About Us - Vision & Goals

Vision
Working closely with the Advisory Council, the following vision statements were developed to guide center activities for years to come. The Iowa Water Center:

• identifies critical water resources research and outreach needs in Iowa and assures those needs are being met;
• provides Iowans with an independent, authoritative voice on water resource issues affecting Iowa;
• serves Iowa as a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional organization that promotes the collaboration of all of Iowa’s water resources research and policy organizations;
• draws on the expertise and experience already residing in Iowa’s various universities and agencies;
• serves as a clearinghouse or resource center for water resources research that is relevant to Iowa’s problems; and
• provides for the education and information-transfer needed to assure multidisciplinary collaboration among Iowa’s research professionals and the application of the best science to Iowa’s water problems.

Goals
To reach this vision, the Iowa Water Center goals include the following:

• bring together researchers in Iowa’s universities and colleges, water resource professionals in Iowa’s public agencies, and citizens in Iowa’s communities and facilitate the submission of “mega-grants” to external agencies;
• provide notice of the availability of research and outreach grants from such organizations as EPA, NSF, and USDA;
• provide “seed money” to leverage grant funds from other organizations;
• expanded web site with links to various other sites, programs, and individuals with expertise in specific areas of water resources;
• convene expert panels to provide advice, guidance, and “weight of evidence” determinations on the science of various water resource issues and questions;
• sponsor or conduct conferences and workshops on various water resource issues;
• conduct regular inter-university symposia to inform research professionals, agency managers, interested citizens, an other interested individuals of research projects, their application, and their outcome.