Grantee Research Project Results
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Research
CLOSED - FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY
Fall 2006 EPA Science To Achieve Results
(STAR) Fellowships For Graduate Environmental Study
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number: (See “Sort Codes” for descriptions)
EPA-F2006-STAR-A1
EPA-F2006-STAR-A2
EPA-F2006-STAR-B1
EPA-F2006-STAR-B2
EPA-F2006-STAR-B3
EPA-F2006-STAR-C1
EPA-F2006-STAR-C2
EPA-F2006-STAR-C3
EPA-F2006-STAR-C4
EPA-F2006-STAR-D1
EPA-F2006-STAR-D2
EPA-F2006-STAR-D3
EPA-F2006-STAR-D4
EPA-F2006-STAR-D5
EPA-F2006-STAR-E1
EPA-F2006-STAR-E2
EPA-F2006-STAR-F1
EPA-F2006-STAR-F2
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.514
Solicitation Opening Date: July 7, 2005
Solicitation Closing Date: October 18, 2005, 4:00 pm EST
Technical Contact:
Stephanie Willett; Ph. 202-343-9737, email: willett.stephanie@epa.gov
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master's and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline for receipt of pre-applications is October 18, 2005. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 100 new fellowships by July 21, 2006. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support per fellowship.
Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 100 awards
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $9.8 million for all awards
Potential Funding per Fellowship: $37,000 per year per fellowship. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years.
Eligibility Information
Applicants must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories). Applicants must also be citizens of the United States or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card number in their pre-application (you must have your green card at the time of application to be eligible for this Fellowship opportunity). EPA may verify this number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of the Department of Homeland Security.
Pre-Application Materials
You may submit either a paper pre-application or an electronic pre-application but not both for this announcement. The necessary forms for submitting a STAR paper pre-application will be found on the NCER web site, https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. To apply electronically, you must use the pre-application package available at https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications"). See Section IV for further information on application submission procedures.
Agency Contacts:
Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPAhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants resources listed below. To obtain information most quickly, consult the “Guidance & FAQs.” If your question is not covered, then call the toll-free telephone number or send a query through the web-based query form. You will receive a personal response through a return telephone call or email. Information regarding this RFA obtained from sources other than those indicated below may not be accurate.
Guidance & FAQs: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/grant-faqs-2015.pdf
Toll-free telephone number: 1-800-490-9194
Web-based query form: https://www2.epa.gov/research-grants/forms/contact-us-about-research-grants
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), invites pre-applications for the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships for graduate environmental study for master's and doctoral level students. The deadline for receipt of pre-applications is October 18, 2005. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 100 new fellowships by July 21, 2006. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support per fellowship. This amount covers a monthly stipend of $1,667 for up to 12 months totaling $20,000 for the year, $5,000 for authorized expenses, and up to $12,000 for tuition and fees. The actual amount awarded per year will vary depending on the amount of tuition and fees and the number of months the stipend is required. These fellowships are intended to help defray costs associated with advanced, environmentally oriented study leading to a master's or doctoral degree.
The STAR fellowship program was initiated in 1995. Approximately 1,100 STAR fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the program. The purpose of the fellowship program is to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in an environmental field. This goal is consistent with the immediate and long-term mission of EPA, to protect public health and the environment. The STAR fellowship program has proven to be beneficial to both the public and private sectors by providing a steady stream of well-trained environmental specialists to meet environmental challenges in our society. It has also provided new environmental research in physical, biological, health sciences, and social sciences and engineering.
The specific Strategic Goal, Objective and Sub-objective from EPA’s Strategic Plan that relates to this solicitation is: Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems, Objective 4.5: Enhance Science and Research, Sub-objective 4.5.2: Conduct Relevant Research
The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1; Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r; Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C.; and Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001, 42 U.S.C. 6901.
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $9.8 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 100 fellowships under this RFA. The projected award per fellowship is $37,000 per year total costs, for up to 3 years. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. The EPA reserves the right to reject all pre-applications and make no awards under this RFA. The EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this RFA if additional funding becomes available. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than 4 months after the original selection. The fellowship provides up to $37,000 per year of support per fellowship. A maximum of $74,000 will be provided for master's fellows (two years) and up to $111,000 (three years) for doctoral fellows. The $37,000 annual support covers stipend, tuition, and expenses as follows:
Stipends: For the 2006-2007 academic year, stipends will be $20,000 for 12-month tenures and prorated monthly at a maximum of $1,667 for shorter periods. Funds for unused months are forfeited. Stipends are paid directly to the fellow. At its discretion, each fellowship institution may supplement a fellow's stipend from institutional funds in accordance with the supplementation policy of the institution.
