Grantee Research Project Results
| Special Announcements Essential information for Grants.gov users: The original Grants.gov electronic application package for this solicitation was inadvertently posted for "individuals." Its use by an Authorized Organization Representative will result in a rejection. The corrected electronic application package was posted on Friday, August 31, 2007. Please be sure to use the correct version of the electronic application package. |
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Research
Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Program
CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY
Detection and Monitoring of Engineered Nanomaterials
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2007-GO-W1
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.515
Solicitation Opening Date: June 13, 2007
Solicitation Closing Date: September 13, 2007, 4:00 pm Eastern Time
Eligibility Contact: Tom Barnwell (barnwell.thomas@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9862
Electronic Submissions: Thomas O'Farrell (o'farrell.thomas@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9639
Technical Contact: Nora Savage (savage.nora@epa.gov); phone : 202-343-9858
Access Standard STAR Forms
Research awarded under previous solicitations
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) program, is seeking applications proposing research to further advance the science in the area of detection and monitoring of engineered nanomaterials. Specifically, this program announcement is seeking techniques and technologies that distinguish engineered nanomaterials from incidental, anthropogenic and/or natural nanomaterials.
Award Information:
Anticipated Type of Award: Grant or cooperative agreement
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 5 awards
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $2.2 million total for all awards
Potential Funding per Award: Up to a total of $400,000 including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of 3 years. Cost-sharing is not required. Proposals with budgets exceeding the total award limits of $400,000 will not be considered.
Eligibility Information:
Fully accredited four year U.S. institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. These schools must be among those that receive less than $35 million in Federal Research and Development expenditures. For purposes of this solicitation, EPA will use the data found in column two of the National Science Foundation's report "Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2004," Table 11, column 2. These data can be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K). See full announcement for more details.
Application Materials:
You may submit either a paper application or an electronic application (but not both) for this announcement. The necessary forms for submitting a STAR application will be found on the National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) web site https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. To apply electronically, you must use the application package available at Grants.gov (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications" in Section IV). If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, you need to allow approximately one week to complete the registration process to apply electronically. This registration, and electronic submission of your application, must be performed by an authorized representative of your organization.
Agency Contacts:
Eligibility Contact: Tom Barnwell (barnwell.thomas@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9862
Electronic Submissions: Thomas O'Farrell (o'farrell.thomas@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9639
Technical Contact: Nora Savage (savage.nora@epa.gov); phone : 202-343-9858
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A. Introduction
Nanotechnology has been defined by the Interagency Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) of the Federal Office of Science and Technology Policy as follows: "the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications; encompassing nanoscale science, engineering and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale." (See http://www.nano.gov for more information.) Engineered nanomaterials are designed to achieve specific features or characteristics. These materials are used to enhance a variety of products such as environmental filters, treatment and remediation materials, sensors, cosmetics, etc. The development of techniques and technologies that can be used to determine exposure information are needed. Especially critical are those techniques and technologies that can detect and distinguish between engineered, natural and incidental (anthropogenic) nanomaterials. Engineered nanomaterials are those designed and tailored to achieve specific characteristics or properties, natural nanomaterials include aerosols generated from plants, and volcanic activity, and incidental nanomaterials are those generated from anthropogenic sources, such as combustion processes.
The EPA currently supports a number of nanotechnology-related research grants resulting from previous solicitations. Information regarding current research can be found on ORD's National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) web site at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/nano.
B. Background
Nanotechnology is concerned with materials and systems whose structures and components exhibit novel and significantly changed physical, chemical, and biological properties through control of structures and devices at atomic, molecular, and supramolecular levels.
The agencies participating in the national Interagency Working Group on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) coordinate government-wide research efforts on nanotechnology and many are involved in research efforts that are of unique interest and focus. The mission of the United States Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. Accordingly, EPA conducts and supports research to ensure that there is a sound scientific basis for its actions in support of this mission, and to find innovative, cost-effective ways of reducing risks. EPA's research programs address human health and environmental effects of substances, assess potential exposure to humans and ecosystems, and develop risk management strategies and approaches. The research on environmental nanotechnologies is addressed within this framework.
Current research indicates that toxicity of engineered nanoparticles will depend strongly on the specific physicochemical parameters of the particle. These parameters may differ significantly from those used to elucidate the toxicity of the same material in bulk form. Physicochemical properties that may be important in understanding the toxic effects of test materials include particle size and size distribution, agglomeration state, shape, crystal structure, chemical composition, surface area, surface chemistry, surface charge, and porosity.
