The GLEIC can support LSTG agencies and their private sector partners by undertaking demonstration and research guidance projects. These projects show practical, best practice solutions to real world problems found in communities here in the Great Lakes Region. By completing these projects, and making them available to you, we hope that we can provide you with actionable guidance to solve similar issues in your communities. Below are some examples of the kinds of projects the GLEIC can undertake. If you have a project that would be a good candidate for a demonstration or research guidance project, and are looking for assistance, we would love to hear from you. Note the GLEIC can only complete demonstration and research guidance projects as time, funding and staff limitations allow.
Demonstration projects
These projects document solutions for specific applied problems relating to environmental systems. A successful project of this type should be widely applicable to LSTG agencies, produce a positive environmental condition, be attainable using normal agency resources, and be financially sustainable. Examples of these types of projects could include quantifying and demonstrating the potential for energy audits to save money, assessing the economics of a specific agency's recycling program, adopting a development model that accounts for environmental impacts due to land-use changes, and developing solid waste reduction programs (such as community compositing) that have financial and environmental impacts.
Applied research projects
These small-scope research projects attempt to solve specific problems and quantify results for local and tribal agencies through data collection and broad analysis. Examples include providing an economic assessment of the value of recycling farm waste, determining economic decisions points for determining when to repair or replace water or sewer systems, and evaluating the impact of transit programs on greenhouse gases.