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
CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY
Fall 2013 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 IV. for descriptions)
| NUMBER | TOPIC TITLE |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-A1 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Environmental Innovation (A1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-A2 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Information Science (A2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-A3 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Synthetic Biology for Environmental Purposes (A3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-B1 | Air, Climate & Energy: Clean Air (B1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-B2 | Air, Climate & Energy: Global Change (B2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-B3 | Air, Climate & Energy: Green Energy/Natural Resources Production & Use (B3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-C1 | Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Green Engineering/Building/Chemical Products & Processes/Materials Development (C1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-C2 | Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Nanotechnology (C2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-C3 | Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Pesticides and Toxic Substances (C3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-D1 | Human Health Risk Assessment: Public Health (D1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-D2 | Human Health Risk Assessment: Risk Assessment and Risk Management (D2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-E1 | Safe and Sustainable Water Resources: Drinking Water (E1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-E2 | Safe and Sustainable Water Resources: Water Quality--Coastal and Estuarine Processes (E2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-E3 | Safe and Sustainable Water Resources: Water Quality--Hydrogeology and Surface Water (E3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F1 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Ecosystem Services--Aquatic Systems Ecology (F1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F2 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Ecosystem Services--Terrestrial Systems Animal Ecology (F2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F3 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Ecosystem Services--Terrestrial Systems Soil and Plant Ecology (F3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F4 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Built Environment and Land Use/ Protection (F4) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F5 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities (F5) |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.514
Solicitation Opening Date: October 4, 2012
Solicitation Closing Date: November 27, 2012, 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time (ET)
11:59:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) for submission of All Letters of Recommendation
Eligibility Contact: Bronda Harrison (2013FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov); include: 'Attn: Bronda Harrison' and FON in subject line
Electronic Submissions: Todd Peterson (2013FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov); include: 'Attn: Todd Peterson' and FON in subject line
Technical Contact: Brandon Jones (2013FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov); include: 'Attn: Brandon Jones' and FON in subject line
Access Standard STAR Forms (Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page)
View research awarded under previous solicitations (Funding Opportunities: Archive Page)
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 for submission of applications is November 27, 2012 at 11:59:59 PM. Subject to availability of funding and other applicable considerations, the Agency plans to award approximately 80 new fellowships in the late summer of 2013. 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 solicitation does not provide the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that involve human subjects research. Human subjects research supported by the EPA is governed by EPA Regulation 40 CFR Part 26 (Protection of Human Subjects). Applications proposing human subjects research will not be considered for funding and will be deemed ineligible.
Human subjects research precluded from this RFA includes:
Projects that collect data from or about humans which meet the regulatory definition of research with human subjects and are thereby subject to the requirements of EPA Regulation 40 CFR Part 26 and EPA Order 1000.17 Change A1. This includes projects conducted under programs that are not considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration programs and some public health practice programs may include research activities. Projects that utilize surveys about people or contain identifiable private information also constitutes human subjects research and are not allowable under this solicitation. All applications must include a Non-Human Subjects Research Determination (as described in Section IV.B. Item 3) verifying that the proposed research will not involve human subjects.
Award Information:
Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 80 awards. The EPA expects to make approximately ten percent of these awards (8) to high ranking applicants from Minority Academic Institutions (MAIs), as defined in Section I.A, who pass the peer review process described in Section V and successfully complete the award process.
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $3.4 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 for a total of up to $84,000. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years for a total of up to $126,000, usable over a period of five years. Cost sharing is not required. Eligible applicants as defined in Section III below, including those attending institutions with significant minority enrollment, are particularly encouraged to apply. Examples of such institutions include Accredited Postsecondary Minority Serving Institutions as defined in 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1061; 20 U.S.C. Secs. 1059(c) and 1059g(a)(2); and 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1101a(a)(5).
If recommended to receive a fellowship, you should be contacted no later than May 1, 2013 and should subsequently receive your official notification of award by late summer 2013, 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, 2013.
- 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:
To apply under this solicitation, use the application package available at Grants.gov (for further submission information see Section IV.E. “Submission Instructions and other Submission Requirements”). The necessary forms for submitting a STAR application will be found on the National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) web site, Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms). If you are not currently registered with Grants.gov, you need to allow approximately one week to complete the registration process. See Section IV for further information on application submission procedures.
