Messages from the Director

The Water and Environmental Research Center is a collection of approximately 50 faculty, staff and student researchers focused on exploring the intersections between Arctic people and the natural world. Our research palette ranges from microscopic (e.g., evaluating microbial degradation of environmental contaminants) to the extremely macroscopic (e.g., evaluating the global methane contributions of the Arctic landscape) scales. We study human interactions (e.g., water security issues in Bristol Bay), physical processes (e.g., annual discharge in Arctic rivers), and biota (e.g., stable isotope mapping of salmon habitat). The breadth of our research expertise reflects the diverse nature of our work. We employ engineers, biophysical scientists and social scientists, along with a capable team of research technicians providing decades of experience in the pursuit of Arctic field and laboratory research.

We keep an eye out for new talent. If you have an interest in cold regions research, are looking for new challenges as a graduate student or professional researcher, and don’t mind getting your hands dirty and feet wet in the great outdoors, please give me a call or send an email. We can talk about the opportunities available.

-Bill
William E. Schnabel, Director
907-474-7789
weschnabel@alaska.edu

Hello All,

Due to the last minute craziness associated with finals week/conference preparations/holiday card writing and so forth, the WERC Friday Seminar Series Executive Board has decided to hold off on our regularly scheduled seminar this week, and instead take a few brief minutes to relax and serve up some jalapeno flavored peanut brittle. Please feel free to come by this afternoon at 3:30 and join us for some peanut brittle, red velvet cupcakes, lemon bars, secret to-be-announced flavorful treats, or the usual zesty snacks. We can discuss important issues, recite holiday poetry, or simply contemplate the trans fat content of the food. Erica Betts, our original speaker, has agreed to postpone her presentation until the spring.

Please note, we’ll meet in Duckering 535 this week instead of 531.

Happy Holidays to all.

Bill

The WERC Database User’s meeting previously scheduled for today at 10 a.m. has been canceled. Another time will be selected following the Thanksgiving holiday break.

On Wednesday, November 24th from 10 a.m. to noon in Duckering 535 we’ll meet and discuss the status of our collaborative data collection, storage and access projects.

Dear Colleagues:

This RFP calls for proposals that address water resources priority issues for Alaska. The Water and Environmental Research Center (WERC), part of the University of Alaska’s Institute of Northern Engineering, anticipates research funds of approximately $92,335 being available in 2011 through its Section 104 Institutes Program, U.S. Department of Interior – Geological Survey (USGS). These funds are currently being sought through Congressional appropriations and the final dollar amount available has not been decided. Faculty of Alaska’s colleges and universities are eligible to apply for these research funds. The start date for all projects is March 1, 2011.

The proposed research should address a water-related research need in the State of Alaska. Proposals will be evaluated by outside reviewers and by the WERC Director. Only those proposals submitted by eligible institutions and received by the submission date will be reviewed. Eligible institutions include any University of Alaska campus as well as Alaska Pacific University.

For multi-year projects funded earlier, the PI must submit a two-page summary of activities to date. Continuation of funding is contingent upon submission of this report and adequate project progress.

Proposals are due at the institute office on or before 5:00 pm AST, 19 November, 2010.

Notification of selection will occur on 3 December, 2010 Guidelines for preparing proposals are included in werc_niwr_2011_RFP.docx; those proposals that do not comply with the guidelines will not be reviewed. Please note that 2:1 match is required and submitted proposals must identify match according to template and guidelines included below. Please submit your proposal via email as an MS Word file to weschnabel@alaska.edu and kshansen@alaska.edu. The required documentaion that must be submitted is

After proposal review, those highest ranked will be funded based on budgets and total research funds available. If there are any question concerning procedures or potential research topics, please contact the WERC office. Please encourage your faculty to participate in this program.

WERC will be awarding four travel grants of up to $1,500 each for research or conference travel during the current fiscal year. Interested faculty, staff, or students should send a written request (Word Document) to Bill Schnabel describing the purpose, location, and time of travel. Preference for the awards will be given to individuals presenting talks or posters at conferences, or to those who are performing seed studies for grant preparation. Please submit your request by November 12th.

Announcing an opportunity for any student who is associated with a WERC- related research project to submit articles detailing current research and receive $50 as compensation. (more...)

All;

Just a reminder, the 1st annual UAF Graduate Student Conference will be held here on campus September 1st and 2nd, 2010. We would like to have WERC well-represented, so please consider submitting an abstract. The deadline is May 7th. Please see the attached graduate student conference information sheet for more information.

-Bill

WERC Friends and Colleagues, Spring is here, and the WERC is gearing up for a bustling and productive field season. We have lots going on this season, from surface hydrology projects on the North Slope, to hydropower assessments in the Southeast, to solid waste projects in the Southwest, and all points in (more...)

Welcome to the UAF Water and Environmental Research Center (WERC). The WERC is, first and foremost, a group of Alaska researchers that share an interest in the physical and hydrologic environment around us. We are comprised of students, staff, and faculty spanning a range of disciplines, including civil/environmental engineering, hydrology, limnology, arctic science/engineering, and isotope chemistry just to name a few. (more…)