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
Systems-Based Research for Evaluating Ecological Impacts of Manufactured Chemicals
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number:
Systems-Based Research For Evaluating Ecological Impacts Of Manufactured Chemicals, EPA-G2014-STAR-E1
Early Career Awards: Systems-Based Research For Evaluating Ecological Impacts Of Manufactured Chemicals, EPA-G2014-STAR-E2
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.509
Solicitation Opening Date: December 4, 2013
Solicitation Closing Date: March 4, 2014, 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time
Technical Contact: Jayne Michaud (michaud.jayne@epa.gov); phone: 703-305-1968
Electronic Submissions: Todd Peterson (peterson.todd@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-7224
Eligibility Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-0442
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 seeking applications focusing on integrated, transdisciplinary research that would advance scientific understanding of potential for impacts to ecosystem wellbeing associated with the use of manufactured chemicals. Specifically, the RFA would solicit proposals for systems-based research to develop and apply innovative metrics and modeling approaches to improve evaluation of ecological resilience and impact analyses, and to support environmental sustainability. Successful proposals will translate emerging and advanced methods, data, and computational tools to address complexity of these systems and distill drivers of adverse outcomes to ecological organisms and populations.
This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research. Human subjects research supported by the EPA is governed by EPA Regulation 40 CFR Part 26 (Protection of Human Subjects). This includes the Common Rule at subpart A and prohibitions and additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses, nursing women, and children at subparts B, C, and D. Research meeting the regulatory definition of intentional exposure research found in subpart B is prohibited by that subpart in pregnant women, nursing women, and children. Research meeting the regulatory definition of observational research found in subparts C and D is subject to the additional protections found in those subparts for pregnant women and fetuses (subpart C) and children (subpart D). All applications must include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS, as described in Section IV.B.5.c), and if the project involves human subjects research, it will be subject to an additional level of review prior to funding decisions being made as described in Sections V.C and V.D of this solicitation.
Guidance and training for investigators conducting EPA-funded research involving human subjects may be obtained here:
Ethics, Regulations, and Policies
Human Subjects Research at the Environmental Protection Agency: Ethical Standards and Regulatory Requirements
In addition to regular awards, this solicitation includes the opportunity for early career awards. The purpose of the early career award is to fund research projects smaller in scope and budget by early career PIs. Please see Section III of this Request for Applications (RFA) for details on the early career eligibility criteria.
Award Information:
Anticipated Type of Award: Grant or Cooperative Agreement
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 6 awards (4 regular, 2 early career)
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $4 million total for all awards
Potential Funding per Award: Up to a total of $800,000 for regular awards and up to a total of $400,000 for early career awards, including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of 3 years. Cost-sharing is not required. Proposals with budgets exceeding the total award limits will not be considered.
Eligibility Information:
Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the U.S., state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply. Special eligibility criteria apply to the early career award portion of this RFA. See full announcement for more details.
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.
If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, you need to allow approximately one month to complete the registration process. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a DUNS number and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline. This registration, and electronic submission of your application, must be performed by an authorized representative of your organization.
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.
Agency Contacts:
Technical Contact: Jayne Michaud (michaud.jayne@epa.gov); phone: 703-305-1968
Electronic Submissions: Todd Peterson (peterson.todd@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-7224
Eligibility Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-0442
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A. Introduction
One of EPA’s high-priority interests is to support research that will result in a better understanding of organismal and ecosystem vulnerability to chemical exposures in order to support sustainable decisions that minimize risks, and better protect ecological wellbeing.
In its “Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy” report (NRC 2012a) the National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) notes that recent advances in measurement and computational technologies afford opportunities to study complex systems and to better understand direct and indirect effects of exposures to aquatic and wildlife populations. Important large scale research activities (About NEON & Mission 
) are supporting development and synthesis of data on the impacts of climate change, land use change and invasive species on natural resources and biodiversity. These data will combine site-based data with remotely sensed data and existing continental-scale data sets to provide a range of scaled data products that can be used to describe changes in the nation’s ecosystem through space and time. These emerging data streams in combination with recent advances in mechanistic toxicology (National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) ) provide an opportunity to improve assessment of impacts to ecological systems associated with exposures to manufactured chemicals.
