Grantee Research Project Results
Special Announcements
- The 2011 STAR Fellowship Award notice date will be delayed until May 30, 2011. The STAR Fellowship RFA called: "Fall 2011 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships For Graduate Environmental Study" which Opened on September 2, 2010 and closed on November 5, 2010 indicated that each applicant would receive an award or declination letter by April 1, 2011. The RFA also indicated that this schedule may be changed without notification due to factors that were not anticipated at the time of announcement. The purpose of this announcement is to let all applicants know that the award letters will not be sent until May 30, 2011 and declination letters will be sent during April and May. This will not effect the start dates of the awards. Please note that the earliest anticipated start date is still September 1, 2011 for these awards.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Research
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program
CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY
Fall 2011 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships For Graduate Environmental Study
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number: (See Section I.D. for descriptions)
| NUMBER | TOPIC TITLE |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-A1 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Innovative Investigations for Oil Spill Impacts (A1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-A2 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Social Sciences (A2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-A3 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Information Science (A3) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-B1 | Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities (B1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-C1 | Nanotechnology (C1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-D1 | Science & Technology for Sustainability: Environmental Entrepreneurship (D1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-D2 | Science & Technology for Sustainability: Green Engineering/Building/Chemical Products & Processes/Materials Development (D2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-D3 | Science & Technology for Sustainability: Green Energy/Natural Resources Production & Use (D3) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-E1 | Global Change (E1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-F1 | Clean Air (F1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-G1 | Drinking Water (G1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-H1 | Water Quality: Hydrogeology and Surface Water (H1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-H2 | Water Quality: Coastal and Estuarine Processes (H2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-I1 | Human Health: Public Health (I1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-I2 | Human Health: Risk Assessment and Risk Management (I2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-J1 | Ecosystem Services: Aquatic Systems Ecology (J1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-J2 | Ecosystem Services: Terrestrial Systems Soil and Plant Ecology (J2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-J3 | Ecosystem Services: Terrestrial Systems Animal Ecology (J3) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-K1 | Pesticides and Toxic Substances (K1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-L1 | Land Protection (L1) |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.514
| Solicitation Opening Date: | September 2, 2010 |
| Solicitation Closing Date: | November 5, 2010 |
| Solicitation Closing Time: | 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) to receive paper applications. |
| 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) for electronic submission through Grants.gov. | |
| 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) for e-mail submission of All Letters of Recommendation. |
Access STAR Fellowship Application Package and Forms (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms)
View research awarded under previous solicitations (https://www.epa.gov/research-fellowships/)
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline is November 5, 2010 at 4:00 PM for receipt of paper applications, and November 5, 2010 at 11:59:59 PM ET for submittal of electronic applications to Grants.gov. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 105 new fellowships by June 30, 2011. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years. The fellowship program provides up to $42,000 per year of support per fellowship.
Award Information:
Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 105 awards
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $4.5 million for all awards
Potential Funding per Fellowship: $42,000 per year per fellowship. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years. Cost sharing is not required.
If selected to receive a fellowship, you will be contacted no later than April 1, 2011 and should subsequently receive your official notification of award by June 30, 2011, for the fall term. Please note that this schedule may be changed without notification due to factors that were not anticipated at the time of announcement. The earliest anticipated start date for these awards is September 1, 2011.
- Students must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories) for their graduate studies.
- Applicants must also be citizens of the U.S. or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card number in their application (you must have your green card at the time of application to be eligible for this Fellowship opportunity). EPA may verify this number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of the Department of Homeland Security.
Application Materials:
The following Application Materials must be submitted:
- Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form (SF) 424 (for electronic submissions via Grants.gov) or Standard Form (SF) 424 I-Individual (for paper submissions)
- EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54)
- Front Page
- Personal Statement
- Proposal Description
- Background Information:
- Education & Relevant Experiences
Publications & Presentations
Course Work
- Education & Relevant Experiences
- Letters of Recommendation (sent by referees)
You may submit only one application for this announcement, which means choosing only one Funding Opportunity Number (FON)/Topic.
You may submit either a paper application or an electronic application via Grants.gov but not both for this announcement. The necessary forms for submitting a STAR Fellowship paper application can be found on the NCER web site, https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. To apply electronically, you must use the application package available at Grants.gov (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications"). See Section IV for further information on application submission procedures.
