The Water Institute of the Gulf

Driving the Application of Scientific and Technological Solutions

Challenge
State officials and key stakeholders identified the need to develop excellent science to give local, state and federal policymakers, as well as residents, the information and options they need, not only to solve a scientific problem, but to solve social challenges as well.

Approach
SSA created the conceptual model and business plan for The Water Institute, along with leading practices research on governance, funding, staffing, and programmatic elements for 29 institutes with relevant missions. SSA also conducted stakeholder outreach and spearheaded planning efforts with vice-chancellors of Louisiana universities and research directors for other organizations around the world to help ensure early efforts of The Water Institute would collaboratively enhance ongoing activities of leading practice coastal and deltaic research institutions.

Impact
The Water Institute will create science and technology in Louisiana to inform the federal and state’s coastal restoration and hurricane protection efforts, building capacity and specialism at a level that does not exist today in the United States or around the world. The economic impact of The Water Institute will be realized not only through the building of capacity in academic institutions and private industry, but through the application of such knowledge in cutting-edge technologies that can be adapted for use by state and federal agencies or commercialized to advanced private enterprise.

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