Paul L. Busch Award is a grant from the Water Research Foundation (WRF) that funds an individual researcher making innovative contributions that bridge water quality research and practical application.

The award carries a $100,000 grant enabling recipients to continue their work, take risks, and explore new directions in water quality and the water environment, with special focus on those showing promise in translating research to practice. Made possible by the Endowment for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research, the award has provided $2. 5 million in funding to date.

Eligible applicants are individual researchers working with a U.S.-based firm, university, or organization. Nominations were due June 1, 2026.

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The Paul L. Busch Award recognizes an individual for innovative research in the field of water quality and the water environment, with a special focus on those who show promise and make significant contributions in bridging research and its practical application. The Award carries with it a $100,000 grant, allowing recipients to continue their work, take risks, and explore new directions.

This Award is made possible by the Endowment for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research and has provided $2. 5 million in funding to up-and-coming researchers making major breakthroughs in the water quality industry. Nominations are now open and must be submitted online by Monday, June 1, 2026, 3 p.

m. Mountain Time. Nomination Instructions and Guidelines Nominations now open and must be received by The Water Research Foundation (WRF) no later than June 1.

Nomination materials will become the property of WRF and will not be returned. WRF will accept nomination materials that are currently protected by patent or that are under consideration for patent protection. All nomination materials, whether patented or not, will be treated as confidential by WRF and the Paul L.

Busch Award Steering Committee. WRF and the Paul L. Busch Award Steering Committee are not responsible or liable for the protection of materials submitted.

All nominations must be submitted in English, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with margins of at least . 75 inch on 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper. Nomination materials should be combined and submitted as one PDF file.

Nomination materials are limited to 10 pages (see details on page limits below). Letters of endorsement are not counted in the page limit. No budget information is requested or desired.

No supplemental information will be considered. Nominations/Applications packet must contain the following elements: Title Page (one page) with the following information: (1) Project Title, (2) Name and Title of Nominee, (3) Professional or Home Address, and (4) Contact Information (telephone, email).

Executive Summary (up to two pages) written in a manner ensuring a lay person can understand the underlying research, the new thinking or innovation being proposed, the potential for practical application, and the manner in which the award would make a difference to the research and how it might be leveraged. The proposal (up to five pages). Biographical information on proposer/nominee (up to two pages).

Citing of publications should be limited to those of immediate relevance to the proposed project, with the remainder quantified. Two letters of endorsement (not included in page limit): (1) one addressing the qualifications of the proposer/nominee, and (2) one addressing the merits of the proposed research and its potential benefits to the water quality profession and the water environment. Award Selection Committee & Process A Paul L.

Busch Award Selection Committee, appointed by the Paul L. Busch Award Steering Committee, will be comprised of esteemed scientists and engineers representing a broad cross section of the water quality profession. The Paul L.

Busch Award Selection Committee will review all nominations and select the award recipient. The Paul L. Busch Award Selection Committee will judge nominations on the basis of innovation, creativity, feasibility, and the potential benefits to the water environment.

The Paul L. Busch Award will be given to further a scientist’s or engineer’s body of applied research that demonstrates the following: Practical potential for improving the water environment.

Specific criteria used to evaluate the submitted proposals and to select the award recipient are as follows: Innovation: The proposed research is highly innovative and addresses either an original concept or identifies technology that can be adapted and transferred from another field. Scientific/Engineering Merit: Goals are well-defined, and the proposed research appears to be technically sound and scientifically defensible.

Benefits: The proposed research is likely to result in an innovation and a practical application that will ultimately improve water quality or dramatically enhance the methods and processes employed by water quality professionals to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Feasibility: The researcher has demonstrated capability and is likely to meet the stated goals for the proposed research.

New Thinking: The proposed research and the researcher convey new thinking on problem solving. Because the proposed research or research direction represents new concepts, it may be unlikely that traditional funding sources would be available. Individuals are eligible to receive the Paul L.

Busch Award. Applicants may self-nominate or have their work submitted by a nominator. The means of nomination will not be a factor in the selection process.

