Grantee Research Project Results
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Research
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program
National Science Foundation (NSF)
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program
CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY
Increasing Scientific Data on the Fate, Transport and Behavior of Engineered Nanomaterials in Selected Environmental and Biological Matrices
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number:
- EPA-G2010-STAR-N1 Fate, Transport, and Transformation
EPA-G2010-STAR-N2 Food Matrices
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: EPA: 66.509, USDA: 10.310
Solicitation Opening Date: November 6, 2009
Solicitation Closing Date: February 2, 2010, 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time
Eligibility Contact: William Stelz (stelz.william@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8039
Electronic Submissions: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-0442
EPA Technical Contact: Nora Savage (savage.nora@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8104
NSF Technical Contact: Mihail Roco (mroco@nsf.gov); phone: 703-292-8301
USDA Technical Contact: Hongda Chen (hchen@csrees.usda.gov); phone: 202-401-6497
Access Standard STAR Forms (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms)
View research awarded under previous solicitations (https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.archive/RFATypeList/G,C)
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are seeking applications proposing research to provide data that improves the scientific understanding of fate/transport and behavior of engineered nanomaterials.
Fostering international research collaboration is one aim of this solicitation and is encouraged and will be evaluated as part of the peer review evaluation under Section V. As an example of international research solicitations in this area, please see the EC call (solicitation) published on the 30th of July: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CooperationDetailsCallPage&call_id=276
Award Information:
Anticipated Type of Award: Grant or Cooperative Agreement
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 7 awards
- EPA will fund no more than 3 awards
NSF will fund no more than 2 awards
USDA/NIFA will fund no more than 2 awards
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $4.2 million total for all awards
- EPA will award no more than $1.8 million total for a total of 3 awards
NSF will award no more than $1.2 million total for a total of 2 awards
USDA/NIFA will award no more than $1.2 million for a total of 2 awards
Potential Funding per Award: Up to a total of $600,000, including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of 4 years.
Cost-sharing is not required. Proposals with budget requests that exceed the total award limits will not be considered.
Eligibility Information:
EPA
Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the U.S., state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply. See full announcement for more details.
NSF
NSF will fund the following: for-profit or nonprofit organizations; public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories; units of state and local governments; eligible agencies of the Federal government; domestic institutions/organizations only; faith-based community-based organizations; federally recognized Indian Tribes, Tribal Governments, Colleges, and/or Organizations. See full announcement for more details.
USDA
Eligible applicants for the grant program implemented under this subpart include: (1) State agricultural experiment stations; (2) colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher); (3) university research foundations; (4) other research institutions and organizations; (5) Federal agencies, (6) national laboratories; (7) private organizations or corporations; (8) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nations, or permanent residents; and (9) any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in (1) through (8). Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations.
Application Materials:
The necessary forms for submitting a STAR application will be found on the National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) web site, http://epa.govhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. Electronic submission of your application must be performed by an authorized representative of your organization.
Applicants must submit the full application in PDF format via electronic mail to 2010-NANOFATE-APPS@epa.gov with the funding opportunity number (FON) in the subject line by the solicitation closing date and time.
If you do not have the technical capability to utilize the electronic mail submission process for this solicitation, call 1-800-490-9194 or send a webmail message to (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/forms/contact-us-about-research-grants) at least 15 calendar days before the submission deadline to assure timely receipt of alternate submission instructions. In your message provide the funding opportunity number and title of the program, specify that you are requesting alternate submission instructions, and provide a telephone number, fax number, and an email address, if available. Alternate instructions will be e-mailed whenever possible. Any applications submitted through alternate submission methods must comply with all the provisions of this RFA, including Section IV, and be submitted by the solicitation closing date and time identified above.
Agency Contacts:
Eligibility Contact: William Stelz (stelz.william@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8039
Electronic Submissions: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-0442
EPA Technical Contact: Nora Savage (savage.nora@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8104
NSF Technical Contact: Mihail Roco (mroco@nsf.gov); phone: 703-292-8301
USDA Technical Contact: Hongda Chen (hchen@csrees.usda.gov); phone: 202-401-6497
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A. Introduction
The sponsors of this request for applications (RFA) are interested in supporting fundamental and applied research related to engineered nanomaterials in the following two areas:
- Evaluation of potential exposures to engineered nanomaterials including an exploration of environmental and biological fate, transport, and transformation of these materials throughout their lifetimes; and
- Increasing the scientific understanding of engineered nanoscale additives and ingredients intentionally introduced into food matrices for delivery of important micronutrients and modification of sensory attributes.
Applications must address one of these two areas.
Fostering international research collaboration is one aim of this solicitation and international research collaboration is encouraged.
B. Background
Nanotechnology has been defined by the Interagency Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) of the federal Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) as follows: . the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 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. (http://www.nano.gov/html/facts/whatIsNano.html). Nanotechnology is rapidly becoming a major enabling technology, with a projected consumer market value in the trillions of US dollars within the next 15-20 years.
Many companies are currently involved in the manufacture of nanoscale materials which are used in a wide range of products, such as sunscreens, composites, sporting equipment, and catalysts. According to data collected by the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the quantity of nanoscale materials engineered by various industries is expected to grow significantly within the next 8 to 10 years. (see Mihail Roco, Nanotechnologys Future, Scientific American, 24 July 2006, 7 Oct. 2006, http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00029E0B-34C6-14C0-AFE483414B7F4945&sc=I100322.
There is currently insufficient information about the fate/transport and behavior of engineered nanomaterials, e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, fullerene derivatives, and other nanoscale materials. Public health and environmental safety concerns about nanotechnology have been raised and a variety of research needs in this area have been identified by the Nanotechnology Environmental & Health Implications Working Group (NEHI) of the NNI. The following documents published by the NEHI Working Group can be found at: http://www.nano.gov/html/res/pubs.html
- Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research (PDF - 2.2 MB), February 2008
- Prioritization of Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials, August 2007
- Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials, September 2006
International collaboration is critical for the rapid advance of scientific understanding of public health and environmental safety concerns as well as to the development of products which will improve our quality of life. Environmental damage is not confined within geographic or political borders and effects are often experienced on a global scale. In addition, industries are global in both manufacturing and distribution. Consequently, international research collaborations are encouraged.
Under this RFA, the U.S. EPA, NSF, and USDA/NIFA are interested in supporting research related to: (1) Evaluation of potential exposures to engineered nanomaterials including an exploration of environmental and biological fate, transport, and transformation of these materials throughout their lifetimes; and (2) Improvements in the scientific understanding of engineered nanoscale additives and ingredients that may be intentionally introduced into food for delivery of important micronutrients and modification of sensory attributes.
Fate, Transport and Behavior of Engineered Nanomaterials, EPA-G2010-STAR-N1
Research Area 1: Evaluation of potential exposures to engineered nanomaterials including an exploration of environmental and biological fate, transport, and transformation of these materials throughout their lifetimes
There is an urgent need to evaluate the fate and transport of nanomaterials in the environment and to consider the possible impacts of nanomaterials from their initial generation through product manufacturing, use and final disposition. As nanomaterials are released and migrate from one media to another, they may be physically altered. Current toxicity literature indicates that alterations of nanomaterials (coated, agglomerated/aggregated, suspended, functionalized, etc.) can change their toxicity. Consequently, it is necessary to characterize the nanomaterials during exposure to living organisms. Such information will enable the development of benign nanomaterials that, should exposure occur, will not result in adverse effects upon human health or the environment. The generation of this data requires scrutiny of the entire life cycle of the material. Developing life cycle perspectives for nanomaterials will provide critical information concerning the material form of nanoproducts and the applicable environmental media in which they will likely exist. In addition, information concerning the persistence and bioavailability will be obtained to help quantify potential dosages. The fate and transport of nanomaterials may be influenced by geochemical conditions of the media, and processes such as sorption, dissolution, deposition, etc. Specific nanomaterials of interest include nano silver, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide, nano-scale zero-valent iron (nZVI), quantum dots, and carbon-based.
Fate, Transport and Behavior of Engineered Nanomaterials, EPA-G2010-STAR-N2
Research Area 2: Improve the scientific understanding of engineered nanoscale additives and ingredients that may be intentionally introduced into food for delivery of important micronutrients and modification of sensory attributes.
Research and development at nanoscale science have significantly extended into the food and agriculture sector over the last few years both in the US, EU and other parts of the world. Applications of nanotechnologies aimed at improving human health and well being through food products and sustaining economic growth have been actively investigated. With the expectation of new products incorporating novel nanostructured food additives, ingredients and micronutrients, it is important to scientifically understand the characteristics and safety of engineered nanoscale food additives, ingredients, and micronutrient delivery complexes.
This Research Area is intended to address the urgent needs to scientifically understand the fate and properties of nanoscale materials and additives that may be used or introduced into foods. The pioneer study in this area is an important step towards responsible development and deployment of nanotechnology called for in the 2007 NNI Strategic Plan. It will also help to assess the adequacy of the existing characterization methods to study the critical questions, and establish the baseline for the needs of new characterization methodology. The information gained from this research will provide guidance on the extent of future investigation needs on the nanoscale food materials and additives. This research will complement proposed EU efforts to develop suitable techniques to detect nanostructures in food. It also complements other sections of this RFA regarding the environmental fate and transport properties of engineered nanoparticles.
The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from the EPAs Strategic Plan that relate to this solicitation are:
Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems, Objective 4.4: Enhance Science and Research
The EPAs Strategic Plan can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2006/entire_report.pdf (PDF) (184 pp, 9.87 MB)
C. Authority and Regulations
EPAs authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1, Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254, Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r, and the Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403. 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), 40 CFR Part 31 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments) 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, OMB Circular A-87 (Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments) relocated to 2 CFR Part 225, OMB Circular A-102 (Grants and Cooperative Agreements With State and Local Governments), OMB Circular A-110 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Non-Profit Organizations) relocated to 2 CFR Part 215, and OMB Circular A-122, (Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations) relocated to 2 CFR Part 230.
The USDA authority for this RFA is contained in Section 7406 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) (Pub. L. 110-246) which amends section 2(b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI); a new competitive grant program to provide funding for fundamental and applied research, extension, and education to address food and agricultural sciences. AFRI is subject to the provision found at 7 CFR Part 3430.
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.
Research Area 1: Relevant goals of this research include increasing scientific knowledge on the partitioning of nanomaterials in various media and increased data on movement and transformation capacities. Information about fate, transport, and transformation is necessary to estimate exposure to and to understand the potential risks of engineered nanomaterials. Research questions that might be addressed in applications include but are not limited to:
- At what point in the lifetime of the engineered nanomaterial might exposure occur?
- Can engineered nanomaterials be grouped or tiered based on exposure potential?
- What are the potential routes by which engineered nanomaterials could enter biological organisms?
- What are the potential routes by which engineered nanomaterials could enter the environment?
- What are the characteristics of nanomaterials in terms of dispersion/aggregation/agglomeration?
- What transformations could engineered nanoparticles undergo throughout their lifetimes?
- How do/could nanomaterials migrate within a media and from one media to another, (e.g. nanoscale zero-valent iron - nZVI - in subsurface environments)?
- What is the fate of nanomaterials as they move through waste treatment systems, including wastewater treatment plants, incinerators, or when placed in landfills (e.g. could they migrate through landfill liners)? What is the fate of nanomaterials in products that are recycled?
International collaboration is encouraged.