If you do not have the technical capability to utilize the Grants.gov application submission process for this solicitation, send a webmail message 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 emailed whenever possible. Any applications submitted through alternate submission methods must comply with all the provisions of this Request for Applications (RFA), including Section IV, and be received by the solicitation closing date identified above.
The following application materials must be submitted:
- Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form (SF) 424
- 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 reference letter writers)
Applications must identify a single topic and corresponding Funding Opportunity Number (FON), as described in Section I.D, that is appropriately related to the proposed area of inquiry. 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, FON. In instances where more than one application is submitted, EPA will contact the applicant to determine which application(s) will be withdrawn.
Technical Contact (Program questions, topics, etc.): Brandon Jones (2013FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov); include: 'Attn: Brandon Jones' and FON in subject line
Electronic Submissions (grants.gov, recommendation letters, etc.): Todd Peterson (2013FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov); include: 'Attn: Todd Peterson' and FON in subject line
Eligibility Contact: Bronda Harrison (2013FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov); include: 'Attn: Bronda Harrison' and FON in subject line
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 for submission of applications is November 27, 2012. Subject to availability of funding and other applicable considerations, the Agency plans to award approximately 80 new fellowships in the summer of 2013. 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.
EPA recognizes that scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical (STEM) competence is essential to the Nation’s future well being in terms of national security and competitive economic advantage. For instance, the health and vitality of the economy is predicated, in part, on the availability of an adequate supply of scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, to develop innovative technologies and solutions. In other words, this country must engage all available minds to address the challenges it faces. Minorities, persons with disabilities, and women historically have been under-represented in the STEM fields. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligibile applicants, including women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply. At the same time, the EPA seeks to expand environmental conversations by including members of communities which have not previously participated in such dialogues; therefore EPA strongly encourages such eligible applicants, including applicants from Minority Academic Institutions, to apply.
For purposes of this solicitation, the following are considered MAIs:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1061). A list of these schools can be found at White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Tribal Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1059(c)). A list of these schools can be found at Tribal Colleges and Universities Address List;
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1101a(a)(5). There is no list of HSIs. HSIs are institutions of higher education that, at the time of application submittal, have an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25% Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application for this grant; and
- Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1059g(a)(2)). There is no list of AANAPISIs. AANAPISIs are institutions of higher education that, at the time of application submittal, have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is not less than 10 % students who are Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander.
Topic areas are arranged according to the Office of Research and Development’s suite of integrated, trans-disciplinary research programs organized around the sustainability paradigm, including Air, Climate & Energy (ACE), Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS), Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA), Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR), and Safe and Healthy Communities (SHC).
B. Background
The STAR Fellowship program was initiated in 1995. Approximately 1,600 STAR fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the program. The U.S. is projected to have considerable human resource needs in the science, engineering, and policy fields (Jackson 2002, National Research Council 2007). The STAR Fellowship program is part of the national effort to help meet those workforce needs, especially in the environmental arena (US EPA 2003). The goal of the fellowship program is to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in an environmental field. This goal is consistent with the mission of EPA, which is to provide leadership in the nation’s environmental science, research, education, assessment, restoration, preservation, pollution prevention and sustainability efforts. The STAR Fellowship program has proven to be beneficial to the public 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 the EPA’s Strategic Plan that relate to this solicitation are:
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development, Objective 3.1: Promote Sustainable and Livable Communities.
More information can be found in EPA’s FY 2014-2018 Strategic Plan
C. Authority and Regulations
The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254; Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001, 42 U.S.C. 6981; and Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609.
Research projects should focus on work supported under one of the above mentioned funding authorities. Projects that relate to other funding authorities, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or CERCLA (i.e., Superfund sites and Brownfields) are not eligible for funding under this RFA.
For fellowships with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102 (2)(F).
Descriptions of the authorizing statutes are provided below:
CAA: Clean Air Act--Section 103:
Section 103 of the Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to make grants to institutions for research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention and control of air pollution.
CWA: Clean Water Act--Section 104:
Section 104 of the Clean Water Act authorizes the EPA to make grants to institutions for research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution.
SDWA: Safe Drinking Water Act--Section 1442:
Section 1442 of the Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for research, training, studies, and demonstrations relating to the causes, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and other impairments of man resulting directly or indirectly from contaminants in water, or to the provision of a dependably safe supply of drinking water, including (A) improved methods: (i) to identify and measure the existence of contaminants in drinking water (including methods which may be used by State and local health and water officials), and (ii) to identify the source of such contaminants; (B) improved methods to identify and measure the health effects of contaminants in drinking water; (C) new methods of treating raw water to prepare it for drinking, so as to improve the efficiency of water treatment and to remove contaminants from water; (D) improved methods for providing a dependably safe supply of drinking water, including improvements in water purification and distribution, and methods of assessing the health related hazards of drinking water; and (E) improved methods of protecting underground water sources of public water systems from contamination.