There are no restrictions based on race, gender, citizenship, or nationality. The awardee shall perform work in conjunction with a U.S.-based firm, university, or organization. WRF employees, Board members, Research Advisory Council members, Tailored Collaboration Review Committee members, Paul L.

Busch Award Selection and Steering Committee members, and members of their immediate families are not eligible to apply or be nominated. WRF will contact all proposers/nominees verifying receipt of nominations. No other correspondence will be sent.

WRF will notify the Paul L. Busch Award recipient by phone or by e-mail. Recipient is required to attend the annual WRF luncheon at WEFTEC in September to receive the award.

WRF staff will make travel arrangements and reimburse the winner for reasonable travel and accommodation expenses. WRF reserves the right to publicize the award recipient's name, photograph, and research content by disseminating information through newsletters, publications, websites, and other communications channels.

The award recipient will be asked to give a presentation on their body of research and its practical application for improving water quality. Award funds must be spent to continue the body of research for which they were awarded and/or its practical application. Funds are intended to further the body of research for which they were awarded and are not intended for overhead costs or other costs not directly related to the research.

The monetary value of the Paul L. Busch Award may be subject to taxation under rules and regulations of the United States Code of the Internal Revenue Service. The award recipient is responsible for any/all taxes related to the award.

Nominations can be submitted starting in mid-March and must be received no later than June 1. Nominations received after June 1 will not be considered. An unsuccessful applicant may ONLY resubmit their nomination one additional time.

Nomination materials will become the property of WRF and will not be returned. WRF will accept nomination materials that are currently protected by patent or that are under consideration for patent protection. All nomination materials, whether patented or not, will be treated as confidential by WRF and the Paul L.

Busch Award Steering Committee. WRF and the Paul L. Busch Award Steering Committee are not responsible or liable for the protection of materials submitted.

The Paul L. Busch Award is not a recognition of lifetime achievement. Key criteria for this award include innovation and making the bridge between research and its practical application.

The body of research for which a nomination is submitted should not substantially duplicate existing or ongoing research. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure WRF receives a complete packet which includes the two letters of endorsements prior to the application deadline. Learn more about Paul L.

Busch and why this award was named in his honor. Dr. Lauren Stadler (Rice University) The Water Research Foundation presented Dr. Lauren Stadler with the 2025 Paul L. Busch Award.

With this funding, Dr. Stadler plans to advance wastewater monitoring through the investigation of real-time biosensors that utilize synthetic biology. 2024 - Dr. Jeffrey McCutcheon (University of Connecticut) The Water Research Foundation presented Dr. Jeffrey McCutcheon with the 2024 Paul L. Busch Award.

With this funding, Dr. McCutcheon plans to create customizable water treatment membranes using additive manufacturing. 2023 - Dr. William Tarpeh (Stanford University) The Water Research Foundation presented Dr. William Tarpeh with the 2023 Paul L. Busch Award.

With this funding, Dr. Tarpeh will further our understanding of liquid waste streams and continue his innovative work in wastewater resource recovery. > Learn more about Dr. Tarpeh . > Read the report "Selective, Regenerable Adsorbents for Electrochemical Wastewater Nitrogen Recovery."

2022 - Dr. Belinda Sturm (University of Kansas) The Water Research Foundation presented Dr. Belinda Sturm with the 2022 Paul L. Busch Award. With this funding, Dr. Sturm will further our understanding of how the physical, chemical, and biological properties of aerobic granular sludge impact the removal of pathogens and microplastics from wastewater.

2021 - Dr. Z. Jason Ren (Princeton University) The Water Research Foundation announced Dr. Z. Jason Ren as the recipient of the 2021 Paul L.

Busch Award. With this funding, Dr. Ren will advance our understanding of greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater. 2020 - Dr. Shihong Lin (Vanderbilt University) The Water Research Foundation (WRF) announced Dr. Shihong Lin as the recipient of the 2020 Paul L.