Tuition and Academic Fees: Up to $12,000 per year will be paid directly to the institution. For the purposes of this fellowship, health insurance is an expense, not an academic fee.
Expense Allowance: Up to $5,000 will be provided to pay for items and activities for the direct benefit of the student's education and research, e.g. health insurance, books, supplies, data analysis, publication costs, equipment (e.g., computers), travel to technical and scientific meetings, and domestic and international travel required to conduct the proposed research. Specific instructions regarding the disbursement and management of the expense allowance will be provided during the award process.
EPA Fellowship Conference: Fellows are expected to attend EPA Graduate Fellows Conferences as long as they are in the program. Resources to support this travel are to be taken from the expense allowance.
International Activities: The Fellow's proposed research may be conducted outside the United States. However, EPA allows only $5,000 for all expenses, including travel. See "Expense Allowance" for details. If it becomes necessary to travel outside the United States or its territories, you must notify your Project Officer in advance. Your Project Officer will obtain the necessary EPA and State Department approvals before the fellowship funds can be used to conduct these activities. Fellows who travel overseas will be required to comply with all provisions of the Fly America Act.
Diversity: EPA recognizes the need for scientists from diverse cultural backgrounds. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply.
Applicants must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories). Individuals must be citizens of the United States or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card number in their pre-application (you must have your green card at the time of application to be eligible for this Fellowship opportunity). EPA may verify this number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of the Department of Homeland Security.
Students do not need to be enrolled in or formally accepted in a full-time graduate program at the time they apply for a fellowship, but proof of enrollment or acceptance must be produced prior to the award of the fellowship. Students must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories). Students must be pursuing a master's or doctoral degree in an environmental field of specialization.
Students who have completed more than one year in a master's program or more than four years in a doctoral program are not eligible. Students enrolled in a master's program, however, may apply for a doctoral fellowship.
Acceptance of this fellowship does not necessarily preclude acceptance of another scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or grant aid. However, this fellowship does preclude receiving other federal fellowships.
Employees of the U.S. government must be able to prove separation from Federal service before accepting this fellowship.
Cost sharing is not required.
Pre-applications that do not substantially comply with the pre-application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement will be rejected. In addition, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to parts of the pre-application, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Pre-applications must be received by the EPA on or before the solicitation closing date published in Section IV of this announcement. Pre-applications received after the published closing date will be returned to the sender without further consideration.
IV. PRE-APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
You may submit either a paper pre-application or an electronic pre-application (but not both) for this announcement. Instructions for both forms of submission follow.
Internet Address to Request a Pre-Application Package
For paper pre-applications, forms can be found on the NCER web site: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms.
Instructions for these forms follow (do not use the instructions provided on the NCER web site).
For electronic pre-applications, use the pre-application package available at https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications"). Instructions for the forms follow.
Content and Form of Pre-Application Submission
The pre-application is made by submitting the materials described below. It is essential that the pre-application contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described.
A. Standard Form 424
The applicant must complete form SF424. This form will be the first page of the pre-application. Do not use the instructions provided on the NCER web site. Instead, use the customized instructions below.
For electronic pre-applications, this form is found in the electronic pre-application package available at grants.gov. See “Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications.”
Instructions for Completing the SF 424 for Paper or Electronic Submissions
- Enter Pre-application "Non-Construction".
- Leave blank.
- Leave blank.
- Leave blank.
- Legal Name: Enter your legal name as last name, first name, then middle initial/name.
Organizational DUNS: Pre-entered for electronic submissions, leave blank for paper copy submissions.
Organizational Unit: Leave blank.
Address: Enter the address (including street, city, state, and zip code) you are currently using to receive United States Postal Service mail.
Name and telephone number of person to be contacted: Enter your name, email address, and telephone number. Your middle name, suffix, and fax number are optional. - Enter "12-3456789" for electronic submissions, leave blank for paper copy submissions.
- Enter "L-Individual."
- Enter "New."
- Pre-entered for electronic submissions. For paper copy submissions, enter "Environmental Protection Agency."