FIFRA: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act--Section 20:
Section 20 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for pesticide-related research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations, and studies.
SWDA: Solid Waste Disposal Act--Section 8001:
Section 8001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs and studies relating to: (1) adverse health and welfare effects from solid waste; (2) solid waste management programs; (3) resource recovery and conservation, and hazardous waste management systems; (4) production of usable forms of recovered resources; (5) waste reduction; (6) improved solid waste collection and disposal methods; (7) identification of solid waste components; (8) small scale and low technology solid waste management systems; (9) methods to improve performance of recovered solid waste; (10) improvements in land disposal practices; (11) methods for sound disposal of resources, including sludge and coal slurry; (12) methods of hazardous waste management; and (13) air quality impacts from the burning of solid waste.
TSCA: Toxic Substance Control Act--Section 10:
Section 10 of the Toxic Substance Control Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations and studies directed toward the development of the fundamental scientific basis of screening and monitoring techniques used to detect toxic chemical substances and quantify the effects of toxic chemical substances and mixtures in the environment.
NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)--Section 102(2)(F):
For fellowships with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 102(2)(F) which authorizes support to foreign recipients and international work/travel by domestic recipients. (NEPA cannot be the sole supporting statute for a proposed project.)
Note that a project’s focus is to consist of activities within the statutory terms of EPA’s financial assistance authorities, specifically, the statute(s) listed 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 statue(s) is listed 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.
Applicable Regulation: 40 CFR Part 46 (Fellowships)
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 proposed research is related to EPA’s mission and germane to one of the funding authorities listed above. 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. Applications are also welcomed from students who have not traditionally participated in environmental conversations or research, including those that attend Minority Academic Institutions (MAIs).
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, and/or building decision making capacity.
Selected candidates will have identified skills, achievements, and potential in concert with the STAR Fellowship 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 their potential for success in the proposed area of inquiry, and for their proposal’s potential to have broader societal impacts. More specific information on the evaluation 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 environmental research, and in advancing the nation’s environmental research and development enterprise (Executive Office of the President 2011).
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, focusing on the purposes of pollution prevention and/or control.
Applications must identify a single topic and corresponding Funding Opportunity Number (FON), as described in Section I.D, that is appropriately related to the proposed area of inquiry. 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, FON. In instances where more than one application is submitted, EPA will contact the applicant to determine which application(s) will be withdrawn.The review assignments will be made based on the one FON that you indicate in your application. 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/project must focus on one of the following topics of environmental significance and your application should describe the relationship of the topic area to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control.
The applicant’s project must focus on activities within the statutory terms of EPA’s financial assistance authorities; specifically, the statute(s) listed in Section 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 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.
STAR GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP TOPICS and FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBERS (FON)
| NUMBER | TOPIC TITLE |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-A1 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Environmental Innovation (A1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-A2 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Information Science (A2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-A3 | Emerging Environmental Approaches & Challenges: Synthetic Biology for Environmental Purposes (A3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-B1 | Air, Climate & Energy: Clean Air (B1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-B2 | Air, Climate & Energy: Global Change (B2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-B3 | Air, Climate & Energy: Green Energy/Natural Resources Production & Use (B3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-C1 | Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Green Engineering/Building/Chemical Products & Processes/Materials Development (C1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-C2 | Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Nanotechnology (C2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-C3 | Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Pesticides and Toxic Substances (C3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-D1 | Human Health Risk Assessment: Public Health (D1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-D2 | Human Health Risk Assessment: Risk Assessment and Risk Management (D2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-E1 | Safe and Sustainable Water Resources: Drinking Water (E1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-E2 | Safe and Sustainable Water Resources: Water Quality--Coastal and Estuarine Processes (E2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-E3 | Safe and Sustainable Water Resources: Water Quality--Hydrogeology and Surface Water (E3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F1 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Ecosystem Services--Aquatic Systems Ecology (F1) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F2 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Ecosystem Services--Terrestrial Systems Animal Ecology (F2) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F3 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Ecosystem Services--Terrestrial Systems Soil and Plant Ecology (F3) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F4 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Built Environment and Land Use/Protection (F4) |
| EPA-F2013-STAR-F5 | Safe and Healthy Communities: Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities (F5) |
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 |
Research projects should focus on work supported under one of the above mentioned funding authorities. Projects that relate to other funding authorities, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or CERCLA (i.e., Superfund sites and Brownfields) are not eligible for funding under this RFA.
