Air Pollution Research

This page last reviewed June 24, 2011


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The Research Planning Process

Background

The process for developing the annual research plan starts with a public solicitation inviting and encouraging the public to contribute ideas for project consideration. Members of the public, the academic community, and ARB staff submit research ideas. To aid in the evaluation of the ideas, the Board's Executive officer established two committees to review research ideas, the Executive Research Review Committee (ERRC) and the Research Screening Committee (RSC). Proposed projects are examined for relevance to regulatory questions facing the Board and modified as necessary. RSC members then review projects and provide technical comments for the ERRC, whose members are the Executive Officer, deputies, and the chief of the Research Division. The ERRC reviews all of the proposed projects and establishes project priorities. The RSC reviews the selected projects and recommends the Plan to the Board.

Timeline

Below is a graph outlining the basic research planning timeline.

Diagram of research process

Implementation and Follow-through

Implementing the plan begins with research concept solicitation.  After the State budget has been approved and passed, ARB will release a concept solicitation for the following fiscal year. To receive the solicitation notice, as well as other information about our research program, join our research list serve. Solicited ideas/concepts are reviewed by the ERRC and submitted to the RSC for further review.  The final selection of concepts are presented to the Board.  Once the Board approves the concepts, ususally in July of the following year after the solicitation notice, the concepts are turned into proposals.  If a contractor to perform the research is necessary, a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be released to the public. An RFP will list a brief objective and the deadline to submit the proposal.  If accepted, the proposal will be initiated into an official contract with the ARB. The contract will designate a scope of work, milestones, a budget, and a project start and end date.  Most projects are required to submit a Final Report that must be reviewed by the RSC and presented to the Board for approval.  Once the Final Report has been approved by the Board, the contract is final and the report is made available to the public. Final Reports are available on ARB's main Research website.

For more information about Air Pollution Research, contact via email Dr. Susan Fischer or (916) 324-0627.


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