Agency Contacts:
Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPAhttps://www.epa.gov/research-grants resources listed below. To obtain information most quickly, consult the "Guidance & FAQs." If your question is not covered, then call the toll-free telephone number or send a query to 2011FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov. You will receive a personal response through a return telephone call or e-mail. Information regarding this RFA obtained from sources other than those indicated below may not be accurate.
Guidance & FAQs: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/grant-faqs-2015.pdf
Contact Person: Brandon Jones, e-mail: 2011FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov
Toll-free Number: 1-800-490-9194
Electronic Submissions Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-0442
Eligibility Contact: James Gentry (gentry.james@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9798
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A. Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), invites applications for the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships for graduate environmental study for master’s and doctoral level students. The deadline is November 5, 2010 at 4:00 PM for receipt of paper applications, and November 5, 2010 at 11:59:59 PM ET for submittal of electronic applications via Grants.gov. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 105 new fellowships by June 30, 2011. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years. The fellowship program provides up to $42,000 per year of support per fellowship. This amount covers a monthly stipend of $2,083 for up to 12 months totaling $25,000 for the year, $5,000 for authorized expenses, and up to $12,000 for tuition and fees. The actual amount awarded per year will vary depending on the amount of tuition and fees and the number of months the stipend is required. These fellowships are intended to help defray costs associated with advanced, environmentally-oriented study leading to a master's or doctoral degree.
This solicitation contains several important changes from the previous solicitation. First, Social Sciences and Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communitieshave been added as topic areas in response to the EPA Administrator’s priorities. Secondly, Nanotechnology has been added in response to the Assistant Administrator’s articulated vision for the Office of Research and Development. Lastly, a special topic area entitled Innovative Investigations for Oil Spill Impacts has been added in response to the emerging environmental issues surrounding offshore oil drilling and the potential human health and environmental impacts of those associated practices.
B. Background
The STAR Fellowship program was initiated in 1995. Approximately 1,500 STAR fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the program. The STAR Fellowship program is part of the national effort to help ensure that the U.S. meets its current and projected human resource needs in the environmental science, engineering, and policy fields (Jackson 2002). The purpose of the fellowship program is to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in an environmental field. The goals of the programs are to bolster the environmental generation of tomorrow, bridge to diverse communities, and boost excellent research and development that advance the protection of human health and the environment through education. These goals are consistent with the immediate and long‑term mission of EPA, to protect human health and the environment. The STAR Fellowship program has proven to be beneficial to both the public and private sectors by providing a steady stream of well‑trained environmental specialists to meet society’s environmental challenges (National Research Council 2003). It has also provided new environmental research in engineering and in the physical, biological, health, and social sciences.
The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from EPA's Strategic Plan that relate to this solicitation are: Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems and Objective 4.4: Enhance Science and Research. The EPA’s Strategic Plan can be found at 2006-2011 EPA Strategic Plan (PDF) (https://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2006/entire_report.pdf) (184 pp, 9.85 MB).
C. Authority and Regulations
The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1; Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r; Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254; and Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001, 42 U.S.C. 6981.
For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102 (2)(F).
Applicable Regulation: 40 CFR Part 46
D. Specific Areas/Topics of Interest
This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits applications from students to perform graduate level investigation towards protecting human health and the environment.
Applications are welcomed from students studying any academic discipline to the extent that the particular topic of research is related to EPA’s mission. This includes students studying in ecology, economics, engineering, modeling, the health sciences, physical sciences, earth sciences, exposure sciences, social sciences, informational sciences, mathematical and computer sciences, and environmental sciences.
The mission of the EPA STAR Fellowships Program is to help ensure that the U.S. meets its current and projected human resource needs in the environmental science, engineering, and policy fields. Thus the EPA is looking to fund students at the graduate level who are committed to meeting the challenges of today and the next generation by pursuing a career related to protecting human health and the environment. Proposals may come from students in traditional and interdisciplinary academic disciplines; from students studying in emerging fields that will require increased human capacity such as in the social and exposure sciences; from students utilizing multidisciplinary approaches and/or addressing multiple media; and, in areas which focus on environmental justice, environmental education, community-based participation, and/or environmental decision-making.
Selected candidates will have identified skills, achievements, and potential in consort with the program’s strategic goals: bolstering the environmental generation of tomorrow, bridging to diverse communities, and boosting excellent research & development that advance the protection of human health and the environment through education. Candidates will be evaluated for their demonstrated commitment to an environmental career, for the merit of the proposed area of inquiry, and for potential to have broader societal impacts. More specific information on selection criteria are found in Section V.