- Pre-entered for electronic submissions.
For paper copy submissions, enter the title of the solicitation followed by the appropriate sort code (e.g., Science to Achieve Results Fellowship Program, sort code E1). Sort codes are listed below. Be sure the sort code in this box corresponds with the appropriate sort code for your pre-application. Failure to do so could result in an inappropriate peer review assignment. - Provide a descriptive title for your environmental research project. If the specific topic has not been selected, enter your research area of interest.
- List only the largest political entities affected (e.g., State, counties, cities).
- Enter a Start Date of 09/01/2006 and an End Date up to 2 years later for master's degree support or up to 3 years later for Ph.D. degree support. If necessary, these dates can be modified if you receive a fellowship.
- List your Congressional District and any District(s) affected by the program or project. For help finding the appropriate Congressional District, see http://www.house.gov/.
- Enter 37,000 for each year of requested support (see item 13). Unless you have other sources of funding, enter 0.00 in b through f.
- Enter "b. Program is not covered by E.O. 12372."
- Self-explanatory.
- Enter your name, title, telephone number and email address. "Graduate Student" or "Student" is an appropriate title. If you are submitting a paper copy, sign the pre-application.
Select a single Sort Code for your pre-application. Failure to select a proper sort code could result in an inappropriate reviewer assignment. If your pre-application seems to fit under more than one sort code, choose the most appropriate one. Each application can be submitted to one, and only one, sort code. For electronic submissions, you must use the appropriate electronic pre-application package (see “Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications”) for the chosen sort code. Note: Your planned course of study MUST focus on one or more issues of environmental significance.
EPA-F2006-STAR-A1 | Environmental Engineering (limited to pollution prevention; includes sustainability) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-A2 | Environmental Engineering (limited to treatment and remediation) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-B1 | Atmospheric Sciences |
EPA-F2006-STAR-B2 | Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Materials Science |
EPA-F2006-STAR-B3 | Geology (includes hydrogeology) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-C1 | Economics (includes market incentives and health and ecosystem valuation) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-C2 | Geography |
EPA-F2006-STAR-C3 | Environmental Decision-making research (limited to projects in community-based participatory research, intervention strategies, environmental behavior modification, environmental education, and environmental justice) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-C4 | Urban/Regional Planning |
EPA-F2006-STAR-D1 | Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, and Genetics (includes genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-D2 | Microbiology |
EPA-F2006-STAR-D3 | Public Health Sciences (includes environmental epidemiology, exposure assessment, biostatistics, and health risk assessment) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-D4 | Toxicology (includes pharmacokinetics and toxicodynamic modeling) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-D5 | Health Physics (limited to research involving radiation interaction, detection, and dosimetry; radiation protection standards and regulations; biological effects, risk assessment, and ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable radiation exposure) concepts; facility design and nuclear safety; radiological emergency management; environmental monitoring and assessment; and nuclear waste management) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-E1* | Aquatic Systems Ecology - freshwater systems only |
EPA-F2006-STAR-E2 | Oceanography and Coastal Processes - includes ecosystems ranging from estuarine to marine |
EPA-F2006-STAR-F1* | Terrestrial Systems Ecology - plants and soils only (limited to soils, plants and the microorganisms that inhabit them) |
EPA-F2006-STAR-F2* | Terrestrial Systems Ecology - includes animals (the animal research need not be the primary focus of the project) |
*These categories are designed for pre-applications pertaining to the interrelationship of organisms and their environments where there is not a more specific Sort Code available.
B. Key Contacts
The applicant must complete the "Key Contacts" form as the second page of the pre-application. Please make certain that all contact information is accurate. For both paper and electronic pre-applications, an email will be sent by NCER to the applicant to acknowledge receipt of the pre-application and transmit other important information. The email will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov; email to this address will not be accepted. If you do not receive an email acknowledgment within 30 days of the submission closing date, immediately call 1-800-490-9194 (the EPAhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants toll-free telephone number). Failure to do so may result in your pre-application not being reviewed. Please note: Due to the high volume of pre-applications, voice and e-mail requests to verify pre-application receipt will not responded to unless they are placed after November 17, 2005. See "Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications" for additional information regarding acknowledgment of receipt of electronically submitted pre-applications. Please note: Due to often lengthy delays in delivery, it is especially important that you monitor NCER's confirmation of receipt of your pre-application when using US Postal Service mail.