As part of its STAR program, EPA is soliciting proposals for systems-based research to develop and apply innovative metrics and modeling approaches to improve evaluation of ecological resilience and impact analyses, and to support environmental sustainability. Successful proposals will translate emerging and advanced methods, data, and computational tools to address complexity of these systems and distill drivers of adverse outcomes to ecological organisms and populations.
EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS) Research Program currently supports a number of research programs aimed at development of innovative science to support safe, sustainable design and use of chemicals and materials required to promote environmental wellbeing, as well as to protect vulnerable species and populations. Strategic objectives of the CSS program include developing the scientific basis to evaluate complex interactions of chemical and biological systems to support environmental sustainability (Chemical Safety Research).
This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research. Human subjects research supported by the EPA is governed by EPA Regulation 40 CFR Part 26 (Protection of Human Subjects). This includes the Common Rule at subpart A and prohibitions and additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses, nursing women, and children at subparts B, C, and D. Research meeting the regulatory definition of intentional exposure research found in subpart B is prohibited by that subpart in pregnant women, nursing women, and children. Research meeting the regulatory definition of observational research found in subparts C and D is subject to the additional protections found in those subparts for pregnant women and fetuses (subpart C) and children (subpart D). All applications must include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS, as described in Section IV.B.5.c), and if the project involves human subjects research, it will be subject to an additional level of review prior to funding decisions being made as described in Sections V.C and V.D of this solicitation.
Guidance and training for investigators conducting EPA-funded research involving human subjects may be obtained here:
Ethics, Regulations, and Policies
Human Subjects Research at the Environmental Protection Agency: Ethical Standards and Regulatory Requirements
In addition to regular awards, this solicitation includes the opportunity for early career awards. The purpose of the early career award is to fund research projects smaller in scope and budget by early career PIs. Please see Section III of this RFA for details on the early career eligibility criteria.
B. Background
Environmental sustainability requires healthy populations, communities, and ecosystems. However, chemical risks and effects research have traditionally been based upon adverse biological effects of chemical exposure to individuals. A more comprehensive assessment of ecological risk is needed to link chemical effects on individuals to those at increasing levels of biological complexity and to evaluate the spatial and temporal context in which chemical exposures occur to better evaluate and minimize potential for impacts. An integrated understanding of species activities (e.g., migration), physical stressors (e.g., habitat, climate, etc.) and biological factors (e.g., trophic interactions) is required to link individual-level exposures to population-, community- and ecosystem-level consequences. Developing the scientific underpinnings necessary to characterize, understand, and link individual-level exposures to risks at higher levels of organization will facilitate the transformation of ecological risk assessment to support sustainable decisions that minimize unintended consequences of chemical manufacture and use.
The goal of most ecological risk assessments of chemical stressors is to inform risk management. Risk management is then focused on prevention of unacceptable population- and community-level effects. Ecological risk assessments are usually based on different approaches and models that utilize often limited exposure data and stressor-response relationships. Reliance on these data can lead to significant uncertainties in predicting population and community level responses. These uncertainties can be broadly categorized as arising from a lack of understanding of:
- Responses across biological levels of organization,
- Differences in response and outcomes among and between species or taxa,
- Biologically relevant responses arising from chemical stressors, potentially interacting with other stressors, e.g. land use change and associated habitat loss, impacts on hydrogeology, nutrient loadings; climate change, and
- Temporal and spatial distribution of species exposure to chemical stressors.
The goal of this RFA is to apply systems-based approaches for identifying, addressing, and reducing these uncertainties.
For example, the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) concept provides a reasonable basis from which to construct a coherent systems-based approach to making better predictions of population-level risks of chemicals. Specifically, AOPs provide a transparent framework for establishing linkages across biological levels of organization that culminate in responses meaningful to risk assessment (Ankley et al. 2010), including population-level impacts (Kramer et al. 2011). An AOP based framework can facilitate cross-species extrapolation of responses to chemicals through data organization/analysis (Perkins et al. 2013), or through inclusion of other empirically based approaches (Raimondo et al. 2010). It is also well suited to incorporate the translation of laboratory test data to field relevant endpoints through novel modeling approaches (Etterson and Bennett 2013) and can incorporate the interactions between multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors (Hooper et al. 2013; Jackson et al. 2011).