Although nanotechnology is an emerging technology, one area of specific interest to the Agency is the detection of engineered nanomaterials that can be accurately assessed and monitored. Such technologies should not only accurately reflect concentrations of these materials but distinguish them from incidental nanomaterials resulting from combustion, industrial and other anthropogenic activities, and also from natural nanomaterials that may be present in the environment (e.g. pollen fragments, viral components, etc.). While there is research and data concerning the effects of both ultrafine and micron-sized incidental particles, similar data for engineered particles is sparse. Particulate matter health and environmental effect information can certainly provide hypotheses and insight for effects of engineered nanomaterials; however direct extrapolation will likely prove invalid. Consequently, methods for source characterization information are critical for the development of appropriate risk assessment and risk management strategies.
For more information on Agency interests, please see the EPA Nanotechnology White Paper, which can be found at https://www.epa.gov/osa/nanotech.htm. Information regarding current research on nanotechnology can be found on ORD's National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) homepage at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/nano.
The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from the EPA's Strategic Plan that relate to this solicitation are:
Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems, Objective 4.4: Enhance Science and Research.
The EPA's Strategic Plan can be found at https://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2006/entire_report.pdf (PDF) (184 pp, 11.56 MB)
C. Authority and Regulations
The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609; Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; and the Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C.
For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102 (2)(F).
Applicable regulations include: 40 CFR Part 30 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations), and 40 CFR Part 40 (Research and Demonstration Grants). Applicable OMB Circulars include: OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles for Educational Institutions) relocated to 2 CFR Part 220.
D. Specific Research Areas of Interest/Expected Outputs and Outcomes
Note to applicant: The term “output” means an environmental activity or effort, and associated work products, related to a specific environmental goal(s), (e.g., testing a new methodology), that will be produced or developed over a period of time under the agreement. The term “outcome” means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from the above activit(ies) that is related to an environmental, behavioral, or health-related objective.
The detection of engineered nanoparticles and nanomaterials in various environmental media is very complicated. This is due in part to potential confounding by the presence of anthropogenic and natural nanomaterials. Challenges arise because many different engineered nanomaterials currently exist and their numbers are increasing exponentially. In addition, the fate, transformation and mobility of these materials is only beginning to be understood. Consequently, scientific understanding of the reactions these materials undergo, how they age in various environmental media, how they interact with other compounds present in the environment, and whether and to what extent they form agglomerates or aggregates is limited. These issues compound the complexity of detecting and quantifying these materials in environmental media.
A better understanding of the potential impacts of engineered nanomaterials would be gained by development of improved monitoring and detection devices. Such devices would also enable the more rapid achievement of the safe development of nanotechnology-related products. EPA is particularly interested in remote, in situ, and continuous monitoring devices that yield real-time information and that can detect engineered nanomaterials at very low concentrations.
EPA is especially interested in novel monitoring technologies or devices that can detect engineered nanomaterials. Such devices should not be labor or time intensive, should enable rapid, accurate monitoring, should be easy to operate and maintain, and should be inexpensive. The protection of human health and ecosystems requires sensors and monitoring devices capable of detecting target pollutants at extremely low concentrations. In addition, risk assessment and risk management policies require distinguishing between various environmental contaminants for accurate source information and emission data.
Examples of research may involve the following detection methods: molecular; piezoelectric cantilever; field and flow controlled; electrical; optical and multi-analyte.
Outputs expected from the research funded under this RFA include the development of sensors for efficient and rapid in situ biochemical detection and monitoring of pollutants and specific pathogens in the environment; devices capable of real-time, continuous measurement over large areas; devices that are capable of detecting a variety of compounds simultaneously; and devices that utilize lab-on-a-chip technology. Expected outcomes will provide improved monitoring and detection capabilities that will result in minimization of the impact of pollutants on human health and the environment.
