Vision

Our working relationship with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) has been ongoing for the past 30+ years!

The institute is involved in the R & D program that addresses the long-term strategic initiatives of DEP

With NYCDEP as the hub, the institute will establish spokes with a host of other entities both public and private sector:

• Development of test bed for translating innovations of interest to DEP (Similar to the model for Harlem Biospace)

1. Objective: Creation of a testbed focused on translating, and commercializing the research innovations conducted at the Institute
   1. Expand researchers and end-users from including but not limiting Municipalities, Academia, Industry, National Labs, and Non-Profits
   2. Create a pathway for workforce development
2. Identify Potential Funding Partners

Development of a Process Engineering Program focused on industry-aligned training of analysis, modeling, simulation, optimization, design, control, and operation to develop the workforce of the future (Professional Development program design based on the Koch Institute–MIT)

Our Goals and what we bring to the table!

• Established program within the City framework
• Availability of expertise and knowledge to advance DEP goals
• Leverage City wide resources to propel DEP achieve its strategic
• mission
• Develop a test bed for process densification and innovation

The Path Forward

Building on a legacy of collaboration and innovation, UW3RI will serve as a Center of Excellence for urban waste and wastewater management and resource recovery primarily
focused on NYC.

Immediate next steps:

• Attract new Institute Director
• Diversify funding partnerships
• Establish five-year roadmap

We are not operating in isolation. Institutes and Centers within CUNY operate separately but when their research interests overlap with that of the UW3RI a more synergistic and inclusive resolution is achieved. Therefore, potential partners include: 

• NYCDEP
• Benjamin Levich Institute for Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics
• CUNY Energy Institute
• CUNY Institute for Transportation Systems (CITS)
• CUNY Institute for Urban Systems (CIUS)
• CUNY Remote Sensing Earth System Institute (CREST)
• Charles Rangel center for workforce development

Successful external collaborations that would likely continue include, Columbia AI Institute, SUNY, NYU, Rutgers University, as well as individual Departments in Chemistry and Biology within CUNY.

Some other additional potential stakeholders include:

NYS Department of Sanitation NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC)-Town+Gown Non-Profits Process Industries – Waste Management, BASF Fintech National Labs- Argonne National Lab, Brookhaven national Lab Economic development Corporation (NYCEDC)