Effective use of an AOP framework for assessing population/community-level chemical risk is directly influenced by characterization of chemical exposure. Hence, the work supported under this RFA may involve integration of state-of-the-art exposure predictions with effects analyses or translators of individuals to population effects. For example, consideration of spatially-explicit exposure predictions could be a logical avenue to explore. The resultant integration of exposure and individual, population, or community effects models will provide a basis for understanding and reducing risk assessment uncertainties.
Any number of stressors could be examined for this work. For example, existence of established AOPs and exposure information/models for chemicals that interact with/disturb the vertebrate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal/thyroidal axes (often referred to as “endocrine-disruptors”), would be a reasonable group of chemicals to consider (Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP)). The output generated by this research should be generalizable, transferrable, and informative for a wide range of species or taxa to predict risks at the regional or national scale. Research focusing on sensitive, commercially, and/or recreationally important species is also desirable.
This solicitation is related to specific strategic goals and objectives of EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS) National Research Program:
- Systems Models (Chemical Safety for Sustainability (PDF) (32 pp, 523 K)).
The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from the EPA’s Strategic Plan that relate to this solicitation are:
- Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution, Objective 4.1: Ensure Chemical Safety
More information can be found in EPA’s FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan
C. Authority and Regulations
The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r, the Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254, and the Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403.
For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(F).
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 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.
Applicable regulations include: 40 CFR Part 30 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations), 40 CFR Part 31 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments) and 40 CFR Part 40 (Research and Demonstration Grants). Applicable OMB Circulars include: OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles for Educational Institutions) relocated to 2 CFR Part 220, OMB Circular A-87 (Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments) relocated to 2 CFR Part 225, and OMB Circular A-122 (Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations) relocated to 2 CFR Part 230.
D. Specific Research Areas of Interest/Expected Outputs and Outcomes
Note to applicant: The term “output” means an environmental activity or effort, and associated work products, related to a specific environmental goal(s), (e.g., testing a new methodology), that will be produced or developed over a period of time under the agreement. The term “outcome” means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from the above activit(ies) that is related to an environmental or health-related objective.
The Agency is soliciting proposals for developing and applying innovative metrics, methods, and models to efficiently and accurately characterize the interactions between the spatial and temporal distribution of chemicals and ecological receptors, and to predict system-level consequences resulting from individual-level exposures.
Examples of important knowledge gaps requiring study and that may be funded through this RFA include, but are not limited to:
- What spatial and temporal attributes in landscapes, stressor distribution, and population dynamics most influence risks to organisms exposed to chemical stressors?
- Which individual-level exposure endpoints best predict population-level responses?
- How can a systems-based approach (e.g., Adverse Outcome Pathway framework) be applied to efficiently and cost-effectively link molecular-level responses associated to chemical exposure with individual and population level impacts in the context of other stressors (i.e. changes in habitat, climate, etc.)?
- What novel, non-invasive methods can be applied to improve the efficiency and efficacy of traditional bioassessments of sensitive, threatened, or endangered species while reducing resource demand?
Examples of research questions that are considered to be responsive to this RFA are listed below.
Research Questions:
Focal area 1: Responses across and within biological levels of organization
- How do changes in suborganismal-level endpoints (e.g., molecular, cellular, and tissue-level responses) relate quantitatively to changes in apical endpoints such as survival, growth, and reproduction?
- How can we quantify the relationship between changes in apical endpoints and those at higher levels of biological organization (population, community, landscape)?
- What data are required, for a given taxon, to extrapolate from apical endpoints to specific measures of population performance with different levels of precision?
- For different classes of stressors or groups of chemicals, how well are linkages established across various levels of biological organization and how conserved are those linkages across or between species/taxa?
Focal area 2: Spatio-temporal responses of ecologically sensitive commercially or recreationally important populations exposed to multiple simultaneous stressors
- How can we evaluate risk to sensitive or important populations or landscapes due to multiple stressors that vary in time or space, including associated uncertainties?
- For different types of species, how can we quantify the spatial and temporal overlap between predicted or measured chemical concentrations, species occurrence or habitat, and other important heterogeneously distributed stressors (e.g., temperature or precipitation fluctuations due to climate change)?