This RFA solicits applications from students performing investigations in a variety of environmentally-related research topics which are described below. By providing financial support across disciplines, EPA expects to continue to assist in increasing the nation’s environmental workforce and ability to produce leading edge research, and in advancing the nation’s research and development enterprise (The National Science & Technology Council 2004).
Funding Opportunity Numbers (FON)/Topics
EPA will select students whose projects meet high standards of scientific excellence and creativity, have the potential to broaden the academic frontiers of protecting human health and the environment today and in the next generation, and fall within the purview of EPA’s authorizing statutes (see Section I.C. “Authority and Regulations” for more details).
Thus, EPA seeks to fund projects that address protection of human health and the environment from a wide variety of perspectives and approaches, particularly those that relate to the purposes of pollution prevention and/or control.
Proposals may come from students in traditional and interdisciplinary academic disciplines; from students studying in emerging fields; from students utilizing multidisciplinary approaches and/or addressing multiple media; and, in areas which focus on environmental justice, environmental education, community-based participation, and/or environmental decision-making.
In order to assist EPA staff in the review and funding processes, applications must identify a single topic and corresponding Funding Opportunity Number (FON) that is appropriately related to the proposed area of inquiry. The review assignments will be made based on the one FON that you indicate in your application.
If your application seems to fit under more than one topic/FON, you still must choose a single topic/FON for purposes of submission. Your application can be submitted to one, and only one, topic/FON. EPA staff will not assist in identifying a topic/FON. Applicants should review the relevant authorizing statutes listed in Section I.C. Additionally, see the glossary of statutes prior to the descriptions.
Note: Your planned course of study and/or project should focus on one of the following topics of environmental significance. Also, see Section III.C. “Other” for additional requirements.
STAR GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP TOPICS and FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBERS (FON)
| NUMBER | TOPIC TITLE |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-A1 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Innovative Investigations for Oil Spill Impacts (A1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-A2 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Social Sciences (A2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-A3 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Information Science (A3) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-B1 | Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities (B1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-C1 | Nanotechnology (C1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-D1 | Science & Technology for Sustainability: Environmental Entrepreneurship (D1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-D2 | Science & Technology for Sustainability: Green Engineering/Building/Chemical Products & Processes/Materials Development (D2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-D3 | Science & Technology for Sustainability: Green Energy/Natural Resources Production & Use (D3) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-E1 | Global Change (E1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-F1 | Clean Air (F1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-G1 | Drinking Water (G1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-H1 | Water Quality: Hydrogeology and Surface Water (H1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-H2 | Water Quality: Coastal and Estuarine Processes (H2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-I1 | Human Health: Public Health (I1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-I2 | Human Health: Risk Assessment and Risk Management (I2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-J1 | Ecosystem Services: Aquatic Systems Ecology (J1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-J2 | Ecosystem Services: Terrestrial Systems Soil and Plant Ecology (J2) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-J3 | Ecosystem Services: Terrestrial Systems Animal Ecology (J3) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-K1 | Pesticides and Toxic Substances (K1) |
| EPA-F2011-STAR-L1 | Land Protection (L1) |
All projects should describe the relationship of these topic areas to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control.
| Glossary of Statutes | |
| CWA | Clean Water Act |
| CAA | Clean Air Act |
| FIFRA | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act |
| SWDA | Solid Waste Disposal Act |
| TSCA | Toxic Substances Control Act |
| SDWA | Safe Drinking Water Act |
- EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACHES & CHALLENGES (A)
EPA- F2011-STAR-A1: INNOVATIVE INVESTIGATIONS FOR OIL SPILL IMPACTS (A1)
In light of the April 20, 2010 British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the environmental and human health impacts of oil spills, including innovative remediation solutions. Proposals in this topic focus on investigations that have the potential to boost our understanding of environmental exposure, bioavailability, effects and risk towards underpinning appropriate management responses to oil spills of this kind.
Projects may include, but are not limited to identifying and characterizing environmentally benign dispersants with enhanced affinity for oil; generating and validating predictive models of environmental fate, behavior, bioavailability and effects for environmentally relevant oils and dispersants through key environmental pathways (i.e.,. source pathway receptor); developing novel tools/methods for detection, monitoring and quantitative assessment of exposure and bioavailability for environmentally relevant oils and dispersants; optimizing innovative technologies based on chemical, physical, and biological approaches for effective cleanup of the environment impacted by oil spills, etc.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, TSCA, SDWA
Please note that projects falling only under the purview of CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act - Superfund) cannot be supported by this fellowship.
Additional Note: Technology related proposals, particularly those related to treatment and remediation, may be well suited for other FON/Topics, including but not limited to Water Quality (H1 & H2), Science and Technology for Sustainability (D1, D2, & D3), and Clean Air (F1).
EPA-F2011-STAR-A2: SOCIAL SCIENCES (A2)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on enhancing the integrated use of the natural and social sciences into emerging trans-disciplinary environmental research as well as to examine the concepts of environmentalism, environmental decision-making, and environmental governance (e.g. ecosystem-based management, social-ecological systems, coupling social and natural systems). Proposals in this topic focus on identifying and expanding the importance of social and cultural dimensions in the protection of the environment and human health.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, bringing theories and methods of social sciences to subject areas such as environmentalism, environmental justice, environmental health, ecosystem services, air, land, pollution, risk assessment and/or risk management; broadening environmental decision-making schemes using more expansive social theories and methods to develop models, outputs, and interventions that protect human health and the environment; investigating social and cultural factors to gain more comprehensive understandings of the impacts of social indicators (e.g. understandings, behaviors or actions) for the protection of the environment and human health; etc.
Note: Proposals related to American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities and/or Tribes may be well suited for the Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities FON/Topic (B1).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
EPA-F2011-STAR-A3: INFORMATION SCIENCE (A3)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of processing environmental information to enhance decision making for pollution prevention and/or control. Proposals in this topic focus on facilitating environmental research and management by developing ways to access and/or integrate databases of environmental information, and developing new algorithms enabling different environmental datasets to be combined to test environmental hypotheses.
Projects may include applying informatics to environmental health, public health, ecosystem services, and/or environmental economics; broadening environmental decision-making and policy-development at the State, Local, and/or Tribal levels by using more expansive information processing techniques; engineering newer informational systems and technologies for environmental protection, etc.
Note: Proposals related to American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities and/or Tribes may be well suited for the Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities FON/Topic (B1).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
- EPA-F2011-STAR-B1: TRIBES AND AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE/PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES (B1)
Applications in this topic are for interests and investigations at the intersections of protecting the environment and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities and/or Tribes. Proposals in this topic focus on related environmental health, sustainability, and pollution prevention/remediation strategies and issues.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, assessing the impacts of environmental challenges on American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities and/or Tribes such as climate change, mining activities, water quality, drinking water reliability, invasive species, and land-use changes; exploring how American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander lifeways may be connected to unique risk and exposure pathways; exploring sustainability through tribes' traditional ecological knowledge and/or local ecological knowledge of an area; expanding the understanding of cumulative risk in tribes, American Indians/Alaska Natives/Pacific Islanders and related communities; analyzing environment-related governance amongst American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities such as risk management, multi-sectoral or emerging approaches, ecosystem-based management approaches, etc; exploring integrated approaches to providing reliable supplies of safe drinking water to American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities, etc.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
- EPA-F2011-STAR-C1: NANOTECHNOLOGY (C1)
Applications in this topic are for interests and investigations on engineered/manufactured nanomaterials. Proposals in this topic focus on how engineered/manufactured nanomaterials (including nano-bio and other emerging compounds) may be used to advance pollution prevention/remediation, and understanding material life cycles such that the impact of these materials can be accurately and rapidly assessed.
Projects may include, but are not limited to applying green chemistry and engineering to nanomaterial synthesis; exploring how nanomaterials can be used effectively to clean up contaminants released into the environment; investigating unique exposure pathways associated with nanomaterials; conducting a life cycle analysis on a particular class of nanomaterials, etc.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
- SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY (D)
Applications in this category are for interests in and investigations on the science and engineering of sustainability, pollution prevention, waste reduction, green engineering, green chemistry, green materials, recycling, and resource conservation and recovery. Proposals in this topic focus on the design and analysis of chemicals, materials, products, or systems, as well as urban and regional planning. Proposals in this area also include investigations at the intersection of sustainability and innovative technology development and utilization.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, developing technologies or analyses that enable multi-media pollution prevention of agricultural processes and practices; evaluating use of post-consumer or post-industrial recycled materials for new chemicals, materials, or products; examining life cycle assessment and other materials systems analyses; developing sustainability metrics and indicators that inform regional or industrial decision-making; green buildings; analyzing economy-wide environmental implications of technological or other changes; applying biometric approaches to material, product, or process design, etc.
Subtopicsapplicants to the Science & Technology for Sustainability topic area must choose one of the subtopics below:
EPA-F2011-STAR-D1: ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP (D1) (focusing on the intersection of sustainability and innovative technology development and utilization)
EPA-F2011-STAR-D2: GREEN ENGINEERING/BUILDING/CHEMICAL PRODUCTS & PROCESSES/MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT (D2)
(includes design for the environment, life cycle assessment, green building, agricultural improvements through multi-media pollution prevention)EPA-F2011-STAR-D3: GREEN ENERGY/NATURAL RESOURCES PRODUCTION & USE (D3) (focusing on multimedia pollution prevention)
Note: Technology related proposals, particularly those related to treatment and remediation, may be well suited for other FON/Topics, including but not limited to Drinking Water (G1), Water Quality (H1 & H2), and Land Protection (L1).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
- EPA-F2011-STAR-E1: GLOBAL CHANGE (E1)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of global change, particularly climate variability and change in the U.S. Proposals in this topic focus on global change impacts and mitigation of these impacts on air quality, water quality, ecosystems, human health, and socio-economic systems.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, examining the impacts of global climate change on air quality, water quality, aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems, or human health; adapting air or water quality management systems or decision support tools to respond to risks posed by climate change; understanding the environmental consequences of potential climate mitigation strategies, etc.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA
- EPA-F2011-STAR-F1: CLEAN AIR (F1)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of air quality and pollution. Proposals in this topic focus on air pollution assessment, monitoring, transport, transformation, control, management, and modeling.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, studying secondary formation of air pollutants, spatial temporal heterogeneity of particulate matter (PM) size fractions and components, studying the atmospheric science of air pollution mixtures, etc.
Authorizing statutes: CAA
- EPA-F2011-STAR-G1: DRINKING WATER (G1)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of drinking water quality. Proposals in this topic focus on protecting drinking water sources, producing and distributing safe drinking water, managing health risks associated with exposure to waterborne contaminants, and promoting the safety and sustainability of water resources and water infrastructure.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, developing assessment tools to characterize the occurrence of waterborne contaminants in drinking water supplies and quantify the extent of exposure from drinking these sources; adapting management and monitoring strategies to protect surface and ground water sources of drinking water; developing treatment technologies and/or understanding their efficacy; characterizing microbial ecology within distribution systems, etc.
Authorizing statutes: SDWA, CWA
- WATER QUALITY (H)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of water quality. Proposals in this topic focus on assessing, protecting, and restoring surface and ground water quality, aquatic ecosystems, watershed management, and source control management.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, developing better tools and technologies for assessing, monitoring and managing the impacts of nonpoint source pollution; developing approaches, tools, technologies, and models to characterize and manage the combined effects of multiple stressors on aquatic life and water quality; studying harmful algal blooms; adapting management strategies to assess surface and ground water quality; determining causes of impairments; developing sustainable and innovative tools to manage, restore, and protect these resources, etc.
Subtopicsapplicants to this Water Quality topic area must choose one of the subtopics below:
EPA-F2011-STAR-H1: HYDROGEOLOGY and SURFACE WATER (H1) (focusing on pollution)
EPA-F2011-STAR-H2: COASTAL and ESTUARINE PROCESSES (H2) (focusing on pollution)
Authorizing statutes: CWA, SWDA, SDWA
- HUMAN HEALTH (I)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of human health risk assessment, including understanding exposures and health effects that can lead to protection of human health. Proposals in this topic focus on advancing the field of risk assessment, including cumulative risk research; community-based risk assessment research; exposure assessment; susceptible subpopulations and lifestages research; and tools for risk management decisions.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, studying exposures and health effects of environmental contaminants (especially unique exposures from cultural practices, unique geographic regions, or environmental justice communities) and cumulative risks posed by exposure to mixtures of contaminants (and/or a combination of chemical, physical, biological and social/psycho-social stressors); providing new insights into how environmental contaminants may affect susceptible life stages (e.g. early childhood, older adults) and vulnerable populations (e.g. populations of low socio-economic position, or with pre-existing diseases); what key factors impact exposures of these subpopulations; developing and evaluating novel exposure assessment tools (e.g., methods, models); evaluating alternative exposure metrics in epidemiologic studies; evaluating the effectiveness of State, Local, and/or Tribal policy, regulatory and risk communication actions to reduce health risks resulting from exposure to environmental contaminants; applying health impact assessment on State, Local, and/or Tribal policy policies, projects or programs dealing with environmental health issues, etc.
Subtopicsapplicants to the Human Health Research topic area must choose one of the subtopics below:
EPA-F2011-STAR-I1: PUBLIC HEALTH (I1)
(e.g. environmental epidemiology, biostatistics, human exposure, health economics, health physics, health impact assessments, etc.)EPA-F2011-STAR-I2: RISK ASSESSMENT & RISK MANAGEMENT (I2)
(e.g., cumulative risk research; community-based risk assessment; exposure assessment; susceptible subpopulations and lifestages research; tools for risk management decisions; intervention strategies; environmental health communications and education; environmental justice, etc.)Note: Proposals related to American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities and/or Tribes may be well suited for the Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities FON/Topic (B1).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
- ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (J)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of understanding, protecting, and restoring ecosystems. Proposals in this topic focus on improving knowledge to protect and restore the ecosystem services that are important for supporting humans and all organisms, such as clean air; clean water; and unpolluted, fertile soil which can aide in waste composition, water filtration and degradation of environmental contaminants. This includes developing data, methods, models, and tools needed by states, communities, and tribes to understand the cost and benefits of using ecosystem services, as well as, developing the underlying science for the characterization, quantification, and valuation of ecosystems services as responses to and/or regulators of environmental exposures to humans and ecosystems.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, ecosystem restoration from pollution, landscape ecology for pollution prevention, studying pollutant effects on plants, animals and/or habitats, furthering knowledge on ecosystem services valuation (including but not limited to monetization), exposure scenario construction, model formulation and/or mapping for ecosystems services and their responses, and multimedia fate and transport models for exposures to the full range of stressors that interact with ecosystems services, etc.
Subtopicsapplicants to the Ecosystem Services topic area must choose one of the subtopics below:
EPA-F2011-STAR-J1: AQUATIC SYSTEMS ECOLOGY (J1) (focusing on freshwater endpoints)
EPA-F2011-STAR-J2: TERRESTRIAL SYSTEMS SOILS and PLANT ECOLOGY (J2) (limited to soils and plants that can serve as a media for contaminant transport)
EPA-F2011-STAR-J3: TERRESTRIAL SYSTEMS ANIMAL ECOLOGY (J3) (limited to pollution effects on animals or habitat)
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
- EPA-F2011-STAR-K1: PESTICIDES and TOXIC SUBSTANCES (K1)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on the science of understanding (e.g. toxicity), reducing, and/or preventing risks to humans, wildlife, and non-target plants from exposures to contaminants and groups of contaminants. Proposals in this topic focus on the use of molecular tools, pesticides, toxic chemicals, emerging environmental contaminants (e.g. endocrine disrupting chemicals, and pharmaceuticals in the environment), and products of biotechnology (e.g. genetically engineered agents).
Projects may include, but are not limited to, searching for pesticides and/or chemicals which are safer for humans and non-target organisms; developing screening and monitoring techniques used to detect toxic chemicals and/or quantifying the effects of toxic chemicals and chemical mixtures in the environment, including computational toxicology; providing new insights into how pesticides or environmental contaminants may affect wildlife or human populations; understanding the toxicology of environmental contaminants, and developing techniques and tools to predict hazards of environmental contaminants, etc.
Note: Nanotechnology related proposals may be well suited for the Nanotechnology FON/Topic (C1).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
- EPA-F2011-STAR-L1: LAND PROTECTION (L1)
Applications in this topic are for interests in and investigations on preserving the nation's land, and protecting public health from exposure to land-based contaminants, particularly solid waste. Proposals in this topic focus on strategies for waste (including hazardous waste) and contaminant management, treatment, and reduction; extractive industries and land protection; landfills and leach testing for material reuse and protection through urban and regional planning.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, developing more cost-effective tools, technologies, models, and methods related to land preservation and solid waste collection, disposal, and management; studying effects of sediment dredging on biota and contaminant re-suspension; developing effective modeling and sampling methods to reduce uncertainty in analysis of vapor intrusion from land-based contamination and solid waste into homes and buildings; developing modeling tools such as GIS to assist urban and regional planners in protecting land from pollution; reducing uncertainty in modeling of (land based) oil spill fate and effects, etc.
Note: Proposals related to deep sea oil leaks and spills (e.g. recent Gulf Coast oil spill), may be well suited for the Emerging Environmental Approaches and Challenges: Innovative Investigations for Oil Spill Impacts FON/Topic (A1).
Authorizing statutes: SWDA, SDWA, CAA, CWA
Please note that projects falling only under the purview of CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act - Superfund) cannot be supported by this fellowship.