Busch Award. With this funding, Dr. Lin will advance water separation technologies to address the growing challenges at the water-energy-food nexus. 2019 - Dr. Ameet Pinto (Northeastern University) The Water Research Foundation (WRF) announced Dr. Ameet Pinto as the 2019 Paul L.

Busch Award winner. With the $100,000 prize, Dr. Pinto will develop a modular platform for low-cost and real-time characterization of microbial communities across the engineered water cycle. > Read the report "Enabling Low-Cost Real-Time Microbial Monitoring in the Water Industry."

2018 - Dr. Krista Rule Wigginton (University of Michigan) WRF announced Krista Rule Wigginton, PhD, as the 2018 Paul L. Busch Award winner. With the $100,000 prize, Dr. Wigginton will develop new methods to protect public health and facilitate the development of virus-based methods for treating water.

> Learn more about how Dr. Wigginton plans to use the prize money. 2017 - Dr. Shaily Mahendra (University of California, Berkeley) SHAILY MAHENDRA proposed to encapsulate enzymes in nanoparticle cages called vaults. Ultimately, if one or more enzymes involved in biodegradation of multiple co-contaminants are packaged inside vaults, such vaults can potentially be a “one stop shop” for removing a suite of water contaminants.

2016 - Dr. Jeremy Guest (University of Illinois) JEREMY GUEST worked on creation of nutrient management systems that are efficient enough and small enough to fit inside existing plants. He planed to achieve this by tapping into microscopic carbon-capturing algae, a solution that could return added benefits in the form of energy production.

He was researching ways to intensify the algal treatment process by introducing selective pressures that will ultimately result in higher performing algae and a more robust and predictable process.

2015 - Dr. Mari Winkler (University of Washington) MARI WINKLER has used the award to conduct research on combining autotrophic anaerobic and aerobic ammonium oxidation in granular sludge to produce more sustainable mainstream wastewater treatment.

Not only has this helped move her research on nutrient removal forward, but it is also a step towards her long-term goal of significantly minimizing energy requirements and sludge production of wastewater treatment.

2014 - Dr. Amy Pruden (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University) AMY PRUDEN, PHD is working directly with water utilities and water professionals to identify best practices for treatment and distribution of water for reuse that best fits the intended purpose, while also addressing public health concerns.

She is using next-generation DNA sequencing-based tools to ensure that multiple barriers are effective for removal of pathogens and antibiotic resistant genes. > Learn more about Dr. Amy Pruden 2013 - Dr. Chul Park (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) CHUL PARK is explored the use of algae-based processes as an alternative to traditional wastewater treatment.

Park and his team created a naturally formed granule made up of both algae and bacteria in one biomass, which showed success in processes that efficiently remove organic matter and solids without aeration. Park and his team used the award to better understand the mechanisms behind the formation of this unique biogranule and to study anaerobic digestion of the harvested photogranules and how it could play into enhanced nitrogen removal.

2012 - Dr. Robert Nerenberg (University of Notre Dame) ROBERT NERENBERG is exploring new, less costly, approach to biological nutrient removal, by employing membrane biofilm reactors (MBfRs). Because MBfRs can transfer dissolved gas directly to a biofilm, they open the door to a new class of electron donors – gases that were rarely used in wastewater treatment because of their low solubility.

2011 - Dr. Volodymyr Tarabara (Michigan State University) VOLODYMYR TARABARA is validating innovative concepts that could lead to widespread use of membranes designed to perform multiple functions at once. Through this research, Tarabara and his team produced the first demonstration of high throughput dechlorination in a membrane reactor.

The team manufactured metallic (palladium) and bimetallic (palladium-gold) catalysts that were supported on exfoliatedgraphite carrier mats and reduced trichloroethylene (TCE) by more than 95%.

2010 - Dr. Kartik Chandran (Columbia University) KARTIK CHANDRAN is pursuing new approaches to biologically convert methane into methanol, allowing treatment facilities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time providing them with a renewable energy source to power their plants, as well as a carbon source to boost their denitrification processes.

