J-WAFS Grant for Water Research Workshop 

The deadline to apply: was on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. The awarded workshop will be announced over the next few weeks.

With support from the water filtration company Rorra, J-WAFS solicits proposals from MIT researchers to organize a research workshop to explore critical challenges and research opportunities in the water sector. The workshop should aim to deepen understanding of water related challenges by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and bringing in new perspectives, in-line with the J-WAFS mission. 

We are offering this grant for a team to develop specific objectives and an agenda, identify and recruit participants, conduct the workshop at MIT, and produce a brief summary report.

Eligibility:
Open to MIT faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and research staff. Applicants may be individuals or small teams.

Format:

  • Funds shall be used to support a half day to full day workshop held on or near MIT campus. Organizers may propose hybrid or other formats if they better serve the objectives of the workshop.
  • The workshop may include MIT presenters, invited speakers, interactive sessions, poster presentations, and hands on demonstrations or lab tours. Activities should be designed to engage the broader MIT community and advance exploration of water challenges.
  • Inclusion of external stakeholders or researchers who have deep understanding or first-hand knowledge of the water-related challenge is highly encouraged.
  • Although the organizers may limit the number of participants due to space constraints and give preference to participants based on appropriate factors, the workshop should otherwise be accessible to all members of the MIT community.

Funding & Timeline:
One grant of up to $5,000 (direct costs) is available to cover costs such as room rental, catering, external invited speaker/participant costs (travel, lodging, honoraria), small prizes, and workshop materials. Costs such as salaries, lab equipment, research expenses, etc., are not permitted. There is no overhead. The workshop should be planned and delivered by January 30, 2026.

Deadline to apply: 
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m ET

How to Apply:
By 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30, 2025, submit your application via a short web form located here: https://webportalapp.com/webform/jwafs_water_workshop_submission_form

Contact Longzhen Han (lhan@mit.edu) if you have any questions.