E. References
Jackson, Shirley Ann. The Quiet Crisis: Falling Short in Producing American Scientific and Technical Talent, Building Engineering and Science Talent (2002). Available at http://www.bestworkforce.org/PDFdocs/Quiet_Crisis.pdf (PDF) (12 pp, 2.08 MB).
Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Strategic Plan, 2006-2011. Available at https://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2006/entire_report.pdf (PDF) (184 pp, 9.85 MB).
National Research Council. The Measure of STAR. Available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10701.html (2003).
The National Science and Technology Council, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Science for the 21st Century. Available at http://www.ostp.gov/galleries/NSTC%20Reports/Science21Century.pdf (PDF) (48 pp, 1.16 MB) (2004).
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 EPA RFAs, nor will they endorse an application or discuss in any manner how the Agency will apply the published evaluation criteria for this competition. EPA employees cannot endorse any particular application.
The fellowship awards expected to be made under this RFA may involve the collection of "Geospatial Information," which includes information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the Earth or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, a Geographic Positioning System (GPS), remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data.
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $4.5 million will be awarded under this RFA, depending on the availability of funds and the quality of applications received. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 105 fellowships under this RFA. The projected award per fellowship is $42,000 per year total costs. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $126,000 will not be considered. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five 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 6 months after the original selection decisions.
The fellowship provides up to $42,000 per year of support per fellowship. A maximum of $84,000 will be provided for master's fellows (two years) and up to $126,000 (three years) for doctoral fellows. The $42,000 annual support covers stipend, tuition, and expenses as follows:
Stipends: For the 2011‑2012 academic year, stipends will be $25,000 for 12‑month tenure, prorated monthly at a maximum of $2,083 for shorter periods. Funds for unused months are forfeited. Stipends are paid directly to the fellow. At its discretion, the institution may supplement a fellow's stipend from institutional funds in accordance with the supplementation policy of the institution.
Tuition and Academic Fees: Up to $12,000 per year (apportioned over the various academic semesters/quarters) will be paid directly to the institution. For the purposes of this fellowship, health insurance is an expense, not an academic fee.
Expense Allowance: Up to $5,000 will be provided to pay for items and activities for the direct benefit of the student's education and research, such as health insurance, books, supplies, computers, data analysis, publication costs, equipment, travel to technical and scientific meetings, and domestic and international travel required to conduct the proposed research. Specific instructions regarding the disbursement and management of the expense allowance will be provided during the award process.
EPA Fellowship Conference: Fellows are expected to attend the EPA Graduate Fellows Conference as long as they are in the program. Resources to support this travel are to be taken from the expense allowance.
International Activities: The Fellow's proposed research may be conducted outside the U.S. However, EPA allows only $5,000 for all expenses, including travel. See "Expense Allowance" for details. If it becomes necessary to travel outside the U.S. or its territories, you must notify your Project Officer six (6) months in advance. You will also be required to obtain local permits in other countries to conduct research there. Your Project Officer will obtain the necessary EPA and State Department approvals before the fellowship funds can be used to conduct these activities. Fellows who travel overseas will be required to comply with all provisions of the Fly America Act.
A. Eligible Applicants
Applicants must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories) for their graduate studies. Individuals must be citizens of the U.S. or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card number in their application. Resident alien applicants must have their green card at the time of application to be eligible for this Fellowship opportunity. EPA may verify this number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of the Department of Homeland Security.
Applicants do not need to be enrolled in or formally accepted into a full‑time graduate program at the time they apply for a fellowship, but proof of enrollment or acceptance must be produced prior to the award of the fellowship. To be eligible for this fellowship, individuals must pursue a master's or doctoral degree in an environmental field of specialization at a fully accredited U.S. college or university (based in the U.S. or its territories).
Applicants who are in a graduate program at the time of application and meet either of the following two criteria as of November 5, 2010 ARE NOT eligible to receive a fellowship: 1) have completed more than one year in their current master's program; or 2) have completed more than four years in their current doctoral program. However, applicants enrolled in a master's program who intend to pursue a doctoral degree beginning in the fall of 2011 may apply for a doctoral fellowship.
This fellowship does preclude receiving other federal fellowships simultaneously. However, acceptance of this fellowship does not necessarily preclude acceptance of another private, state, regional, local, or non-profit scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or grant aid.
Employees of the U.S. government may apply, but must be able to prove separation from Federal service before accepting this fellowship.
Diversity: EPA recognizes the need for scientists and engineers from diverse cultural backgrounds. Broadening opportunities for, and enabling participation of all individuals, including women, men, minorities and persons with disabilities, are essential to the health and vitality of science and in particular, the environmental research and development enterprise. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply.