For electronic pre-applications, this form is found in the electronic pre-application package available at grants.gov. See “Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications.”
Key Contacts Form Instructions
Authorized Representative: Enter your current address information.
Payee: Enter your permanent address information.
Administrative Contact: Enter the business information for your advisor. Leave blank if you have not identified an advisor.
Project Manager: Leave blank.
C. Citizenship Status, Degree Sought, Educational Level, and Optional Information (1 page)
The third page of the pre-application must contain the following information. Please begin each item on a separate line using the appropriate numbered heading.
- Your name: Last name, first name, middle initial/name.
- Citizenship Status: State whether you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If you are a U.S. citizen, give the city and state of your birth. If you are a resident alien, provide your green card number.
- College/University, School or Department: Name and location of the college/university, school or department from which your degree will be obtained. NOTE: If you are undecided about the school you will attend, leave blank. If you are considering multiple institutions, list your top two choices.
- Provide a descriptive title for your environmental research project. If the specific top had not been selected, enter your research area of interest.
- Degree Sought: State if you are seeking funding to support either a master’s or doctoral degree, e.g., M.S., M.A., Ph.D., M.P.H. List the environmental discipline in which the degree will be earned. Include the month and year you expect the degree to be awarded.
- Educational Level (at the time of pre-application): Enter one of the following choices.
a. Entering Master's Student (EM) if you are applying for, or enrolled in, a master's program and have completed less than one year* toward this degree.
b. Entering Doctoral Student (ED) if you are applying for, or are enrolled in, a doctoral program, have completed less than one year toward this degree, and have no other graduate or professional degree (e.g., MS, DVM, JD).
c. Doctoral Student (DS) if you are applying for, or enrolled in, a doctoral program, have completed less than one year toward this degree, but have completed another graduate or professional degree (e.g., MS, DVM, JD).
d. Continuing Doctoral Student (CD) if you are enrolled in a doctoral program and have completed more than one year, but less than four years*, toward this degree.
* Students who have completed more than one year of their master's studies or more than four years of their Ph.D. program at the time of pre-application are not eligible for the STAR fellowship. - Voluntary Information: For statistical reporting purposes only, include your gender and race, ethnicity, or national origin (e.g., African-American, white, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, or Pacific Islander), and whether you are a person with a disability. If provided, this information will be kept completely separate from your application. It will be used only in aggregate statistical form (without individual identification) to assess the effectiveness of ORD’s diversity efforts. Maintenance of the information, and access to individual information, will governed by the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a.
D. Statement of Objectives and Narrative Statement
These items must be single-spaced and completed using a 12-point or equivalent typeface on 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper with one-inch margins all around. Page limitations for individual components are specified below. You may use figures and tables, but do not deviate from the format requirements and page limits.
Statement of Objectives (1 Page)
Explain your academic and environmental career goals and how your proposed course of study or research will help you achieve these goals. Include any background information you believe is pertinent and provides insight into why you have chosen the goals you are pursuing. You will be evaluated on your dedication to your studies in an environmentally oriented career. This statement will also provide insight into your organizational, analytical, and written communication skills.
Narrative Statement (6 pages for Continuing Doctoral Students, 5 pages for all others)
The narrative statement should reflect your educational level. All students must include a description of the scientific and, if appropriate, societal importance of their chosen environmental field of study. A detailed environmental research plan is required for continuing doctoral students but is desirable for all applicants. At a minimum, answer the questions below for the appropriate educational level. Citation/reference pages are in addition to the page limit for the narrative statement.
Entering Master’s Student: What are the degree requirements for your program? What is your planned course of study during the period of the fellowship? Do you know if you will be undertaking a thesis/special project? If so, describe it. If you do not know, what environmental project would you like to propose? Why is it important? How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the environment?
Entering Doctoral Student: What are the degree requirements for your program? What is your planned course of study during the period of the fellowship? If you could select your dissertation topic this year, what would it be? Why is it important? How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the environment? Which environmental area would be best served by your selected topic?
Doctoral Student: What are the degree requirements for your program? What is your planned course of study during the period of the fellowship? If you could select your dissertation topic this year, what would it be? Why is it important? How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the environment? Which environmental area would be best served by your selected topic? What are some of the most influential publications currently available in this area?
Continuing Doctoral Student: What is your dissertation topic? How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the environment? Describe your dissertation research project by addressing the following points:
- Goal of research: What environmental problem are you focusing on? What is your hypothesis(es)?
