Intensifying Anaerobic Digestion: Downstream Impacts and Thermal Treatment Compatibility Program

The Water Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research addressing drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems. Its Research Priority Program supports competitive research projects intended to address broadly relevant issues, challenges, and opportunities affecting water utilities and the water sector. Project 5421, Intensifying Anaerobic Digestion: Downstream Impacts and Thermal Treatment Compatibility, is a Research Priority Program opportunity focused on improving understanding of intensified anaerobic digestion and the consequences that intensification may have for downstream biosolids processing, treatment, resource recovery, and regulatory compliance. The project seeks to identify effective methods for intensifying anaerobic digestion to maximize methane production, volatile solids destruction, and biogas yield while reducing physical footprint and future expansion needs. Research must characterize how intensification affects digester kinetics and stability and the physical and chemical properties of digested biosolids. The work must also evaluate implications for downstream solids processing and sidestream treatment, including dewatering, thermal drying, and resource recovery pathways, and define parameters for acceptable biosolids feed to downstream processes. Additional objectives include assessing regulatory considerations associated with intensified digestion, including potential effects on biosolids classification and compliance requirements, and providing utilities with practical guidance covering operational and design considerations, economics, risk factors, and implementation frameworks. The stated WRF funding level for this opportunity is $350,000. Under WRF's general Research Priority Program rules, the funding amount specified in an individual RFP is the maximum WRF contribution toward completion of the project, and proposals requesting more than the stated amount will not be considered. Research Priority Program RFPs require a contribution of at least 33 percent of the project award through cost share or third-party contribution. At the full $350,000 WRF award level, 33 percent corresponds to at least $115,500 in required contribution, although the actual requirement remains tied to the project award. Third-party contributions included in the proposal must be supported by letters of commitment stating the type and exact estimated dollar value of the contribution. WRF also applies a 15 percent ceiling on authorized indirect cost rates used for reimbursement from WRF funds. Indirect costs above that ceiling may be applied toward cost share where permitted. WRF does not pay for purchases of major research equipment. Applications must be submitted through WRF's My Portal online system. An organizational account is required, and applicants are encouraged to establish that account as early as possible because proposals submitted outside the online system are ineligible. Files must be submitted as PDFs and should not be locked or password protected. The required proposal package includes a one-page Project Abstract, Project Description of no more than 22 pages, one-page Application Potential section, Quality Assurance/Quality Control section of up to 20 pages, two-page Management Plan, one-page Communication Plan, references and licenses or inventions information when applicable, Budget Narrative, project schedule, resumes or curriculum vitae for key personnel, Current and Pending Forms, applicable third-party commitment and co-funding documents, Proposal Budget Form, financial and audit documentation, indirect cost documentation when recovery is requested, Financial Grant Management Capabilities Form, Certification and Assurance Forms, and the applicable W-9 or W-8BEN documentation. Proposal files must comply with WRF's formatting and page-limit requirements. WRF evaluates proposals based on technical merit, cost analysis, and the applicant organization's financial and grant management capabilities. The Research Priority Program evaluation criteria assign up to 20 points for understanding the problem and responsiveness to the RFP, 30 points for technical and scientific merit, 20 points for qualifications, capabilities, and management, 15 points for the communication plan, deliverables, and applicability, and 15 points for budget and schedule. Review therefore emphasizes a technically sound and innovative approach, adequate QA/QC, a capable and appropriately committed project team, strong utility and stakeholder applicability, effective communication of findings, a realistic schedule, and good value for the requested funding. WRF staff also evaluate whether proposed costs are reasonable, allocable, allowable, complete, appropriate to the project scope, and consistent with the proposed period of performance. The application deadline is September 14, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time, corresponding to the source-listed GMT-07:00 time designation. The opportunity page currently provides an Apply action, so the solicitation is accepting applications as of the August 10, 2026 analysis date. No separate LOI, concept paper, pre-proposal, or notice-of-intent gate is identified in the provided materials. The WRF RFP contact is Maitreyi Nagarkar at mnagarkar@waterrf.org. WRF typically selects a single proposal for an individual RFP unless otherwise specified. Following selection, the successful researcher enters Project Funding Agreement negotiations with WRF, generally within a 45-business-day negotiation period. The specific project start date and period of performance are not stated in the provided RFP information and will depend on the selected proposal and executed agreement.

Directly address all four Project 5421 objectives; demonstrate how intensification will improve methane production volatile solids destruction and biogas yield while managing stability and footprint; characterize downstream impacts including dewatering thermal drying and resource recovery and define acceptable biosolids feed parameters; address regulatory and biosolids classification implications; provide utility-ready operational design economic risk and implementation guidance; provide a technically sound experimental plan and strong QA/QC; demonstrate practical utility participation and applicability; document at least 33% cost share or third-party contribution; keep reimbursed indirect costs within the 15% ceiling; ensure the Budget Narrative matches the detailed budget; follow all page limits and submit unlocked PDFs through My Portal before the deadline