Research Planning, Inc

Research Planning, Inc Research Planning, Inc. (RPI) is a privately held science-technology consulting firm. Our office is located in the capital city of Columbia, South Carolina.

Established in 1978, we combine natural resource expertise with spatial and information processing capabilities to provide solutions for coastal and environmental management. Some of our long term projects are in Alaska (related to the Exxon Valdez spill), Saudi Arabia (Gulf War oil spill) and Louisiana (MC-252 "Deepwater Horizon" Gulf Spill). We also contract with NOAA to produce Environmental Se

nsitivity Index (ESI) maps not only for the coastal United States, but all over the world. Information
Technology
Training

Please "Like" and share our page!

01/05/2026

RPI is hiring a Geospatial Scientist / Quantitative Ecologist to support NOAA's harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecasting team!

Details can be found at the link below:

Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year from RPI
12/22/2025

Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year from RPI

RPI is proud to be providing scientific support to NOAA Office of Response and Restoration for this incident.
05/05/2025

RPI is proud to be providing scientific support to NOAA Office of Response and Restoration for this incident.

We are aiding in the U.S. Coast Guard’s response to the Well #59 Incident, an oil and natural gas release in a marsh environment in Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/may25/oil-gas-release-louisiana.html

Our team is providing on-scene scientific support, including providing oil spill trajectory analyses and forecasts, identifying potential resources at risk, assisting with overflights of the spill, and integrating aerial and on-water observations into spatial maps for use by responders.

Photo: An overflight displays the affected area of marsh environment near Garden Island Bay, Louisiana on April 27, 2025. A safety zone has been enacted in the area and boom has been placed to contain the released product. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

Happy Earth Day! We're proud to be supporting NOAA's seagrass restoration efforts for this project in the Florida Keys.
04/22/2025

Happy Earth Day!

We're proud to be supporting NOAA's seagrass restoration efforts for this project in the Florida Keys.

Restoration of a damaged seagrass meadow is underway in the Northwest Ship Channel off Key West, where a ferry boat damaged a large section of the seafloor after running aground

Members of the US Coast Guard are using our Vessel, All-Hazards, Debris Response (VADR) mobile application to perform po...
10/23/2024

Members of the US Coast Guard are using our Vessel, All-Hazards, Debris Response (VADR) mobile application to perform pollution target assessments after Hurricane Milton. We are always happy to support the Coast Guard with their pollution response and other various missions! Semper Paratus

Jacqui Michel (center) and Chris Boring from RPI are in Panama conducting Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique (S*...
09/11/2024

Jacqui Michel (center) and Chris Boring from RPI are in Panama conducting Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique (S**T) training for Panama Canal Authority employees. S**T is a systematic method for surveying affected shorelines after an oil spill that is widely used both within the U.S. and abroad. In this photo, participants are learning how to assess and document subsurface oiling on a sand beach.

RPI is participating in a remote sensing workshop with other oil spill responders from federal and state agencies and in...
09/10/2024

RPI is participating in a remote sensing workshop with other oil spill responders from federal and state agencies and industry hosted by the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center.

Attending IOSC? Come visit our booth (439) and say hi to the team!
05/13/2024

Attending IOSC? Come visit our booth (439) and say hi to the team!

This past week, RPI assisted NOAA in teaching members of the USCG and others in Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (...
03/22/2024

This past week, RPI assisted NOAA in teaching members of the USCG and others in Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (S**T) in Charleston, SC. The course involves both class time and field work in order to learn how to properly quantify shoreline oiling in the event of an oil spill on various shoreline habitats.

The class ended with a trip to Shem Creek Park in Mt. Pleasant for students to participate in a simulated S**T survey of a salt water marsh, as well as a demonstration on utilizing an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle to assess shoreline that is inaccessible by foot, as well as a couple of group photos off the end of the boardwalk.

01/12/2024

We are hiring for two positions in our Tallahassee office!

Senior Environmental Scientist - Candidates should have an MS degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, marine science, wildlife and fisheries science, natural resources management, or a related field and 10+ years of post-graduate professional work experience, preferably in consulting, including technical leadership, task management, project management, and/or successful proposal writing.

Environmental Scientist - Candidates should have an MS degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, marine science, wildlife and fisheries science, natural resources management, or a related field and 0-2+ years of post-graduate professional work experience. Candidates with a BS degree in the same fields with 3-5+ years of professional experience may also qualify.

Check out the full job descriptions at: https://www.researchplanning.com/about/careers/

Address

1121 Park Street
Columbia, SC
29201

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Research Planning, Inc posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Research Planning, Inc:

Share