The Bureau of Reclamation"s Desalination and Water Purification Research (DWPR) Program aims to increase water supplies by reducing the costs, energy requirements, and other barriers to adoption of treating impaired water for beneficial uses. This NOFO invites proposals from eligible applicants to conduct innovative laboratory and pilot-scale water treatment research. Strong applications will demonstrate widespread applicability and benefits of the proposed research and provide a pathway for technology commercialization. This initiative supports the Bureau of Reclamation's mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public by providing water managers with new and innovative technologies and approaches to develop additional water resources and increase water supply flexibility. The DWPR Program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O. 14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332).
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Projects
Bureau of Reclamation · Opportunity number R26AS00052
Details summarized from the official notice as of Sep 30, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.
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Key facts
| Opportunity number | R26AS00052 |
|---|---|
| Agency | Bureau of Reclamation Department of the Interior |
| Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA) | 15.506 |
| Posted | Jul 29, 2026 |
| Deadline | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | $800,000 |
| Award floor | $100,000 |
| Expected number of awards | 15 |
| Estimated total program funding | $5,700,000 |
| Cost sharing or matching required | No |
| Funding type | Cooperative agreement, Grant |
| Category | Natural resources |
| Last updated here | Sep 30, 2026 |
Summary from the notice
Who can apply
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
- Special district governments
- Public and Indian housing authorities
- Individuals
- Small businesses
- Other Native American tribal organizations
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
- Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)
- Private colleges and universities
- City or township governments
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Public and state colleges and universities
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- County governments
- State governments
- Independent school districts
Who should take a closer look
- Small businesses
- Nonprofits
- Colleges and universities
- State governments
- Local governments
- Tribal governments and organizations
- Larger for-profit companies
- Individuals
Eligibility details from the notice
Foreign entities are not eligible for funding. Federal agencies are not eligible to apply. The program office will review all proposed projects to determine whether the application is an eligible activity under the NOFO and can proceed to merit review evaluation. Applicants can apply for two categories of projects under this NOFO:Laboratory-Scale Projects. Laboratory-scale projects are typically bench-scale studies involving small flow rates. These projects are used to determine the viability of a novel process, new materials, or process modifications. Laboratory-scale projects can also include modeling studies, decision support tools, literature and technology reviews, etc. that address objectives identified in the Program Goals section. Research at this stage can involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty. These projects should be completed within 24 months of award. Pilot-Scale Projects. Pilot-scale projects test a novel technology or process at a sufficiently large scale to determine the practicality of implementing the technology. These projects should involve flow rates above 1 gallon per minute and use natural water sources rather than synthetic or laboratory-made feed water. Pilot-scale studies are used to generate data over a sufficient time period that can be used to estimate the operational requirements (e.g., labor, chemical addition, power requirements) of the process and show performance with respect to finished water quality goals. Pilot-scale project...
Registrations you will likely need
Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.
- SAM.gov registration for your organization, which also gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free.
- A Login.gov account, which Grants.gov uses for sign-in.
- A Grants.gov applicant registration linked to your organization's UEI.
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