- Information of Emerging Micro and Nanotechnology, National Academies Press, http://books.nap.edu/books/030908623X/html/R1.html
- The Social and Economic Challenges of Nanotechnology, Economic and Social Research Council (UK) http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/Nanotechnology_tcm6-5506.pdf (63 pp, 1.4 MB)
- Environmental Technologies at the Nanoscale, by T. Masciangioli and W.X Zhang http://nano.gov:/html/res/GC_ENV_PaperZhang_03-0304.pdf (7 pp, 267 K)
- Interagency Nanotechnology Workshop, https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/publications/nano/index.html
- Nanomaterials and water purification: Opportunities and challenges, by M. Diallo and N. Savage, Journal of Nanoparticle Research (2005) 7: 331–342, http://www.springerlink.com/(3fpxop45ksl25k55zf10in45)/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=searcharticlesresults,1,3
- Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials, September 2006 http://nano.gov/NNI_EHS_research_needs.pdf (80 pp, 1.06 MB)
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Nanotechnology White Paper, Science Policy Council, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, February 2007 https://www.epa.gov/osa/pdfs/nanotech/epa-nanotechnology-whitepaper-0207.pdf (132 pp, 4.1 MB)
- Nanotechnology and the Environment, Report of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Workshop, May 2-3, 2003 http://nano.gov/NNI_Nanotechnology_and_the_Environment.pdf (66 pp, 1.8 MB)
F. Special Requirements
Agency policy prevents EPA technical staff and managers from providing individual applicants information that may create an unfair competitive advantage. Consequently, EPA employees will not review, comment, advise, provide technical assistance to applicants preparing applications in response to EPA RFAs, endorse an application or discuss in any manner how the Agency will apply the published evaluation criteria for this competition.
Letter of Institute GRO Eligibility:
You must submit a letter stating that your institution is GRO eligible. Data to be used in determining eligibility can be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K). Multiply the figure in the second column by 1000. Then submit a statement according to the following guidelines: “According to the National Science Foundation's report Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2004, Table 11, column two, this institution received $xx [place amount from Table 11, column 2 here] million in Federal Research and Development expenditures in fiscal year 2004. Since this is $35 million or less, this institution is GRO eligible.” The full NSF report is available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/nsf07316.pdf (305 pp, 3.5 MB). EPA will verify institution eligibility prior to scientific review. Proposals submitted by ineligible institutions will be rejected.
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $2.2 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds and quality of applications received. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 5 grants or cooperative agreements under this RFA. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $400,000, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. The total project period requested in an application submitted for this RFA may not exceed 3 years. The EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards, or make fewer awards than anticipated, under this RFA. The EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than four months after the original selection decisions.
EPA may fund both grants and cooperative agreements under this announcement.
Under a grant, EPA scientists and engineers are not permitted to be substantially involved in the execution of the research. However, EPA encourages interaction between its own laboratory scientists and grant Principal Investigators after the award of an EPA grant for the sole purpose of exchanging information in research areas of common interest that may add value to their respective research activities. This interaction must be incidental to achieving the goals of the research under a grant. Interaction that is “incidental” does not involve resource commitments.
Where appropriate, based on consideration of the nature of the proposed project relative to the EPA’s intramural research program and available resources, the EPA will fund cooperative agreements under this announcement. When addressing a research question/problem of common interest, collaborations between scientists and the institution’s principal investigators are permitted under a cooperative agreement. These collaborations may include data and information exchange, providing technical input to experimental design and theoretical development, coordinating extramural research with in-house activities, the refinement of valuation endpoints, and joint authorship of journal articles on these activities. Applications should not identify EPA cooperators or interactions; specific interactions between EPA’s investigators and those of the prospective recipient for cooperative agreements will be negotiated at the time of award.
A. Eligible Applicants
Fully accredited four year U.S. institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. These schools must be among those that are not highly funded for development of environmental research capacity. For the purposes of this solicitation, EPA considers such institutions to be those listed in the National Science Foundation’s publication, “Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: FY 2004,” Table 11. Institutions identified as receiving $35 million or less in annual federal research and development funding, as designated in column 2 of Table 11, are eligible. These data can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K). Table 11 is a broad representation of institutions, and includes schools that also receive more than $35 million annually in Federal research assistance.
Letter of Institute GRO Eligibility:
You must submit a letter stating that your institution is GRO eligible. Data to be used in determining eligibility can be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K). Multiply the figure in the second column by 1000. Then submit a statement according to the following guidelines: “According to the National Science Foundation's report Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2004, Table 11, column two, this institution received $xx [place amount from Table 11, column 2 here] million in Federal Research and Development expenditures in fiscal year 2004. Since this is $35 million or less, this institution is GRO eligible.” The full NSF report is available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/nsf07316.pdf (305 pp, 3.5 MB). EPA will verify institution eligibility prior to scientific review. Proposals submitted by ineligible institutions will be rejected.