- How can these approaches be adapted to address differences in the spatial and temporal scales of ecological risk assessment (e.g., site, region and national scales)?
Expected Outputs:
- Translation of multiple data streams to inform chemical evaluation and risk-based assessments by the scientific community interested in chemical safety and environmental sustainability.
- Tools and models that evaluate impacts of chemicals/materials/products to identify critical data needs and support chemical safety and environmental sustainability.
Expected Outcomes:
- Enhanced predictive capacity for using commonly available data to parameterize key indicators of environmental fate and biological dose to support and improve evaluation of a wide range of chemical compounds by the scientific community interested in chemical safety and environmental sustainability.
To the extent practicable, research proposals must embody innovation and sustainability. Innovation for the purposes of this RFA is defined as the process of making changes; a new method, custom or device. Innovative research can take the form of wholly new applications or applications that build on existing knowledge and approaches for new uses. Research proposals must include a discussion on how the proposed research is innovative (see Section IV.B.5.a). 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.” Research proposals must include a discussion on how the proposed research will seek sustainable solutions that protect the environment and strengthen our communities (see Section IV.B.5.a). ORD will draw from all of the above-mentioned innovation and sustainability definitions in the review/evaluation process of recommending research proposals (see Section V.A).
E. References
Journals
Ankley, G.T., R.S. Bennett, R.J. Erickson, D.J. Hoff, M.W. Hornung, R.D. Johnson, D.R. Mount, J.W. Nichols, C.L. Russom, P.K. Schmieder, J.A. Serrano, J. E. Tietge and D.L. Villeneuve. 2010. Adverse outcome pathways: A conceptual framework to support ecotoxicology research and risk assessment. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 29, 730-741.
Etterson, M.A. and R. S. Bennett. 2013. Quantifying the effects of pesticide exposure on annual reproductive success of birds. Integr Environ Assess Manage. In print. DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1450. Available at: Quantifying the effects of pesticide exposure on annual reproductive success of birds
Hooper, M.J., G.T. Ankley, D.A. Cristol, L.A. Maryoung, P.D. Noyes and K.E. Pinkerton. 2013. Interactions between chemical and climate stressors: A role for mechanistic toxicology in assessing climate change risks. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 32, 32-48.
Jackson, A.K., D.C. Evers, M.A. Etterson, A.M. Condon, S.B. Folsom, J. Detweiler, J. Schmerfeld, and D.A Cristol. 2011. Mercury exposure affects the reproductive success of free-living terrestrial songbird, the Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). The Auk. 128: 759-769.
Kramer, V.J., M.A. Etterson, M. Hecker, C.A. Murphy, G. Roesijadi, D.J. Spade, J.A. Spromberg, M. Wang and G.T. Ankley. 2011. Adverse outcome pathways and risk assessment: Bridging to population level effects. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 30, 64-76.
Landis, W.G., J.L. Durda, M.L. Brooks, P.M. Chapman, C.A. Menzie, R.G. Stahl jr., J.L. Stauber. 2013. Ecological Risk Assessment in the context of global climate change. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 32(1):79-92.
Moe, S.J., K. De Schamphelaere, W.H. Clements, M.T Sorensen, P.J. Van den Brink, M. Liess. 2013. Combined and interactive effects of global climate change and toxicants on populations and communities. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 32(1):49-61.
Perkins, E.J., G.T. Ankley, K.M. Crofton, N. Garcia-Reyero, C.A. LaLone, M.S. Johnson, J.E. Tietge and D.L. Villeneuve. 2013. Current perspectives on the use of alternative species in human health and ecological hazard assessments. Environ. Health Perspect. In Press.
Raimondo, S., C.R. Jackson, M.G. Barron. 2010. Influence of taxonomic relatedness and chemical mode of action in acute interspecies estimation models for aquatic species. Environmental Science and Technology. 44: 7711-7716.
Reports
National Research Council (NRC), 2012a. Science for Environmental Protection: The Road Ahead. National Academies Press, Washington. ISBN 978-0-039-26489-1.
National Research Council (NRC), 2012b. Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy National Academies Press, