Grantee Research Project Results
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Research
Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Program
CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY
Fall 2013 EPA Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships For Undergraduate Environmental Study
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number: (See Section IV. for descriptions)
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P1 Natural and Life Sciences
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P2 Environmental Sciences and Interdisciplinary Programs
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P3 Engineering
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P4 Social Sciences
EPA-F2013U-GRO-Q1 Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences
EPA-F2013U-GRO-Q2 Mathematics and Computer Science
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.513
Solicitation Opening Date: October 1, 2012
Solicitation Closing Date: December 5, 2012, 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time (ET)
Solicitation Closing Time: 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) for submission of All Letters of Recommendation.
Eligibility Contact: Bronda Harrison (harrison.bronda@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8080
Electronic Submissions Contact: Todd Peterson (peterson.todd@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-7224
Technical Contact: Georgette Boddie (boddie.georgette@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8049
Access GRO Fellowship Application Package and Forms (Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page)
For a checklist and simplified instructions, see the fellowships Guidance & Frequent Questions (Research Fellowship Informational Guides).
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships program, is offering undergraduate fellowships for bachelor level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline for receipt of applications is December 5, 2012, at 11:59:59 PM ET. Subject to availability of funding and other applicable considerations, the Agency plans to award approximately 40 new fellowships in the summer of 2013. Eligible students will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer of their junior year. The fellowship provides up to $20,700 per academic year of support and $8,600 of support for a three-month summer internship.
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 40 awards
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $2,000,000 for all awards
Potential Funding per Fellowship: Up to a total of $50,000 over a two-year period. Fellows will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for a paid summer internship at an EPA facility between their junior and senior years. Cost sharing is not required.
If recommended to receive a fellowship, you should be contacted no later than May 31, 2013 and should subsequently receive your official notification of award in the summer of 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 last two years of undergraduate studies during the fellowship period.
- Students 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.
- The GRO Undergraduate Fellowship is intended for students entering their last two years of study before obtaining their first bachelor’s degree. Students who have already earned one bachelor’s degree and are pursuing additional degrees are not eligible. The fellowship tenure is for two academic years (9 months each) with a required paid internship during the summer after the first year. Thus, only students who will be entering their last two years of college will be considered eligible.
- Students must have at least a “B” average overall at the time of application submittal and during the tenure of the fellowship.
- During the tenure of the fellowship, students must attend a fully accredited four year U.S. institution of higher education. These schools must be listed as not highly funded for research and development capacity. For the purposes of this solicitation, EPA considers students attending those institutions identified as receiving more than $35 million in annual federal research and development funding in the National Science Foundation's publication "Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: FY 2008," Table 12, column 2, as ineligible under this solicitation. Students attending those institutions either not listed, or listed as having received $35 million or less as designated in column 2 of Table 12 are eligible to apply. These data can be found at: Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2008 (PDF) (309 pp, 1.74 MB).
- At the time of application submittal, students attending two-year institutions or community colleges, as well as students not in attendance at an institution of higher education may be eligible to apply. However, in order to receive the fellowship, students attending two-year institutions or community colleges or students not in attendance at the time of application will need to show evidence of having received their Associate’s degree, and will need to demonstrate that they only have two years left of undergraduate studies for completion of the Bachelor’s degree, and that they have been accepted to attend an accredited eligible four year institution. This requirement is considered satisfied if the student is transferring to an accredited eligible four-year institution which has an Articulation Agreement with the two-year institution, thus meaning that all credits will transfer towards requirements for the Bachelor’s degree. See Section III.A. Eligible Applicants below.
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:
Item 1. Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form (SF) 424 (for electronic submissions via Grants.gov)
Item 2. EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54)
Item 3. Front Page
Item 4. Personal Statement
Item 5. Background Information:
- Education & Relevant Experiences
Presentations
Course Work
Item 6. Letters of Recommendation (submitted 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.
Eligibility Contact: Bronda Harrison (harrison.bronda@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8080
Electronic Submissions Contact: Todd Peterson (peterson.todd@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-7224
Technical Contact: Georgette Boddie (boddie.georgette@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8049
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A. Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), invites applications for the Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships for undergraduate environmentally-related study for bachelor’s level students. The deadline for receipt of applications is December 5, 2012. Subject to availability of funding, the quality of applications received and other applicable considerations, the Agency plans to award approximately 40 new fellowships in the summer of 2013. The fellowship provides up to $20,700 per year of academic support and $8,600 for internship support for a combined total of up to $50,000 over the life of the fellowship. The GRO program enhances and supports quality environmental education for undergraduates, and thereby encourages them to continue their education beyond the baccalaureate level, and pursue careers in environmentally-related fields, such as biology, health, the social sciences, and engineering. 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. This fellowship is intended to help defray costs associated with environmentally-oriented study leading to a bachelor’s 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, women, and persons with disabilities historically have been under-represented in the STEM fields. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply.