Eligible institutions with substantial minority enrollment are particularly encouraged to apply. Examples of such schools are those that the U.S. Department of Education lists as “Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions” consistent with Executive Orders 13125 (Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders), 13230 (Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans), 13256 (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and 13270 (Tribal Colleges and Universities), which encourage building of the capacity of minority serving institutions to provide high quality education. Note however, that not all of these schools receive less then $35 million annually in Federal Research and Development expenditures. See “The Extent of Federal S&E Funding to Minority-Serving Institutions”, at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf04325/.
Eligible nonprofit organizations include research institutes, corporations or foundations that are part of a fully accredited four year U.S. institution of higher education that receive $35 million or less in annual federal research and development funding, as designated in column 2 of Table 11 (see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K)). However, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible to apply.
National laboratories funded by federal agencies (Federally-funded Research and Development Centers, “FFRDCs”) may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the principal investigator but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization or principal investigator. The principal investigator's institution, organization or governance may provide funds through its grant from EPA to a FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research. However, salaries for permanent FFRDC employees may not be provided through this mechanism.
Federal agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on a grant, and may not receive salaries or in other ways augment their agency's appropriations through grants made by this program. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.
The applicant institution may enter into an agreement with a Federal Agency to purchase or utilize unique supplies or services unavailable in the private sector. Examples are purchase of satellite data, census data tapes, chemical reference standards, analyses, or use of instrumentation or other facilities not available elsewhere. A written justification for federal involvement must be included in the application. In addition, an appropriate form of assurance that documents the commitment, such as a letter of intent from the Federal Agency involved, should be included.
Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact Tom Barnwell (barnwell.thomas@epa.gov) in NCER, phone (202) 343-9862.
B. Cost-Sharing
Institutional cost-sharing is not required.
C. Other
Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or they will be rejected. In addition, where a page limitation is expressed in Section IV with respect to parts of the application, pages in excess of the page limit will not be reviewed. Applications must be received by the EPA, or Grants.gov, on or before the solicitation closing date and time in Section IV of this announcement or they will be returned to the sender without further consideration. Also, applications exceeding the funding limits or project period term described herein will be returned without review. Further, applications that fail to demonstrate a public purpose of support or stimulation (e.g., by proposing research which primarily benefits a Federal program or provides a service for a Federal agency) will not be funded.
In addition, to be eligible for funding consideration, a project’s focus must consist of activities within the statutory terms of EPA’s financial assistance authorities; specifically, the statute(s) listed in I.C. above. Generally, a project must address the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of air pollution, water pollution, solid/hazardous waste pollution, toxic substances control, or pesticide control depending on which statute(s) is listed in I.C. above. These activities should relate to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing the state of knowledge. Proposals should emphasize this “learning” concept, as opposed to “fixing” an environmental problem via a well-established method. Proposals relating to other topics which are sometimes included within the term “environment” such as recreation, conservation, restoration, protection of wildlife habitats, etc., must describe the relationship of these topics to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control.
Letter of Institute GRO Eligibility:
You must submit a letter stating that your institution is GRO eligible. Data to be used in determining eligibility can be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K). Multiply the figure in the second column by 1000. Then submit a statement according to the following guidelines: “According to the National Science Foundation's report Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2004, Table 11, column two, this institution received $xx [place amount from Table 11, column 2 here] million in Federal Research and Development expenditures in fiscal year 2004. Since this is $35 million or less, this institution is GRO eligible.” The full NSF report is available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/nsf07316.pdf (305 pp, 3.5 MB). EPA will verify institution eligibility prior to scientific review. Proposals submitted by ineligible institutions will be rejected.
Applications deemed ineligible for funding consideration will be notified within fifteen calendar days of the ineligibility determination.
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
You may submit either a paper application or an electronic application (but not both) for this announcement. Instructions for both types of submission follow. If not otherwise marked, instructions apply to both types of submissions.
A. Internet Address to Request Application Package
For paper applications, forms and instructions can be found on the NCER web site: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms.
For electronic applications, use the application package available at Grants.gov (see “Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications”). Note: With the exception of the Budget form (available at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms), all necessary forms are included in the electronic application package.
