EPA’s STAR program gives $4 million in grants for drought research

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced $4 million in funding for research on droughts and extreme events, to be carried out at four institutions, through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program.

The grants will go to Clemson University, which will study forest fire reduction tools; the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Water Research Foundation, which will work to better evaluate adaption strategies for drinking water in drought impacted areas; the Public Policy Institute of California, which will synthesize the drought situation to help develop solutions; and the University of Utah, which will develop and integrate materials for drought planning.

“As a nation we are witnessing the harmful effects of droughts and extreme events, such as wildfires and flooding, that often follow drought conditions," EPA Science Advisor and Office of Research and Development Deputy Assistant Administrator Thomas A. Burke said. "This research will provide innovative strategies to help local communities, states, tribes, and the federal government better understand the impacts of these problems, and better protect our nation's water and the health of our friends and families who rely on those water resources."