B. Cost-Sharing
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 word or page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to parts of the application, words and pages in excess of the limitations will not be reviewed. Applications must be received by the EPA (via direct mail/courier/express mail) or submitted electronically to Grants.gov on or before the solicitation closing date and times as identified in Section IV of this announcement or they will be returned to the sender without further consideration. All applicants must also follow the instructions for verifying that their application was received by NCER or their application may be rejected without review. Also, 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.
Applications deemed ineligible for funding consideration will be notified within fifteen calendar days of the ineligibility determination.
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
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 their application/proposal package as confidential business information. EPA will evaluate confidentiality claims in accordance with 40 CFR Part 2. Applicants must clearly mark applications/proposals or portions thereof that they claim as confidential. If no claim of confidentiality is made, EPA is not required to make the inquiry to the applicant otherwise required by 40 CFR 2.204(c)(2) prior to disclosure. However, competitive proposals/applications are considered confidential and protected from disclosure prior to the completion of the competitive selection process.
You may submit either a paper application, or an electronic application via Grants.gov, but not both for this announcement. If not otherwise marked, the following instructions apply to both types of submissions as follows.
A. Internet Address to Request Application Package
For paper applications, STAR Fellowship forms can be found on the NCER web site: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. Instructions for completing these forms follow.
For electronic applications, use the application package available at Grants.gov (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications"). Instructions for completing these forms follow.
For both paper and Grants.gov applications, an e-mail will be sent by NCER to the applicant to acknowledge receipt of the application and to transmit other important information. The e-mail will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov; any e-mail sent to this address will not be accepted. Please be aware that this notification is separate from the one you will receive from Grants.gov. NCER does not notify you of receipt of your Letters of Recommendation. Due to the volume of applications received, the e-mailed acknowledgement from receipt.application@epa.gov may take several weeks. Thus, our staff will not respond to queries regarding applications received before November 30, 2010. Please make a notation on your calendar to call the toll-free number 1-800-490-9194 from Monday, November 30, to no later than 5:00 PM ET Friday, December 4, for information if you have not received the notification from receipt.application@epa.gov by that time. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application being rejected without review. See "Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications" for additional information regarding acknowledgment of receipt of electronically submitted applications. Due to often lengthy delays in delivery, it is especially important that you monitor NCER's confirmation of receipt of your application when using US Postal Service mail. Express or courier mail is encouraged for paper applications. Also, check your e-mail spam folder and/or check your spam filter settings to ensure e-mails from EPA are delivered to your e-mail inbox.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
Summary of Application Materials:
| Item 1 | Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form (SF) 424 (for electronic submissions via Grants.gov) or Standard Form (SF) 424 I-Individual (for paper submissions) |
| Item 2 | EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54) |
| Item 3 | Front Page |
| Item 4 | Personal Statement |
| Item 5 | Proposal Description |
| Item 6 | Background Information: |
| Education & Relevant Experiences Publications & Presentations Course Work | |
| Item 7 | Letters of Recommendation (sent by referees) |
The application is made by submitting the materials described below. For Items 3-6 prepare these on 8-1/2"x11" paper with one inch margins. Use a font size of 12 points or larger. It is essential that the application contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described. It is also essential that all contact information be that of the applicant unless specifically requested otherwise.
The applicant submits Items 1-6 either in hard-copy by mail (postal, express, or courier), or as part of the Grants.gov application (See “Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications”). The Letters of Recommendation (Item 7) are e-mailed directly to EPA by those referees writing the letters (see "Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements”).
NOTE: GRE Scores are NOT needed and must NOT be sent to EPA. Do NOT send a separate Budget. Do NOT send a Quality Assurance Plan. Only prepare and send the materials described below.
Item 1. Standard Form 424 (electronic) or 424 I (paper)
The student, that is the individual applying for funding, must complete Standard Form 424 for electronic submissions via Grants.gov or Standard Form 424 I (Individual) for paper submissions. This form will be the first page of the application. For paper submissions, use the 424 I-Individual form identified for Fellowships available at: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms. For electronic submissions, use the Standard Form 424 in the electronic application package (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications").
Instructions for Standard Form 424 - electronic submissions only:
Do not follow the instructions provided with the form. Instead, follow the instructions detailed below for items that may cause difficulty. Only the yellow highlighted fields of the form need to be completed.
8.a. The applicant is the student submitting the ap
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.