For both paper and electronic applications, an email will be sent by NCER to the Principal Investigator and the Administrative Contact (see below) to acknowledge receipt of the application and transmit other important information. The email will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov; emails to this address will not be accepted. If you do not receive an email acknowledgment within 30 days of the submission closing date, immediately inform the Eligibility Contact shown in this solicitation. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed. See “Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications” for additional information regarding acknowledgment of receipt of electronically submitted applications. Please note: Due to often-lengthy delays in delivery, it is especially important that you monitor NCER’s confirmation of receipt of your application when using regular mail.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
The application is made by submitting the materials described below. It is essential that the application contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described.
- Standard Form 424
The applicant must complete Standard Form 424. This form will be the first page(s) of the application. Instructions for completion of the SF424 are included with the form. (However, note that EPA requires that the entire requested dollar amount appear on the 424, not simply the proposed first year expenses.) The form must contain the original (or electronic) signature of an authorized representative of the applying institution.
Applicants are required to provide a "Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System" (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. Organizations may receive a DUNS number by calling 1-866-705-5711 or by visiting the web site at http://www.dnb.com.
Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," applies to most EPA programs and assistance agreements, unless the program or assistance agreement supports tribal, training/fellowships (other than Wastewater and Small Water Systems Operator training programs), and research and development (with some exceptions). The SF424 refers to this Executive Order requirement. National research programs are generally exempt from review unless the proposals (a) require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or (b) do not require an EIS but will be newly initiated at a particular site and require unusual measures to limit the possibility of adverse exposure or hazard to the general public, or (c) have a unique geographic focus and are directly relevant to the governmental responsibilities of a State or local government within that geographic area. To determine whether their state participates in this process, and how to comply, applicants should consult http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
- Key Contacts
The applicant must complete the "Key Contacts" form as the second page of the application: a Key Contacts continuation page is also available at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. The Key Contacts form should also be completed for major sub-agreements (i.e., primary co-investigators). Please make certain that all contact information is accurate.
- Table of Contents
Provide a list of the major subdivisions of the application indicating the page number on which each section begins.
- Letter of Institute GRO Eligibility (1 page)
You must submit a letter stating that your institution is GRO eligible. Data to be used in determining eligibility can be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K). Multiply the figure in the second column by 1000. Then submit a statement according to the following guidelines: "According to the National Science Foundation's report Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2004, Table 11, column two, this institution received $xx [place amount from Table 11, column 2 here] million in Federal Research and Development expenditures in fiscal year 2004. Since this is $35 million or less, this institution is GRO eligible." The full NSF report is available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/nsf07316.pdf (305 pp, 3.5 MB). EPA will verify institution eligibility prior to scientific review. Proposals submitted by ineligible institutions will be rejected.
- Abstract (1 page)
The abstract is a very important document in the review process. Therefore, it is critical that the abstract accurately describes the research being proposed and conveys all the essential elements of the research. Also, the abstracts of applications that receive funding will be posted on the NCER web site.
The abstract should include the information described below (a-h). Examples of abstracts for current grants may be found on the NCER web site.
- Funding Opportunity Title and Number for this proposal.
- Project Title: Use the exact title of your project as it appears in the application. The title must be brief yet represent the major thrust of the project. Because the title will be used by those not familiar with the project, strike a balance between highly technical words and phrases and more commonly understood terminology. Do not use general phrases such as "research on."
- Investigators: List the Principal Investigator, then the names and affiliations of each co-investigator who will significantly contribute to the project. Provide a web site URL or an email contact address for additional information.
- Institution: In the same order as the list of investigators, list the name, city and state of each participating university or other applicant institution. The institution applying for assistance must be clearly identified.
- Project Period and Location: Show the proposed project beginning and ending dates and the geographical location(s) where the work will be conducted.
- Project Cost: Show the total dollars requested from the EPA (include direct and indirect costs for all years).
- Project Summary: Provide three subsections addressing: (1) the objectives of the study (including any hypotheses that will be tested), (2) the experimental approach to be used (a description of the proposed project), and (3) the expected results of the project and how it addresses the research needs identified in the solicitation, including the estimated improvement in risk assessment or risk management that will result from successful completion of the proposed work.
- Supplemental Keywords: Without duplicating terms already used in the text of the abstract, list keywords to assist database searchers in finding your research. A list of suggested keywords may be found at: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms.