- Rationale: What is the environmental need for this research? What significant research has been published on this topic? How do the results of that research relate to your project?
- Approach: How will you test your hypothesis?
- Expected results: What environmental benefits are expected to result from this work?
- Cited literature: Provide a list of cited literature.
E. Education and Experience, Publications, and Transcript Information
Education and Experience (1 Page)
List the academic degrees you have received or expect to receive in the near future, including the date, discipline, and the institution. Also list relevant experience, including paid employment, military service, internships, residencies, special studies, volunteer work, etc. Give dates and a short description of your duties in each position, listing most recent first. Give names and addresses of employers. List only relevant experience.
Publications (1 Page)
If you have published in the technical/scientific literature, provide a bibliography here. If you have not yet published, write “NA.”
Course Work Information (use as many pages as are necessary)
Provide, in tabular form, the following information about your course work (this information should be obtained from your transcripts): the institutions at which the credits were earned, dates, names and catalog numbers of courses taken, credit hours, grades received, and cumulative GPA for all courses taken at each degree level. If possible, course titles should not exceed the space available. Abbreviations are allowed. Note if courses were audited or not completed. If any institution you attended had a grading system different from the traditional "A, B, C" system, explain the system in a succinct footnote. Include data from your entire college career. Do not include your transcripts at this time. Top-ranked applicants will be required to submit official copies of transcripts for validation prior to award of the fellowship.
F. Letters of Recommendation
Each pre-application package MUST include three (3) current letters of reference from individuals who have knowledge of your academic record. If you have a sponsor or advisor in the program, one of these letters should come from that individual. Letters of recommendation are critical components of the pre-application. Select your references carefully and urge them to write letters specifically about you. Do not write the letters yourself. Letters that appear to be mass produced are generally not ranked highly by the reviewers. At a minimum, the letters should address your academic performance and potential, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and motivation in your chosen field. It is always useful if the writer also conveys a sense of who you are as an individual. The name of the applicant and the appropriate sort code should be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope prior to sending it to EPA (see also “Other Submission Requirements” below).
For paper copy submissions, the original and two (2) copies of the complete pre-application (3 in all) including the original and two (2) copies of each letter of recommendation must be received by EPA no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date, October 18, 2005. Electronic applications must be transferred to grants.gov no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date. It should be noted that this schedule may be changed without prior notification because of factors that were not anticipated at the time of announcement. In the case of a change in the required application closing date, a new date will be posted on the NCER web site and a modification posted on www.grants.gov. Applications received after the closing date will be returned to the sender without further consideration.
Solicitation Closing Date: October 18, 2005, 4:00 pm Eastern Time
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 1, 2006
The funding mechanism for all awards issued under STAR solicitations will consist of assistance agreements from the EPA. All award decisions are subject to the availability of funds. In accordance with the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act, 31 U.S.C. 6301 et seq., the primary purpose of a grant is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by federal statute, rather than acquisition for the direct benefit or use of the Agency. In issuing a grant agreement, the EPA anticipates that there will be no substantial EPA involvement in the design, implementation, or conduct of the research. However, the EPA will monitor research progress through annual reports provided by Fellows and other contacts with the Fellow.
You may not submit a pre-application to more than one STAR Fellowships Funding Opportunity.
You may submit either a paper pre-application or an electronic pre-application but not both for this announcement.
Submission Instructions for Paper Pre-Applications
Pre-applications MUST be received by EPA no later than 4:00 p.m., EST, on October 18, 2005. NOTE: Letters of Recommendation MUST also be received by EPA no later than 4:00 pm EST, on October 18, 2005. Allow sufficient time to assure delivery by 4:00 pm EST on October 18, 2005. Because of security concerns, pre-applications cannot be personally delivered. They must be sent through regular mail, express mail, or a major courier. Due to uncertainties associated with timely delivery of regular mail, it is especially important to provide an e-mail address to which an acknowledgment of receipt notification can be sent (see Key Contacts above).