Research Area 2: Research and development at nanoscale science have significantly extended into the food and agriculture sector over the last few years both in the US, EU and other parts of the world. Applications of nanotechnologies aimed at improving human health and well being through food products and sustaining economic growth have been actively investigated. With the expectation of new products incorporating novel nanostructured food additives, ingredients and micronutrients, it is important to scientifically understand the characteristics and safety of engineered nanoscale food additives, ingredients, and micronutrient delivery complexes.
This section of the RFA is intended to address the urgent needs to scientifically understand the fate and properties of nanoscale materials and additives that may be used or introduced into foods. The pioneer study in this area is an important step towards responsible development and deployment of nanotechnology called for in the 2007 NNI Strategic Plan. It will also help to assess the adequacy of the existing characterization methods to study the critical questions, and establish the baseline for the needs of new characterization methodology. The information gained from this research will provide guidance on the extent of future investigation needs on the nanoscale food materials and additives. This research will complement proposed EU efforts to develop suitable techniques to detect nanostructures in food. It also complements other sections. Relevant research questions that might be addressed in applications include but are not limited to:
- Are there adequate physical and chemical methods to characterize engineered nanoscale food materials?
- Are engineered nanoscale food materials structurally stable through processing, storage, distribution and use? Do they dissolve, aggregate, or agglomerate in food processing media? Do they maintain structural and size integrity throughout the intended use life (from the inception to the digestion and the uptake)?
- Are they digested or persistent in vivo?
- Are their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties different from their bulk equivalents?
- Are they able to trans-locate across cell membranes, and have the bio-kinetics been characterized?
- Are they toxic at the intended application range/exposure level through oral ingestion?
This research area will focus on nanoscale food materials and additives. The intended uses of nanoscale materials in foods are to offer consumer benefits to improve health and well being. Their uses to improve food quality, safety and value must have been demonstrated through previous research. Their manufacturing at the bench scale level with precise control of material size at nanoscale must have been well developed. Multidisciplinary approaches that integrate scientific and engineering strengths in food, nutrition, nanotechnology, toxicology, physics, chemistry and others is highly recommended. International collaboration is encouraged.
Outputs and Outcomes for These Two Research Areas:
Unique characteristics of nano-phase and nano-particulate transport, bioavailability and potential human interactions and how they can be distinguished from background environmental influences are of particular significance. Outputs from this research may include providing researchers with critical information concerning the fate of engineered nanomaterials and strategy development for increasing the collaboration and coordination of environmental research on engineered nanomaterials at both national and international levels. Outcomes include the enhancement of environmental protection through the increased availability of important fate and transport data on these materials and increased knowledge gained concerning the fate, transport, and transformation of engineered nanomaterials as they enter and move through various ecosystems.
E. References
United States, National Science and Technology Council, Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry: Supplement to the Presidents FY 2010 Budget (Washington, Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2006) http://nano.gov/NNI_07Budget.pdf (PDF) (76 pp, 1.12 MB, about PDF)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Nanotechnology White Paper, February 15, 2007, Science Policy Council, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC 20460 (https://www.epa.gov/osa/pdfs/nanotech/epa-nanotechnology-whitepaper-0207.pdf)
Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research (PDF - 2.2 MB), February 2008 (http://www.nano.gov/NNI_EHS_Research_Strategy.pdf)
Prioritization of Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials, August 2007 (http://www.nano.gov/Prioritization_EHS_Research_Needs_Engineered_Nanoscale_Materials.pdf)
Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials, September 2006 (http://www.nano.gov/NNI_EHS_research_needs.pdf)
United States, National Science and Technology Council, Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials (Washington: Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2006). http://www.nano.gov/NNI_EHS_research_needs.pdf (PDF) (80 pp, 1.06 MB, about PDF)
Andrew Maynard, et al. Safe Handling of Nanotechnology. Nature 16 Nov: 267 (2006).
Andrew Maynard, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars: Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Nanotechnology: A Research Strategy for Addressing Risk July 2006: 35.
The Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: Opportunities and uncertainties. London, July 2004, pp. 26-7, available online at www.nanotec.org.uk/finalReport.htm.
F. Special Requirements
Agency policy prevents EPA technical staff and managers from providing individual applicants with information that may create an unfair competitive advantage. Consequently, EPA employees will not review, comment, advise, and/or provide technical assistance to applicants preparing applications in response to this RFA, nor will they endorse an application or discuss in any manner how the Agency will apply the published evaluation criteria for this competition.
Multiple Investigator applications may be submitted as: (1) a single Lead Principal Investigator (PI) application with Co-PI(s) or (2) a Multiple PI application (with a single Contact PI). If you choose to submit a Multiple PI application, you must follow the specific instructions provided in Sections IV. and V. of this RFA. For further information, please see the EPA Implementation Plan for Policy on Multiple Principal Investigators and, for NIFA, the CSREES, USDA, Implementation Plan for Recognizing Multiple Principle Investigators on Federally-Funded Research Projects, both at (http://rbm.nih.gov/toolkit.htm).
Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a consortium and submit a single application for this assistance agreement. The application must identify which organization will be the recipient of the assistance agreement and which organizations(s) will be subawardees of the recipient.
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $4.2 million (no more than $1.8 million from EPA, no more than $1.2 million from USDA/NIFA, and no more than $1.2 million from NSF) will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds and quality of applications received. Anticipated funding will result in approximately 7 awards (no more than 3 awards by EPA, no more than 2 awards by USDA/NIFA, and no more than 2 awards by NSF) among the participating agencies under this RFA. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $600,000 including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. The total project period requested in an application submitted for this RFA may not exceed 4 years. Awards will be made in accordance with the respective policies of each funding agency.
EPA
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 six months after the original selection decisions.
EPA may award 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 may award 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. Proposals may 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.
USDA
There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards. USDA/NIFA anticipates funding 2 grants or cooperative agreements under this announcement.
Applicants selected for USDA funding will be required to submit additional forms and documents as detailed in “A Guide for Preparation and Submission of NIFA Applications via Grants.gov (PDF)” (available at LINK). All awards made from USDA will be limited to an indirect cost cap of 22% of the total Federal funds awarded. Revised budgets will be solicited if these guidelines are not met by an application to be awarded by USDA/NIFA.
A. Eligible Applicants
EPA
Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the U.S., state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.
Eligible nonprofit organizations include any organizations that meet the definition of nonprofit in OMB Circular A-122, located at 2 CFR Part 230. 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 applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. The institution, organization, or governance receiving the award may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the EPA to an 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 an assistance agreement, and may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations in other ways through awards made 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 William Stelz (stelz.william@epa.gov) in NCER, phone (202) 343-9802
USDA
Eligible applicants for the grant program implemented under this subpart include: (1) State agricultural experiment stations; (2) colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher); (3) university research foundations; (4) other research institutions and organizations; (5) Federal agencies, (6) national laboratories; (7) private organizations or corporations; (8) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nations, or permanent residents; and (9) any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in (1) through (8). Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations. Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.
NSF
NSF will fund the following: for-profit or nonprofit organizations; public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories; units of state and local governments; eligible agencies of the Federal government; domestic institutions/organizations only; faith-based community-based organizations; federally recognized Indian Tribes, Tribal Governments, Colleges, and/or Organizations.
B. Cost-Sharing
Institutional cost-sharing is not required.
C. Other
Applicants must submit applications for one of the two listed research areas in Section I:
Fate, Transport and Behavior of Engineered Nanomaterials, EPA-G2010-STAR-N1
Research Area 1: Evaluation of potential exposures to engineered nanomaterials including an exploration of environmental and biological fate, transport, and transformation of these materials throughout their lifetimes
Fate, Transport and Behavior of Engineered Nanomaterials, EPA-G2010-STAR-N2
Research Area 2: Improve the scientific understanding of engineered nanoscale additives and ingredients that may be intentionally introduced into food for delivery of important micronutrients and modification of sensory attributes.
