The Water Institute At UNC

What The Water Institute At UNC does

The Water Institute at UNC is a practice-based research institute within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health, focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) science, policy, and implementation. Founded in 2009 when Jamie Bartram was recruited from the World Health Organization, the Institute applies environmental microbiology, GIS, pathogen flow analysis, water quality testing, risk assessment, and impact evaluation to address global public health challenges in WASH access. Its core products and programs include the annual UNC Water and Health Conference (running for nearly 20 years with 6,000+ registrants from 150+ countries), the Knowledge Hub (a centralized repository of publications, reports, briefs, webinars, and videos), the quarterly WaSH Policy Research Digest (with podcast versions), student internships and fellowships (including the Innovation Accelerator Awards and Career KickStarter mentorship), and secretariat responsibilities for the WHO/UNICEF International HWTS Network of 150+ participating organizations.

The Institute operates on a non-commercial, mission-driven funding model rather than a traditional revenue model. Income derives from four streams: conference registration fees (ranging from $125 student one-day to $850 full-week, plus a $450 sponsor tier), donor support (noted as 'critical' because grants rarely fund opportunistic policy engagement), research grants from various sources, and dedicated funding for student programs. Its customer base spans policymakers, WASH practitioners, and academic researchers globally, with a secondary audience of UNC students and emerging professionals; named institutional partners include the Hilton Foundation, Osprey Foundation, RTI International, Water Environment Federation, LIXIL, QIAGEN, IAPMO, CDC, and WHO/UNICEF.

Name

The Water Institute At UNC

Legal name

The Water Institute at UNC

Website

https://waterinstitute.unc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Water Institute at UNC is a research institute within UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health that produces WASH science, policy, and capacity-building programs for global policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Water sanitation hygiene research
• Global public health
• WASH policy research
• Environmental microbiology
• Water quality testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue generated from the annual Water and Health Conference through registration fees. Regular full week registration is $850, with discounted rates for students ($425 full week) and sponsors ($450). Two-day and one-day options also available.
2. Donor Support: Critical funding stream for the Water Institute as a practice-based organization within an academic institution. Donors support the dual mission of scientific excellence and student engagement. Supports flexibility to engage opportunistically to inform policy and practice.
3. Research Grants: Grant funding from various sources to support scientific research activities. However, grants often support the science but rarely provide flexibility to engage opportunistically or invest in student experience.
4. Student Internships and Fellowships Support: Funding specifically directed to student internships and fellowships, providing students exposure to real-world work environments and broader professional networks within and outside the sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Water Institute at UNC is a practice-based research institute that conducts scientific research on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and translates findings into policy and practice improvements. It hosts the annual UNC Water and Health Conference, publishes a quarterly WaSH Policy Research Digest, maintains an online Knowledge Hub of publications and resources, coordinates the international HWTS Network on behalf of WHO and UNICEF, and trains the next generation of WASH leaders through student internships, fellowships, and mentorship programs within UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Product overview

The Water Institute at UNC is a research institute within UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for global public health. The organization offers a portfolio of knowledge products and programs including the annual UNC Water and Health Conference (their flagship event running for nearly 20 years), the Knowledge Hub (centralized repository of publications and resources), the WaSH Policy Research Digest (quarterly publication for policy decision makers), academic guidance resources, student programs, and coordination of the International HWTS Network. These offerings work together to translate research into practical action and inform policy improvements in water and sanitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Water and Health Conference: Annual flagship conference bringing together WASH professionals, researchers, and policymakers worldwide. Has been running for nearly 20 years with 6,000+ registrants from 150+ countries.