The following address must be used for regular mail:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Peer Review Division (8725F)
Sort Code: EPA-F2006-STAR-XX (replace the "XX" with the appropriate code)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
The following address must be used for express mail and couriers:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Peer Review Division (8725F)
Sorting Code: EPA-F2006-STAR-XX (replace the "XX" with the appropriate code)
1025 F Street, NW (Room 3500)
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 233-0686
Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications
Grants.gov requires an individual registration to submit a pre-application for this solicitation; however, registration is not required to view the pre-application package. To register, go to http://www.grants.gov/, click on “Get Started,” click on “Individual” and “Go.” Follow the registration guidance and also see “Registration Checklists.” Allow approximately one day for the registration to be activated. This registration is temporary and can only be used for the specified Funding Opportunity Number.
The electronic pre-application package available through the http://www.grants.gov web site must be used for electronic submissions. In order to view the pre-application package, download the PureEdge viewer (hyperlink available under "Apply for Grants" then "Apply Step 1"). The pre-application package may be quickly accessed from https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html using CFDA number 66.514. Be sure to download the electronic pre-application package for the appropriate sort code. It is recommended that you “Register to Receive Notification” of announcement updates. Both a tutorial and training demonstration are available at http://www.grants.gov/, click on “Customer Support,” then “Tutorial” or “Training Demonstration.”
The complete pre-application must be transferred to grants.gov no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on October 18, 2005.NOTE: Letters of Recommendation MUST received by EPA no later than 4:00 p.m., EST, on October 18, 2005. Allow sufficient time to assure delivery by October 18, 2005. An e-mail will be sent by NCER to the applicant to acknowledge receipt of the pre-application and to transmit other important information. The email will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov; email to this address will not be accepted. If an email acknowledgment from NCER (not support@grants.gov) has not been received within 30 days of the submission closing date, immediately contact the technical contact us using either the toll-free telephone number or web-based query form listed in Agency Contacts. Failure to do so may result in your pre-application not being reviewed. Please note: Due to the high volume of pre-applications, voice and e-mail requests to verify pre-application receipt will not responded to unless they are placed after November 17, 2005.
Documents must be submitted in Adobe Acrobat PDF format to maintain format integrity. Prior to submitting your electronic pre-application package, we suggest you view your converted documents for conversion errors. Submit the required documents as described below.
On the electronic “Grant Application Package” page, enter your name, starting with last name, in the “Application Filing Name” field.
A. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424, see “Instructions for Completing the SF 424" for specific instructions)
- Complete the form using the instructions provided above. There are no attachments.
B. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54 (see “Key Contacts Form Instructions” for specific instructions)
- Complete the form using the instructions provided above. There are no attachments.
C. Project Narrative Attachment Form
- Compile the Statement of Objectives and Narrative Statement into one document labeled ObjectivesNarrative and submit it as the "Add Mandatory Project Narrative File."
- Prepare one document that contains Education and Experience, Publications, and Transcript Information and label it Background. Submit it as an "Add Optional Project Narrative File."
- Prepare one document that contains Your Name, Citizenship Status, Degree Sought, Project Title, Educational Level, and Optional Information and label it AddInfo. Submit it as an “Add Optional Project Narrative File.”
Once the pre-application package has been completed, the “Submit” button will become active. Save your completed pre-application package with two different names before submission to avoid having to re-create the package should you experience submission problems. Close all other software before attempting to submit the pre-application package.
If you experience submission problems, reboot your computer (turning the power off may be necessary) and re-attempt the submission. If you continue to experience submission problems, contact grants.gov for assistance (Phone: 1-800-518-4726, Email: support@grants.gov).
D. Letters of Recommendation cannot be submitted electronically. Letters of Recommendation MUST be received by EPA no later than 4:00 p.m., EST, on October 18, 2005. The original and two (2) copies of each letter of recommendation must be contained in an individual envelope sealed by the writer. Place all letters of recommendation in one envelope and mail to the address given for Paper Pre-Applications (follow guidance below). Include your full name and the appropriate sort code in the return address area of the envelope to enable quick matching with your electronic pre-application. Letters will be scanned and distributed to reviewers electronically.
V. PRE-APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
An external review panel considers an applicant’s merit based on the criteria below. Criteria 1-4 are listed in increasing order of importance:
- Course work information
- Reference Letters
- Goals and Objectives
a. Comment on the seriousness of the applicant’s dedication to the stated career goals and objectives.
b. Comment on the applicant’s organizational, analytical, and written skills. - Narrative Statement
a. Entering Master’s Student: Comment on the strength of the applicant’s planned course of study and probability of success of any proposed project.
b. Entering Doctoral Student: Comment on the strength of the applicant’s planned course of study and probability of success of any proposed project.
c. Doctoral Student: Comment on how the applicant’s proposed doctoral program builds on his/her previous education or research projects. Why and how will any proposed research project advance the applicant’s academic or career goals?
d. Continuing Doctoral Student: Comment on the applicant’s research project as to its technical and social application, potential for success, and the benefits expected.
