This project is to support a conference to develop and refine strategies for strengthening the role of states in providing leadership in support of research. The conference will be preceded by two preparatory stages. The first will be obtaining and cataloging background information on what has been done in various states to develop new initiatives for state support of water resources research. In the second stage, detailed information will be compiled on three to five approaches representative of candidate strategies for impovement. The conference will then be used to analyze the approaches and refine candidate strategies to facilitate greater state involvement in essential research.