B. Background
The GRO Undergraduate Fellowship program is part of the national effort to help ensure that the United States meets its current and projected human resource needs in the environmental science, engineering, and policy fields. By enhancing and supporting quality environmental education for undergraduate students, the GRO Undergraduate Fellowship encourages promising students to pursue careers in environmentally-related fields and to continue their education beyond the baccalaureate level. This goal is consistent with the mission of EPA, which is to provide environmental and human health protection as well as reducing pollution. The GRO Fellowship program has benefited the public by consistently providing the nation with well-trained environmental specialists to meet environmental challenges in our society. GRO supported fellows have provided new environmental research in the physical, biological, health, and social sciences as well as in engineering.
The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from the EPA’s FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan that relates 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 one or more of the following: Clean Air Act (CAA), Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254; the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r; the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), Section 8001, 42 U.S.C. 6981; and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609. For fellowships with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 102(2)(F).
Research projects must 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.
Applicable Regulation: 40 CFR Part 46 (Fellowships)
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.
D. Specific Research Areas of Interest
This RFA solicits applications from students interested in environmentally-related study and problem solving in a variety of environmentally-related areas which are described below. By providing financial support across disciplines, EPA expects to continue to assist in increasing the nation’s environmental workforce and the ability to produce leading edge research, and in advancing the nation’s research and development enterprise.
Funding Opportunity Numbers (FON)
Select a single Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for your application. You may only submit one application under this fellowship announcement and therefore can apply for only one FON. Failure to select a proper FON could result in an inappropriate review assignment. If your application seems to fit under more than one FON, choose the most appropriate one, or select “Environmental Science & Interdisciplinary.” 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.
Note: Your application should describe the relationship of these topic areas to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control.
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P1 Natural and Life Sciences
(Includes pollution prevention and/or control-related study in Biology, Ecology, Microbiology, Molecular Sciences, etc.)
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P2 Environmental Sciences and Interdisciplinary Programs
(Includes pollution prevention and/or control-related study in Environmental Studies, Urban Sustainability and Land Use Planning, Environmental Health, Environmental Policy, Environmental Education, Native/Tribal Environmental Science, etc.)
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P3 Engineering
(Includes pollution prevention and/or control-related study in Environmental Engineering, Waste Management, Green Building Engineering, Biotechnology, etc.)
EPA-F2013U-GRO-P4 Social Sciences
(Includes pollution prevention and/or control-related study in Economics, International Environmental Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Environmental Justice, etc.)
EPA-F2013U-GRO-Q1 Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences
(Includes pollution prevention and/or control-related study in Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry, Geology, Geography, Biogeochemistry, Water Quality, etc.)
EPA-F2013U-GRO-Q2 Mathematics and Computer Science
(Includes pollution prevention and/or control-related study in Environmental Information Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Bioinformatics, etc.)
E. References
Environmental Protection Agency. EPA’s FY 2014-2018 Strategic Plan.
Environmental Protection Agency.Fellowships webpage
F. Special Requirements
Agency policy and ethical considerations prevent EPA technical staff and managers from providing 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. EPA employees cannot endorse any particular application.
This solicitation does not provide the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that involve human subjects research. All human research studies conducted or supported by EPA are governed by EPA regulations at 40 CFR Part 26 (Protection of Human Subjects). This includes the Basic Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Research Subjects, also known as the Common Rule, at subpart A and additional prohibitions and special protections for pregnant women, nursing women, and children in research conducted or supported by EPA at subparts B, C, and D. Depending upon the type of research being conducted, additional subparts of 40 CFR Part 26 may be relevant. Procedures for the review and oversight of human research subject to 40 CFR Part 26 are also provided in EPA Order 1000.17 Change A1.
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.
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 $2,000,000 will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 40 fellowships under this RFA. The maximum projected award per fellowship is $20,700 per year total costs for up to two years, plus $8,600 for internship support. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $50,000 will not be considered.
The EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards or make fewer awards than anticipated under this announcement. The EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.
The fellowship provides up to $20,700 per year of academic support and $8,600 for internship support for a combined total of up to $50,000 over the life of the fellowship. A more detailed breakout of the funding which covers stipend, tuition, and expenses is provided below:
Stipends: During the nine-month academic year, an $800 stipend will be paid to the Fellow each month, for a total annual stipend of $7,200. 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 $11,000 per year will be paid directly to the institution for allowable tuition and fees. For the purposes of this fellowship, health insurance is not considered to be an academic fee even if it is required by the institution. For purposes of this fellowship, health insurance is an expense, not an academic fee.
