Grants & Funding Opportunities

New York State Water Resources Institute coordinates several grants programs to support research and education on critical water resource issues facing New York.

New York State Water Resources Institute Grant Competition

Each fall, the New York State Water Resources Institute (WRI) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invite researchers from across the state to submit interest letters/pre-proposals for applied research, outreach, and policy analysis to WRI in support of WRI’s statewide water resource research and outreach agenda, and the state’s watershed action agenda goals. The primary objective of this funding opportunity is to provide research and assessment support to watershed-based management, policy, outreach, and education.

2026 Request for Interest Letters 

The New York State Water Resources Institute (WRI) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invite you to submit Interest Letters for applied research, outreach, and policy analysis to WRI in support of WRI's statewide water resource Research and Outreach Agenda, and the state's watershed Action Agenda goals.

Respondents should be aware that WRI has limited ability to support partner projects in 2027, and that submission of an Interest Letter does not automatically lead to invitations of proposals of any kind.

Interest Letters are due November 16, 2026, close of business. Please also pay close attention to the added appendices.

For Cornell-based researchers, please reach out to nyswri [at] cornell.edu (nyswri[at]cornell[dot]edu) for specific instructions.

If you would like to receive the RFP information when it's released, please use the email sign-up form here.