- Research Plan, Quality Assurance Statement, Data Plan and References
- Research Plan (15 pages)
Applications should focus on a limited number of research objectives that adequately and clearly demonstrate that they meet the RFA requirements. Explicitly state the main hypotheses that you will investigate, the data you will create or use, the analytical tools you will use to investigate these hypotheses or analyze these data, and the results you expect to achieve. Research methods must be clearly stated so that reviewers can evaluate the appropriateness of your approach and the tools you intend to use. A statement such as: "we will evaluate the data using the usual statistical methods" is not specific enough for peer reviewers.
This description must not exceed fifteen (15) consecutively numbered (bottom center), 8.5x11-inch pages of single-spaced, standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins. While these guidelines establish the minimum type size requirements, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the proposal.
The description must provide the following information:
- Objectives: List the objectives of the proposed research and the hypotheses being tested during the project, and briefly state why the intended research is important and how it fulfills the requirements of the solicitation. This section should also include any background or introductory information that would help explain the objectives of the study. If this application is to expand upon research supported by an existing or former assistance agreement awarded under the STAR program, indicate the number of the agreement and provide a brief report of progress and results achieved under it (one to two pages recommended).
- Approach/Activities: Outline the research design, methods, and techniques that you intend to use in meeting the objectives stated above (five to ten pages recommended).
- Expected Results, Benefits, Outputs, and Outcomes: Describe the results you expect to achieve during the project (outputs) and the potential benefits of the results (outcomes). This section should also discuss how the research results will lead to solutions to environmental problems and improve the public's ability to protect the environment and human health. A clear, concise description will help NCER and peer reviewers understand the merits of the research (one to two pages recommended).
- General Project Information: Discuss other information relevant to the potential success of the project. This should include facilities, personnel expertise/experience, project schedules, proposed management, interactions with other institutions, etc. Applications for multi-investigator projects must identify project management and the functions of each investigator in each team and describe plans to communicate and share data (one to two pages recommended).
- Appendices may be included but must remain within the 15-page limit.
- Quality Assurance Statement (3 pages)
For projects involving environmental data collection or processing, conducting surveys, modeling, method development, or the development of environmental technology (whether hardware-based or via new techniques), provide a Quality Assurance Statement (QAS) regarding the plans for processes that will be used to ensure that the products of the research satisfy the intended project objectives. Follow the guidelines provided below to ensure that the QAS describes a system that complies with ANSI/ASQC E4, Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs. Do not exceed three consecutively numbered, 8.5x11-inch pages of single-spaced, standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins.
NOTE: If selected for award, applicants will be expected to provide additional quality assurance documentation.
Address each applicable section below by including the required information, referencing the specific location of the information in the Research Plan, or explaining why the section does not apply to the proposed research. (Not all will apply.)
- Identify the individual who will be responsible for the quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) aspects of the research along with a brief description of this person's functions, experience, and authority within the research organization. Describe the organization's general approach for conducting quality research. (QA is a system of management activities to ensure that a process or item is of the type and quality needed for the project. QC is a system of activities that measures the attributes and performance of a process or item against the standards defined in the project documentation to verify that they meet those stated requirements.)
- Discuss project objectives, including quality objectives, any hypotheses to be tested, and the quantitative and/or qualitative procedures that will be used to evaluate the success of the project. Include any plans for peer or other reviews of the study design or analytical methods.
- Address each of the following project elements as applicable:
- Collection of new/primary data:
(Note: In this case the word "sample" is intended to mean any finite part of a statistical population whose properties are studied to gain information about the whole. If certain attributes listed below do not apply to the type of samples to be used in your research, simply explain why those attributes are not applicable.)- Discuss the plan for sample collection and analysis. As applicable, include sample type(s), frequency, locations, sample sizes, sampling procedures, and the criteria for determining acceptable data quality (e.g., precision, accuracy, representativeness, completeness, comparability, or data quality objectives).
- Describe the procedures for the handling and custody of samples including sample collection, identification, preservation, transportation, and storage, and how the accuracy of test measurements will be verified.
- Describe or reference each analytical method to be used, any QA or QC checks or procedures with the associated acceptance criteria, and any procedures that will be used in the calibration and performance evaluation of the analytical instrumentation.
- Discuss the procedures for overall data reduction, analysis, and reporting. Include a description of all statistical methods to make inferences and conclusions, acceptable error rates and/or power, and any statistical software to be used.
- Use of existing/secondary data (i.e., data previously collected for other purposes or from other sources):
- Identify the types of secondary data needed to satisfy the project objectives. Specify requirements relating to the type of data, the age of data, geographical representation, temporal representation, and technological representation, as applicable.
