With finite supply and increasing global demand for fresh water, the management and reuse of stormwater has become one of the most critical environmental concerns in the building design industry. In September of 2008, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the recipients of its 2008 Green Building Research Fund Grants, the first grants of their kind in the green building industry. BNIM's research proposal, which focused on managing stormwater around building sites, was among the handful of research proposals selected from over 250 submissions to share the $2 million grant fund.