Expense Allowance: $2,500 will be paid directly to the institution to pay for items and activities for the direct benefit of the fellow’s education, such as for health insurance, books, supplies, equipment, and travel to technical and scientific meetings. Specific instructions regarding the disbursement and management of the expense allowance will be provided during the award process.
Internship Allowance: During the summer internship, the fellow will receive a total of $8,600 for the three-month period. This amount includes $1,000 for travel to and from the summer internship site, $1,000 getting started fee (relocation and related expenses); $1,000 for travel while at the site, and a stipend of $5,600 for living expenses.
Summer Internship: The fellow will participate for up to 12 weeks at an EPA facility (located in the U.S. or its territories) as a Summer Intern in the EPA GRO Summer Intern Program, during the summer of their first year of EPA fellowship support. Each Intern must complete a summer project that is designed to complement and enhance the training received under the fellowship program. An aspect of the summer project will explore topics in broader societal impacts including but not limited to: furthering environmental awareness, encouraging environmental stewardship, promoting environmental equity and justice, and broadening participation of all citizens. EPA will provide support for temporary relocation and provide a living stipend, as described above, during the Summer Internship. Fellows will be contacted during their first year to arrange for this Internship.
Annual Conference: Fellows are expected to attend one technical/scientific conference as long as they are members of the GRO undergraduate 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 $2,500 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 three (3) 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 using federal funds will be required to comply with the 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 the fellowship period. 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. 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.
The GRO Undergraduate Fellowship is intended for students entering their last two years of full time study before obtaining their first bachelor’s degree. Students who have already earned one bachelor’s degree and are pursuing additional degrees are not eligible. The fellowship tenure is for 2 full academic years (9 months each) with a required paid summer internship after their first year. Thus, only students who will be entering their last two years of college will be considered eligible.
In order to receive the fellowship, the student must attend a fully accredited four year U.S. institution of higher education. This school must be among those that are not highly funded for research and development capacity. For the purposes of this solicitation, students attending those institutions receiving more than $35 million in annual federal research and development funding are ineligible to apply under this solicitation. Institutions who exceed this threshold can be identified in the National Science Foundation's publication "Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: FY 2008," Table 12, column 2. These data can be found at: Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2008 (PDF) (309 pp, 1.74 MB). Students attending those institutions either not listed, or listed as having received $35 million or less as designated in column 2 of Table 12 are eligible to apply.
Students attending two-year institutions, community colleges, and not in attendance at an institution of higher education at the time of application submittal may be eligible to apply. However, in order to be eligible to receive the fellowship, students attending two-year institutions, community colleges, or not in attendance at the time of application will need to show evidence of having received their Associate’s degree, demonstrate that they only have two years left of undergraduate studies for completion of their Bachelor’s degree, and will also need to demonstrate that they have been accepted to attend an accredited eligible four-year institution. This requirement is considered satisfied if the student is transferring to an accredited eligible four-year institution which has an Articulation Agreement with the two-year institution, thus meaning that all credits will transfer towards requirements for the Bachelor’s degree. An Articulation Agreement is a signed contract between a community or technical college and a four-year college or university that guarantees that a student who earns an associate degree at a participating two-year institution can transfer all of the general education core credits to the four-year institution toward the completion of baccalaureate degree requirements. More information can usually be obtained directly from the institution’s Registrar. Alternately, a student with an Associate’s degree may provide a letter from the Registrar of the accredited eligible four-year institution verifying that upon matriculation, the student will only have two remaining years of undergraduate study to complete the first Bachelor’s degree.
Students must be pursuing a bachelor's degree in an environmentally-related field, such as biology, health, the social sciences, and engineering. Students must have two (2) years remaining from the start of the Fall semester (Fall 2013) before receiving their initial bachelor's degree. Students must have at least a “B” average overall at the time of application submittal and during the tenure of the fellowship.
Applicants who currently have another federal fellowship are not eligible. 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.
The exact term (start and end dates) of the undergraduate fellowship is negotiated with the student and covers a period of nine months for each fellowship year. Students seeking a bachelor’s degree may be supported for a maximum of two academic years.
Diversity: 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, women, and persons with disabilities historically have been under-represented in the STEM fields. 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 the application will be rejected. In addition, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to parts of the application, pages in excess of the limitation will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted through grants.gov or by other authorized alternate means (see Section IV.E. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements” for further information) on or before the solicitation closing date and time in Section IV of this announcement or they will be returned to the sender without further consideration. 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 exceeding the funding limits described in Section II will not be reviewed. In addition, applications proposing human subjects research will not be considered for funding and will be deemed ineligible. Further, applications that fail to demonstrate a public purpose of support or stimulation (e.g., by proposing research which primarily benefits a Federal program or provides a service for a Federal Agency) will not be funded.