Ongoing research suggests that methanol production can be integrated into the sidestream nitrogen removal processes, which could have major implications for wastewater treatment facilities 2009 - Dr. Jaehong Kim (Georgia Tech University) JAEHONG KIM and his research team investigated innovative technology for harnessing UV radiation, using the award to initiate research on materials originally developed for laser optics, called upconversion phosphors.

They developed several generations of upconversion material that can produce germicidal UV light from ambient visible light and inactivate microorganisms in water. The team continues to adjust the material for higher upconversion abilities, which could have benefits for other areas, such as hospital surfaces and other public facilities.

2008 - Dr. Andrew Schuler (University of New Mexico) ANDREW SCHULER'S research into how surface chemistry and geometry affect biofilm performance has provided the basis for an externally-funded course of research that continues in his lab today.

One of his most important findings so far was that increasing attachment surface energy and hydrophilicity produced biofilms with more effective nitrification and estrogen removal rates – identifying new strategies to improve the performance of full-scale biofilm-based wastewater treatment systems. 2007 - Dr. Paige Novak (University of Minnesota) PAIGE NOVAK used the Paul L.

Busch Award to study how industries are affecting estrogenicity in wastewater effluent. Novak discovered new and unexpected sources of estrogenic environmental contaminants and characterized their fate under different conditions.

Her findings highlight the fact that phytoestrogens can be present in effluents from industries not traditionally thought of as potential sources – underscoring the importance of understanding these waste streams.

2006 - Dr. Paul Westerhoff (University of Arizona) PAUL WESTERHOFF and his research team examined the removal of engineered nanomaterials during wastewater treatment, which led to the development of new analytical methods and the consideration of nanomaterial toxicity and removal mechanisms with biomass. After assessing the risks, his team and others now believe that nanotechnology is less of a risk and more of an opportunity.

He currently directs several large-scale efforts to examine the life-cycle risks and beneficial uses of nanotechnology. 2005 - Dr. Daniel Noguera (University of Wisconsin, Madison) DANIEL NOGUERA'S research into the organisms behind the enhanced biological nutrient removal process led him to broader research into photoheterotrophic bacteria.

Through the award, he began investigating the metabolism of photoheterotrophic bacteria, and now there are technologies that employ photoheterotrophic bacteria for several aspects of biofuel production from cellulosic biomass.

2004 - Dr. Bruce Logan (Pennsylvania State University) BRUCE LOGAN used the award to show, for the first time, that wastewater treatment plants can produce useful things rather than just act as economic burdens to a community. His groundbreaking research demonstrated that electricity could be generated from wastewater, using only microorganisms.

This stimulated interest in transforming wastewater treatment plants into what we know in the future will be resource recovery facilities. Logan continues to make strides in this area, engineering microbial fuel cells that soon could be commercialized. 2003 - Dr. David Sedlak (University of California, Berkeley) DAVID SEDLAK'S research looked at the fate of compounds that can pass through reverse osmosis membranes.

Sedlak and his team identified certain compounds that have strong tastes and odors, which can compromise the aesthetics of water, and certain low molecular-weight toxic compounds that are present in municipal wastewater effluent. They assessed a variety of advanced treatment technologies for potable reuse and found that a combination of multiple barriers can successfully remove these compounds.

2002 - Dr. Lutgarde Raskin (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) LUTGARDE RASKIN and her team focused their research on biological foaming in activated sludge, a problem that can equate to large costs for plants.

With resources from the award, they developed molecular tools to detect and monitor the bacterial populations responsible for foaming, which allowed them to identify a link between high levels of Gordonia biomass and seasonal foaming, and establish a strong correlation between temperature and mixed liquor suspended solids levels.

2001 - Dr. Nancy Love (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University) NANCY LOVE'S research into chemical stresses in the water treatment process has advanced the technology used to sense and remove these chemicals. She used the award in her efforts to create a protein-based warning system to quickly detect changes in influent and prevent plant breakdowns.

Her group went on to do work in many areas using molecular biology tools, helping to understand how organisms in activated sludge flocs change in response to chemicals and how to understand biomarkers of a cell’s response. To search for an exact phrase, use quotes around the full phrase.