- Specify the source(s) of the secondary data and discuss the rational for selection.
- Establish a plan to identify the sources of the secondary data in all deliverables/products.
- Specify quality requirements and discuss the appropriateness for their intended use. Accuracy, precision, representativeness, completeness, and comparability need to be addressed, if applicable.
- Describe the procedures for determining the quality of the secondary data.
- Describe the plan for data management/integrity.
- Method development:
(Note: The data collected for use in method development or evaluation should be described in the QAS as per the guidance in section 3A and/or 3B above.)Describe the scope and application of the method, any tests (and measurements) to be conducted to support the method development, the type of instrumentation that will be used and any required instrument conditions (e.g., calibration frequency), planned QC checks and associated criteria (e.g., spikes, replicates, blanks), and tests to verify the method's performance.
- Development or refinement of models:
(Note: The data collected for use in the development or refinement of models should be described in the QAS as per the guidance in section 3A and/or 3B above.)- Discuss the scope and purpose of the model, key assumptions to be made during development/refinement, requirements for code development, and how the model will be documented.
- Discuss verification techniques to ensure the source code implements the model correctly.
- Discuss validation techniques to determine that the model (assumptions and algorithms) captures the essential phenomena with adequate fidelity.
- Discuss plans for long-term maintenance of the model and associated data.
- Development or operation of environmental technology:
(Note: The data collected for use in the development or evaluation of the technology should be described in the QAS as per the guidance in section 3A and/or 3B above.)- Describe the overall purpose and anticipated impact of the technology.
- Describe the technical and quality specifications of each technology component or process that is to be designed, fabricated, constructed, and/or operated.
- Discuss the procedure to be used for documenting and controlling design changes.
- Discuss the procedure to be used for documenting the acceptability of processes and components, and discuss how the technology will be benchmarked and its effectiveness determined.
- Discuss the documentation requirements for operating instructions/guides for maintenance and use of the system(s) and/or process(s).
- Conducting surveys:
(Note: The data to be collected in the survey and any supporting data should be described in the QAS as per the guidance in section 3A and/or 3B above.)Discuss the justification for the size of the proposed sample for both the overall project and all subsamples for specific treatments or tests. Identify and explain the rational for the proposed statistical techniques (e.g., evaluation of statistical power).
- Collection of new/primary data:
- Discuss data management activities (e.g., record-keeping procedures, data-handling procedures, and the approach used for data storage and retrieval on electronic media). Include any required computer hardware and software and address any specific performance requirements for the hardware/software configuration used.
- References: References cited are in addition to other page limits (e.g. research plan, quality assurance statement, data plan)
- Research Plan (15 pages)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Budget
Prepare a budget table using the guidance and form found at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms, and select "All required forms." If a subaward, such as a subagreement with an educational institution, is greater than $25,000 and is included in the application, provide a separate budget and budget justification for the subaward. Include the total amount for the subaward under "Other" in the master budget. Any project containing subawards or subcontracts that constitute more than 40% of the total direct cost of the application will be subject to special review. Additional justification for use of these must be provided, discussing the need for the subaward/subcontract to accomplish the objectives of the research project.
Please note that institutional cost-sharing is not required. However, if cost-sharing is proposed, a brief statement concerning cost-sharing should be added to the budget justification, and estimated dollar amounts must be included in the appropriate categories in the budget table.
- Budget Justification [2 pages in addition to the Section 6 page limitations, not including additions under Nos. (6) and (7) below to support contracts and subawards]
Describe the basis for calculating the personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and other costs identified in the itemized budget. The budget justification should not exceed two consecutively numbered (bottom center), 8.5x11-inch pages of single-spaced, standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins.
Budget information should be supported at the level of detail described below:
- Personnel: List all staff positions by title. Give annual salary, percentage of time assigned to the project, and total cost for the budget period.
- Fringe Benefits: Identify the percentage used and the basis for its computation.
- Travel: Specify the estimated number of trips, locations, and other costs for each type of travel. Explain the need for any travel, paying particular attention to travel outside the United States. Include travel funds for annual GRO program progress reviews (estimate for two days in Washington, D.C.) and a final workshop to report on results.
- Equipment: Identify all tangible, non-expendable personal property to be purchased that has an estimated cost of $5,000 or more per unit and a useful life of more than one year. (Personal property items with a unit cost of less than $5,000 are considered supplies.)
- Supplies: "Supplies" means tangible property other than "equipment." Identify categories of supplies to be procured (e.g., laboratory supplies or office supplies). Specifically identify computers to be purchased or upgraded.
- Contractual: Identify each proposed contract for services/analyses or consultants and specify its purpose and estimated cost. Contracts greater than $25,000 must have a separate itemized budget and budget justification, not to exceed one additional page each, included as part of the application.
- Other: List each item in sufficient detail for the EPA to determine the reasonableness of its cost relative to the research to be undertaken. Note that subawards, such as those with other universities for members of the research team, are included in this category. Subawards greater than $25,000 must have a separate itemized budget and budget justification, not to exceed one additional page each, included as part of the application.
- Indirect Costs: If indirect costs are included in the budget, indicate the approved rate and base with an explanation of how the indirect costs were calculated.
- Budget
- Resumes
Provide resumes for each investigator and important co-worker. The resume for each individual must not exceed two consecutively numbered (bottom center), 8.5x11-inch pages of single-spaced, standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins.
- Current and Pending Support
Complete a current and pending support form (provided at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms) for each investigator and important co-worker. Include all current and pending research regardless of source.
- Guidelines, Limitations, and Additional Requirements
- Letters of Intent/Letters of Support
Letters of intent to provide resources for the proposed research or to document intended interactions are limited to one brief paragraph committing the availability of a resource (e.g., use of a person's time or equipment) or intended interaction (e.g., sharing of data, as-needed consultation) that is described in the Research Plan. Letters of intent are to be included as an addition to the budget justification documents.
All letters that do not commit a resource vital to success of the proposal are considered letters of support. Letters of support, and letters of intent that exceed one brief paragraph, are considered part of the Research Plan and are included in the 15-page Research Plan limit.
Note: Letters of intent or support must be part of the application; letters submitted separately will not be accepted. Any transactions between the successful applicant and parties providing letters of support or intent financed with EPA grant funds are subject to the funding restrictions described in Section IV. D.
- Funding Opportunity Number(s) (FON)
At various places in the application, applicants are asked to identify the FON.
The Funding Opportunity Number for this RFA is:
Detection and Monitoring of Engineered Nanomaterials, EPA-G2007-GO-W1
- Confidentiality
By submitting an application in response to this solicitation, the applicant grants the EPA permission to make limited disclosures of the application to technical reviewers both within and outside the Agency for the express purpose of assisting the Agency with evaluating the application. Information from a pending or unsuccessful application will be kept confidential to the fullest extent allowed under law; information from a successful application may be publicly disclosed to the extent permitted by law.
In accordance with 40 CFR 2.203, applicants may claim all or a portion of the application as confidential business information (for example, hypotheses or methodologies contained in the research narrative that the applicant wishes to protect from possible public disclosure). EPA will evaluate confidentiality claims in accordance with 40 CFR Part 2. Applicants must clearly mark applications or portions of applications they claim as confidential. If no claim of confidentiality is made, the EPA is not required to make an inquiry to the applicant as otherwise required by 40 CFR 2.204(c) (2) prior to disclosure.
- Letters of Intent/Letters of Support
C. Submission Dates and Times
For paper copy submissions, the original and two (2) copies of the complete application (3 in all, see E. below) must be received by NCER no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date. Electronic applications must be transferred to Grants.gov no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date. Applications received after the closing date and time will be returned to the sender without further consideration.
It should be noted that this schedule may be changed without prior notification because of factors not anticipated at the time of announcement. In the case of a change in the solicitation closing date, a new date will be posted on the NCER web site and a modification posted on www.grants.gov.
Solicitation Closing Date: September 13, 2007, 4:00 pm Eastern Time for paper applications, 4:00 pm Eastern Time for electronic submissions.
NOTE: Customarily, applicants are notified about evaluation decisions within six months of the solicitation closing date. Awards are generally made 9-12 months after the solicitation closing date.
D. Funding Restrictions
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 an assistance agreement 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, 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 grantees and other contacts, including site visits, with the Principal Investigator.
If you wish to submit applications for more than one STAR funding opportunity you must ensure that the research proposed in each application is significantly different from any other that has been submitted to the EPA or from any other financial assistance you are currently receiving from the EPA or other federal government agency.
Collaborative applications involving more than one institution must be submitted as a single administrative package from one of the institutions involved.
EPA awards funds to on
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.