Applications must be submitted by the student. Applications submitted by the institution on behalf of the student will be rejected without review.
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.
Applications deemed ineligible for funding consideration will be notified within fifteen calendar days of the ineligibility determination.
Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact Bronda Harrison (harrison.bronda@epa.gov); 703-347-8080.
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
A. Internet Address to Request Application Package
Use the application package available at Grants.gov (see "Submission Instructions for Applications"). Instructions for completing these forms follow.
An email will be sent by NCER to the applicant to acknowledge receipt of the application and to transmit other important information. The email will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov; any email 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 emailed acknowledgement from receipt.application@epa.gov may take several weeks. Thus, our staff will not respond to queries regarding applications received before January 19, 2013. Please make a notation on your calendar to contact the program at 2013FellowshipsRFA@epa.gov from Saturday January 19, 2013 to no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday January 30, 2013 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. Check your email spam folder and/or check your spam filter settings to ensure emails from EPA are delivered to your email inbox.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
The application is made by submitting the materials described below. Applications must contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described. It is essential that all contact information be that of the applicant unless specifically requested otherwise.
Summary of Application Materials
Item 1. Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form (SF) 424
Item 2. EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54)
Item 3. Front Page
Item 4. Personal Statement
Item 5. Background Information:
- Education & Relevant Experiences
Presentations
Course Work
Item 6. Letters of (sent by letter writers)
The application is made by submitting the materials described below. For Items 3-5 prepare these using standard 8.5" x 11" page size, 12-point, Times New Roman font, 1" margins on all sides, and single spacing. While these guidelines establish the minimum type size requirements, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the proposal.
Do not exceed the page limits indicated. Excess pages will not be reviewed. References in the end notes do not count towards the page limits. Images may be included; however they will be reproduced only in black and white. All images, in-text citations, and footnotes are included in the page limits.
The applicant submits Items 1-5 as part of the Grants.gov application (See “Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications”). The Letters of Recommendation (Item 6) are submitted directly to EPA by those individuals writing the letters (see "Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements”).
Item 1. Standard Form 424
The student, that is the individual applying for funding, must complete Standard Form 424 for electronic submissions via Grants.gov. This form will be the first page of the application. Use the Standard Form 424 in the electronic application package (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications").
Instructions for Standard Form 424
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.
1. Check “Pre-application.”
8.a. The applicant is the student submitting the application (not an Institution).
8.b. Enter the student's social security number (see 8.a.).
8.f. The contact person is the student (see 8.a.).
9. Enter "P: individual"
15. Enter the title of your chosen FON. You do not need to provide a description.
16.a. For help finding the appropriate Congressional District, see Legislative Resources at US House of Representatives (upper left hand corner where it says “Find Congressional Representative.” For U.S. territories (e.g., Puerto Rico), please enter 00.
16.b. Enter "00".
17.a. Enter a start date of 09/01/2013.
17.b. Enter an End Date up to two (2) academic years for bachelor's degree support. If necessary, these dates can be modified if you receive a fellowship.
18.a. Enter the amount of funding you are requesting (up to $50,000 total for the tenure of the fellowship leading up to the bachelor’s degree).
18.b.-f. Enter "0"
19. Enter "c" Program is not covered.
The Authorized Representative is the student (see 8.a.). You may enter "student" as the title. “Close Form” will save and close the form.
Section 6:
- PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Choose the corresponding Topic Title for the FON. It should match the ones above. No description is needed.
- START DATE: Enter “09/01/2013.”
END DATE: For End Date, enter a date up to two (2) years later for Bachelor’s support. If necessary, these dates can be modified if you receive a fellowship.
Section 7: For your application to be processed, you must check this box.
SIGNATURE:
Item 2. EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54)
The applicant must complete the "Key Contacts" form as the second page of the application as directed below. For electronic submissions, use the EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54) in the electronic application package (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications.").
Ignore all other instructions for completing this form that may be found elsewhere. Please make certain that all contact information is accurate.
Key Contacts Form Instructions:
Authorized Representative: Enter the applicant's name and address information.
Payee: Enter the applicant's permanent address information. This is the address NCER will use for any U.S. Postal Service correspondence.
Administrative Contact: Enter the business information for the applicant's advisor. Leave blank if the applicant has not identified an advisor.