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 submitted to EPA (see Section IV.E. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements” for further information) 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 by EPA, 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.
Congress has prohibited the use of federal funds to award grants to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or any of its subsidiaries and therefore in order to be eligible for funding consideration under this competition all applicants must affirmatively indicate in their application that they are not subject to this prohibition. In addition, since this funding prohibition applies to subawards/subgrants and contracts awarded by grantees, applicants must consider it when preparing applications.
Applications deemed ineligible for funding consideration will be notified within fifteen calendar days of the ineligibility determination.
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
A. Internet Address to Request Application Package
The full application must be submitted electronically via e-mail to 2010-NANOFATE-APPS@epa.gov (or through any authorized alternate submission methods described below) by the solicitation closing date and time. All necessary forms are available at http://epa.govhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms.
An email will be sent by NCER to the Lead/Contact PI 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 Section E. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements” for additional information regarding the application receipt acknowledgment.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
The application is made by submitting the materials described below. Applications must contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described.
- Standard Form 424
The applicant must complete Standard Form 424. 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 signature of an authorized representative of the applying organization.
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, does not apply to the Office of Research and Development's research and training programs unless EPA has determined that the activities that will be carried out under the applicants' proposal (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.
If EPA determines that Executive Order 12372 applies to an applicant's proposal, the applicant must follow the procedures in 40 CFR Part 29. The applicant must notify their state's single point of contact (SPOC). To determine whether their state participates in this process, and how to comply, applicants should consult http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. If an applicant is in a State that does not have a SPOC, or the State has not selected research and development grants for intergovernmental review, the applicant must notify directly affected State, area wide, regional and local entities of its proposal.
EPA will notify the successful applicant(s) if Executive Order 12372 applies to its proposal prior to award.
- Key Contacts
The applicant must complete the Key Contacts form available at http://epa.govhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. The form includes an Additional Key Contacts page to be completed for additional investigators. The Key Contacts form should also be completed for major sub-agreements (i.e., primary investigators). Please make certain that all contact information is accurate.For Multiple PI applications: The Additional Key Contacts form must be completed (see Section I.F. for further information). Note: The Contact PI must be affiliated with the institution submitting the application. EPA will direct all communications related to scientific, technical, and budgetary aspects of the project to the Contact PI; however, any information regarding an application will be shared with any PI upon request. The Contact PI is to be listed on the Key Contact Form as the Principal Investigator. For additional PIs, complete the Major Co-Investigator fields and identify PI status next to the name (e.g., Name: John Smith, Principal Investigator).
- Table of Contents
Provide a list of the major subdivisions of the application indicating the page number on which each section begins. - 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 EPA funding will be posted on the NCER web site and the NIFA-funded applications on the USDA/NIFA 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 and USDA/NIFA website.
- 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, use more commonly understood terminology. Do not use general phrases such as research on.
- Investigators: For applications with multiple investigators, state whether this is a single Lead PI (with co-PIs) or Multiple PI application (see Section I.F.). For Lead PI applications, list the Lead PI, then the name(s) of each co-PI who will significantly contribute to the project. For Multiple PI applications, list the Contact PI, then the name(s) of each additional PI. 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 (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: http://epa.govhttps://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.
- Approach/Activities: Outline the research design, methods, and techniques that you intend to use in meeting the objectives stated above.
- 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 publics ability to protect the environment and human health. A clear, concise description will help the funding agencies and peer reviewers understand the merits of the research.
- 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.
- 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 persons functions, experience, and authority within the research organization. Describe the organizations 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 rationale 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 methods 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 master budget table using SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (aka SF-424A), available at http://epa.govhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. Only complete Section B-Budget Categories. Provide the object class budget ca
- Budget
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.