters will not be reviewed. The RFP operates on a recurring basis, with deadlines established for each funding cycle. Applicants can find current deadlines and templates through EREF’s official website. Selected pre-proposals may advance to full proposals following Board review, and funded projects typically proceed according to annual or semiannual research cycles. All research outcomes should contribute to advancing EREF’s mission of sustainable waste management and environmental protection through evidence-based science and applied innovation.

Ensure alignment with one or more strategic priorities; narrow or unrelated topics are not reviewed.