Principal Investigator: Leave blank or, if the applicant has a second advisor, please enter the second advisor's information here.
Item 3. Front Page (1 page limit)
Use standard 8.5" x 11" page size, 12-point, Times New Roman font, 1" margins on all sides, and single spacing. While these guidelines establish the minimum type size requirements, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the proposal.
Do not exceed the page limits indicated. Excess pages will not be reviewed.
Instructions for Submission:
Starting with a blank page, please begin each item on a separate line using the appropriate numbered heading.
Your name: Last name, first name, middle initial/name.
Your citizenship. If not a U.S. citizen, please provide your residency information.
Current College/University, School or Department: Name and location of the college/university, school or department you are currently attending. If you are not attending a college or university at the time of application, put “N/A.”
Intended College/University, School or Department: Name and location of the college/university, school or department from which your bachelor’s degree will be obtained. If you are considering multiple institutions, list your top two choices.
Institution GRO Eligibility Letter: You must verify that your school or intended school is GRO eligible. These data can be accessed at Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2008 (PDF) (309 pp, 1.74 MB) Table 12, column two. If your institution is listed, find the amount in the second column, and multiply the figure by 1000. If your institution is eligible, then complete the following statement:
"According to the National Science Foundation's report "Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2008," Table 12, column two, my institution received $_________ in Federal Research and Development expenditures in fiscal year 2008. Since this is $35 Million or less, my university is GRO eligible." If your institution is not listed, then it is eligible and you should enter “$0”. EPA will verify student eligibility before awards are made. Only students who will attend GRO eligible institutions can be awarded these fellowships.
Non-Human Subjects Research Determination
Provide the following statement verifying that the proposed research will not involve human subjects: “The proposed research does not involve human subjects.” Please use the definitions provided below to ensure consistency in the interpretation of terminology.
Definitions (from 40 CFR Part 26 Subparts A, B, and C)
Human subject means a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifiable private information.
Intervention includes both physical procedures by which data are gathered (for example, venipuncture) and manipulations of the subject or the subject's environment that are performed for research purposes.
Interaction includes communication or interpersonal contact between investigator and subject.
Private information includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example, a medical record).
Individually identifiable means the identity of the subject is or may readily be ascertained by the investigator or associated with the information.
Research involving the intentional exposure of a human subject means a study of a substance in which the exposure to the substance experienced by a human subject participating in the study would not have occurred but for the human subject’s participation in the study.
Observational research means any human research that does not meet the definition of research involving intentional exposure of a human subject.
Degree Sought: Enter the type of Bachelor’s Degree you are seeking to complete (e.g. B.A., B.S.). Include the month and year you expect the degree to be awarded.
Funding Opportunity Number and Topic Title. This category must match what appears on Standard Form SF 424.
Environmental Discipline. List your major(s) for your undergraduate studies.
For submission via Grants.gov this item will be combined with Items 4 and 5 into one PDF file that will be uploaded into Grants.gov as the “Mandatory Project Narrative” (See “Submission Instructions for Electronic Applications”). Label the file “MandatoryProjectInfo”. Please do not use spaces or special characters in the file name as this may cause Grants.gov to reject your application.
Item 4. Personal Statement (1 page limit)
Use standard 8.5" x 11" page size, 12-point, Times New Roman font, 1" margins on all sides, and single spacing. While these guidelines establish the minimum type size requirements, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the proposal.
Do not exceed the page limits indicated. Excess pages will not be reviewed. References in the end notes do not count towards the page limits. Images may be included; however they will be reproduced only in black and white. All images, in-text citations, and footnotes are included in the page limits.
This Personal Statement will be of paramount importance in evaluating your request for a fellowship. Therefore, your answer to all the questions should be well thought out and expressed in a clear and detailed but concise manner. Please give enough details so you may be adequately evaluated.
This personal statement will be reviewed on how well you demonstrate the following criteria:
- Commitment to the stated academic and career goals; and potential for success in the proposed course of study;
- Organizational, analytical, and written skills;
- Commitment to environmentally-related study; and commitment to the environment.
Personal Statements that fully address ALL of the areas below with respect to the Criteria in Section V. may be rated more highly. Clearly, concisely, and with appropriate detail, address the following three areas:
Academic and Career Goals
What are your academic and career goals and how will this fellowship help you attain them?Research Project or Environmental Issue of Concern
What environmental issue is of particular interest to you and how might you go about addressing it (this may be a description of your research project if you have one or planned course of study or inquiry)?
NOTE: To be eligible for funding consideration, your research project or environmental issue of concern must focus on activities within the statutory terms of EPA's financial assistance authorities; specifically, the statute(s) listed in Section I.C.
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
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.