In general, EPA aims to support research and demonstration projects that will seek sustainable solutions that protect the environment, strengthen our communities and foster prosperity. The concept of sustainability is based on language in the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This definition is reiterated in Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environment, Energy, and Economic Performance, stating that the goal of sustainability is to, “create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.”
A sustainable approach is a systems-based approach that seeks to understand the interactions which exist among the three pillars of sustainability (environment, society, and economy) in an effort to better understand the consequences of our actions. Investigations and study that seek sustainable solutions protects the environment, strengthens our communities and fosters prosperity.
EPA is particularly interested in supporting research and demonstration projects in the following topic areas that propose a trans-disciplinary approach, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences alongside natural science disciplines, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions of sustainability in the protection of the environment and human health.
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EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACHES & CHALLENGES (A)
EPA-F2013-STAR-A1: ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION (A1)
Applications in this category are for interests in, and investigations at the intersection of, sustainability and innovative technology development, and utilization. More specifically, this category is for applicants whose graduate environmental study and/or project have a component involving the identification, development, and field demonstration of innovative environmental technologies, methods, or management approaches. Innovation is the process of making changes; a new method, custom or device. Innovation can take the form of wholly new applications or applications that build on existing knowledge and approaches for new uses. Game-changing innovations are of special interest. Applicants are encouraged to consult with their business/management school and appropriate faculty about how best to make innovation the focus of their proposed research as it relates to the statutes listed above.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, research on the following: using “open innovation” R&D practices to identify and create green technologies; demonstrating technologies built on green engineering principles that can help solve environmental problems; developing and utilizing green technologies; exploring the innovative aspects of increasing the sustainability of recycling in the United States and developing countries; investigating how policy and non-federal regulatory approaches increase the demand for innovative environmental technologies, etc.
Projects may also focus on trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions of sustainability in innovative efforts as they pertain to environmental and human health protection.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
EPA-F2013-STAR-A2: INFORMATION SCIENCE (A2)
Applications in this topic area are for environmental interests with a drift toward data-driven discovery and decision-making. Taking a lesson from the predictive power of “Big Data”, this category aims to tease out the math and computer-oriented techniques that could help inform synergistic environmental thinking and decisions for pollution prevention and control efforts. Some examples of these techniques include but are not limited to:
- generation of new data through technologies that enhance monitoring and measuring environmental phenomena (e.g. high-throughput assays that register changes in metabolic pathways);
- integration of data across multiple sources and institutions (e.g. semantic web applications based on shared ontological structures);
- analysis of data associations through advanced algorithms (e.g. randomized data sampling to generate underlying probability distributions).
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.
Proposals in this topic should 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 in order to test sustainable environmental hypotheses.
Projects may also focus on trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions of sustainability in the information sciences as they pertain to environmental and human health protection.
Note: Proposals related to American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities and/or Tribes may also be well suited for the Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities FON/Topic (F5).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
EPA-F2013-STAR-A3: Synthetic Biology for Environmental Purposes (A3)
Synthetic biology (Synbio) is (a) the design and construction of novel biological functions and systems and (b) the re-design of existing natural biological systems for useful purposes. Applications in this topic area are for interests in Synbio techniques that focus on environmental purposes and uses related to pollution prevention/control.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, techniques for pollution related issues (e.g., prevention, control, mitigation, clean up), biofuel production, chemical detection, etc.