Products and services

• UNC Water and Health Conference Annual flagship conference bringing together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to review evidence, interrogate science, and develop new approaches to expanding WASH access. The conference has run for nearly 20 years, attracting 6,000+ registrants from 150+ countries, 258 universities, and 789 organizations.
• Knowledge Hub Centralized online repository of publications, reports, policy digests, briefs, manuals, webinars, videos, and shareable knowledge products produced by the Water Institute, covering water, sanitation, and hygiene topics.
• WaSH Policy Research Digest Quarterly publication summarizing and explaining recently published policy-relevant research, highlighting implications for WASH policy for in-country decision makers. Includes podcast versions featuring interviews with researchers and sector leaders.
• Student Programs
• HWTS Network Secretariat Communications

Quantifiable outcome

• Conference has run for nearly 20 years with 6,000+ registrants, 150+ countries, 258 universities, and 789 organizations represented
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Water Environment FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor with strategic alignment on water and environmental issues. Co-sponsor of the annual conference.
• RTI InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor and potential research collaborator on water and health initiatives.
• LIXILminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor representing the private sector in water and sanitation products.
• QIAGENminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor in the biotechnology/life sciences sector.
• IAPMOminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor - International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO co-hosts the HWTS Network (International Network on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage) with UNICEF. The Water Institute handles official communications for the network secretariat. The Institute's Director (Jamie Bartram) was previously head of Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Health at WHO.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF co-hosts the HWTS Network with WHO. Water Institute handles official communications for the network. Collaborative relationship on household water treatment and safe storage initiatives.
• UNC Gillings School of Global Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Water Institute is an affiliated institute of UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the #1 ranked public school of public health. This provides academic mission alignment and institutional support.
• UNC Gillings School of Environmental Sciences and EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor and academic department within UNC, contributing to water and environmental research collaboration.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on outbreak response research and waterborne disease surveillance. CDC researchers present at and contribute to the Water and Health Conference.
• International Water Association (IWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2017, the IWA Specialist Group on Health-Related Water Microbiology ran concurrently with the UNC Water Microbiology Conference, creating a forum for researchers and practitioners.
• Government of EthiopiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on workshop regarding household water treatment and safe storage action plan, co-convened with WHO, UNICEF, and PSI.
• Population Services International (PSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convened workshop on household water treatment with Water Institute, WHO, and Government of Ethiopia.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI): Independent water research and policy institute that organizes World Water Week, a direct analogue to the UNC Water and Health Conference. SIWI operates with a comparable model: convening, policy research, knowledge products, and partnerships with multilaterals.
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI): CGIAR-affiliated global water research institute conducting applied research on water management for food security, climate, and health. Directly comparable on mission, donor base, and policy translation, though IWMI has significantly larger country office footprint.
• International Water Association (IWA): Global network of water professionals spanning research, utilities, and practitioners. IWA's specialist groups (including the Health-Related Water Microbiology group that has run alongside the UNC conference) overlap on convening and publishing water science.
• IRC Wash: International WASH-focused organization combining implementation, research, and policy advocacy. Overlaps directly with the Water Institute's evidence-to-practice mission and similar funder base (foundations, multilaterals).
• World Water Council: Paris-based international policy organization that organizes the World Water Forum and convenes stakeholders on global water policy. Comparable as a convening and policy-influencing body for the water sector.
• Pacific Institute: Independent non-profit water research center producing policy-relevant analysis on freshwater, climate, and human rights to water. Comparable as a small, focused water research and policy organization.

Broad incumbents

• WaterAid: Large international NGO focused exclusively on WASH with country programs in dozens of countries, advocacy, and research. A larger, established player in the same WASH mission space with overlapping donors.
• UN-Water: UN inter-agency coordination mechanism for freshwater and sanitation, including SDG 6 monitoring. The Water Institute's HWTS Network secretariat role and policy digest positioning parallel UN-Water's convening function from inside the multilateral system.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Large global research organization with a substantive water program (Aqueduct, WRI Ross Center) producing influential datasets and policy analysis. Overlaps with the Water Institute on water security and policy translation but at much greater scale.

Regional players

• Water Research Commission (South Africa): South African statutory body funding and coordinating water research. Comparable on the WASH research-funding model but operates regionally in Africa rather than globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UNC_Water_Inst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-water-institute-at-unc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Water Institute At UNC