Research projects underway or complete include:

• A $3.5 million contract with the California Energy Commission to manage research into the air pollution effects of power plants.



• A $258,000 grant from the California Department of Transportation to study regional planning processes in San Diego, Riverside and Merced counties as well as the Sacramento region. More details.



• An $88,000 grant from the Haynes Foundation to study the housing shortage in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, to quantify the costs of residential development in the region and to examine policies to control suburban sprawl. More details.



• A $50,000 grant from the United States Forest Service to convene stakeholders to identify new practices and ideas for reducing the incidence of wildfires and the damage they cause.  Press Release. Program Details.



• Moreno Valley Study - Moreno Valley is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse suburban cities in the United States.  How was that mix created and is it sustainable?



• Mexico City Research Grant: A $24,800 collaborative grant from the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS) and El Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT). The grant will be used for a project entitled “Enlargement of Vehicular Emissions Data and Adaptation of Emission Models for Mexico City.” The grant runs from July, 2005 through December, 2006.
   

Future possibilities include:

• Better control of electronic waste – following the life cycle of electronic products – from design through recycling – to allow more efficient use of materials and to identify products which can be made from such difficult to recycle materials such as the leaded glass used in computer monitors and television sets.
• Better planning for new K-12 schools: Helping State level agencies integrate into the process of local planning. This project would be coordinated by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.