Note: Proposals related to Nanotechnology or American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander communities and/or Tribes may also be well suited for the Nanotechnology FON (C2) or the Tribes and American Indian/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander Communities FON/Topic (F5).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
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AIR, CLIMATE & ENERGY (B)
EPA-F2013-STAR-B1: CLEAN AIR (B1)
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, prevention, 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, as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to clean air
Authorizing statutes: CAA
EPA-F2013-STAR-B2: GLOBAL CHANGE (B2)
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; modifying 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; as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to global climate change.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA
EPA-F2013-STAR-B3: GREEN ENERGY/NATURAL RESOURCES PRODUCTION & USE (B3) (focusing on multimedia pollution prevention; includes resource extraction)
Applications in this category are for interests in and investigations on the science and engineering of sustainability as they pertain to green energy production or the extraction and use of natural resources. Proposals in this topic focus on 1) the benefits and impacts of green energy production on air quality, water quality, ecosystems, human health, and socio-economic systems, or 2) the impacts of natural resource extraction and use on air quality, water quality, ecosystems, human health, and socio-economic systems.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, examining the links between green energy or natural resource production and use on air quality, water quality, aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems, or human health; as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to dimensions of green energy production and use.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, SDWA, SWDA
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CHEMICAL SAFETY FOR SUSTAINABILITY (C)
EPA-F2013-STAR-C1: GREEN ENGINEERING/CHEMICAL PRODUCTS & PROCESSES/MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT (C1)
Applications in this category are for interests in and investigations on the science and engineering of sustainability as it pertains to green engineering, green chemistry, and green materials. Proposals in this topic focus on the design and analysis of chemicals, materials, products, or systems.
Projects may include, but are not limited to, developing full life-cycle analyses and supply chain analyses for rare earth elements - from ores to green energy applications to end-of-life management, green synthesis; 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; applying biometric approaches to material, product, or process design; as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to green engineering/chemical products and processes/materials development.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
EPA-F2013-STAR-C2: NANOTECHNOLOGY (C2)
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; as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to nanotechnology.
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
EPA-F2013-STAR-C3: PESTICIDES and TOXIC SUBSTANCES (C3)
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 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; assessing the toxicology of rare earth materials, alloys and compounds as they are used in applications; 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, as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to pesticides and toxic substances..
Note: Nanotechnology related proposals may also be well suited for the Nanotechnology FON/Topic (C2).
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
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HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT (D)
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 vulnerable populations (e.g., children and older adults) and susceptible populations that are at high risk of suffering the adverse effects of environmental factors (e.g., minority, low-income and indigenous populations, populations with pre-existing medical conditions, populations that are linguistically isolated, etc.); 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.
Subtopics—applicants to this topic area must choose one of the subtopics below:
EPA-F2013-STAR-D1: PUBLIC HEALTH (D1)
(e.g. environmental epidemiology, biostatistics, human exposure, health economics, health physics, health impact assessments, etc.)EPA-F2013-STAR-D2: RISK ASSESSMENT & RISK MANAGEMENT (D2)
(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.)Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
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SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES (E)
EPA-F2013-STAR-E1: DRINKING WATER (E1)
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 drinking water resources and drinking 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; as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to drinking water.
Authorizing statutes: SDWA
WATER QUALITY (E2, E3)
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; as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to water quality.
Subtopics—applicants to this Water Quality topic area must choose one of the subtopics below:
EPA-F2013-STAR-E2: COASTAL and ESTUARINE PROCESSES (E2)
(e.g., harmful algal blooms, acidification, pollution impacts on fisheries, water quality monitoring, hypoxia, intervention strategies, impact on eco sevices)EPA-F2013-STAR-E3: HYDROGEOLOGY and SURFACE WATER (E3)
(e.g., waterborne disease, sewage effluent, drinking water purification, impacts from fracking, etc.Authorizing statutes: CWA, SWDA, SDWA
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SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES (F)
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
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 aid 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, 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, as well as trans-disciplinary approaches, integrating elements of the social and economic sciences, so as to expand the importance of social and cultural dimensions as they relate to ecosystem services.
Subtopics—applicants to the Ecosystem Services topic area must choose one of the subtopics below:
EPA-F2013-STAR-F1: AQUATIC SYSTEMS ECOLOGY (F1) (focusing on aquatic endpoints)
EPA-F2013-STAR-F2: TERRESTRIAL SYSTEMS ANIMAL ECOLOGY (F2) (limited to pollution effects on animals or habitat)
EPA-F2013-STAR-F3: TERRESTRIAL SYSTEMS SOILS and PLANT ECOLOGY (F3) (limited to soils and plants that can serve as a media for contaminant transport)
Authorizing statutes: CAA, CWA, FIFRA, SWDA, TSCA, SDWA
EPA-F2013-STAR-F4: BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND LAND USE/PROTECTION (F4)
Applications in this category are for interests in and investigations on the science and engineering of sustainability as it pertains to the built environment, protecting 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 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 technologies or analyses that enable multi-media pollution prevention of agricultural processes and practices; developing sustainability metrics and indicators that inform regional or industrial decision-making; green buildings; de
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.