All Fellowship pre-applications are reviewed by an appropriate external merit review panel using the criteria above. In general, each review group is composed of non-EPA scientists, engineers, social scientists, and/or economists who are experts in their respective disciplines and proficient in the technical subjects they are reviewing. Reviewers are asked to assign a summary score of either excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor for each pre-application. This review is designed to evaluate each student on his or her potential for success in an environmental graduate study program based on the information provided in the pre-application.
Pre-applications receiving a score of excellent as a result of the external merit review process will undergo further internal review conducted by technical experts from within the EPA. All other applications are automatically declined. The purpose of the internal review is to assure a balanced research portfolio for the Agency and determine which pre-applications to recommend for award.
Finalists will be recommended for award of a fellowship based on the following factors which will be considered during the internal review: the availability of funds; reviewers' evaluations; program goals, such as distribution of awards across disciplines, institutions and geography; degree level being sought; and other possible indicators of program balance.
Final funding decisions are made by the NCER Director based on the results of the external and internal reviews. Applicants selected for funding will be required to provide additional information, listed under “Award Notices.” The application will then be forwarded to EPA’s Grants Administration Office for award in accordance with the EPA’s procedures.
VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
Either a summary statement or multiple individual reviews provided by the external merit review panel will be provided to each applicant with an award or declination letter. If selected to receive a fellowship, you will be contacted no later than May 30, 2006 and should subsequently receive your official notification of award by July 21, 2006, for the fall term. Please note that this schedule may be changed without notification due to factors that were not anticipated at the time of announcement.
You are advised to retain this announcement for future reference.
The official notification of an award will be made by the EPA's Grants Administration Division. Selected applicants will be required to provide the following information to complete the application process:
1. EPA Form 5770-2, "Fellowship Application*"
2. EPA Form 5700-49, "Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters*"
* Forms are available on the NCER web page (www.epa.govhttps://www.epa.gov/research-fellowships).
3. Sealed official transcripts from all graduate institutions
4. Fellowship Recipient Abstract, not to exceed one page, which should include: Project Title, Name of Fellow, Institution, EPA Project Officer, Project Period, Research Category, Description of Research Project including Objective, Approach, Results or Expected Results, Keywords
Disputes related to this assistance agreement competition will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures set forth in 70 FR 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at https://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/resolution.htm. Questions regarding disputes may be referred to the Eligibility Contact, see https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/grant-faqs-2015.pdf.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and conditions associated with this award can be found at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-grants-guidance.
A. Meetings: Fellows are expected to attend EPA Graduate Fellows Conferences as long as they are in the program. Resources to support this travel are to be taken from the expense allowance.
B. Reporting: Fellowship recipients must provide annual progress reports in order to retain their funding, and must provide a final report upon termination of the award. Fellows must agree to maintain contact with the Agency for at least five years after graduation.
C. Acknowledgement of EPA Support: EPA’s full or partial support must be acknowledged in journal articles, oral or poster presentations, news releases, interviews with reporters and other communications. Any documents developed under the agreement for distribution to the public or inclusion in a scientific, technical, or other journal shall include the following statement:
This publication [article] was developed under a STAR Research Assistance Agreement No. __________ awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has not been formally reviewed by the EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of [name of recipient] and the EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.
A graphic that can be converted to a slide or used in other ways, such as on a poster, is located at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-grants-guidance. EPA expects recipients to use this graphic in oral and poster presentations.
Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPAhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants resources listed below. To obtain information most quickly, consult the “Guidance & FAQs.” If your question is not covered, then call the toll-free telephone number or send a query through the web-based query form. You will receive a personal response through a return telephone call or email. Information regarding this RFA obtained from sources other than those indicated may not be accurate.
Stephanie Willett; phone: 202-343-9737, email: willett.stephanie@epa.gov
Guidance & FAQs: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/grant-faqs-2015.pdf
Toll-free telephone number: 1-800-490-9194
Web-based query form: https://www2.epa.gov/research-grants/forms/contact-us-about-research-grants
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.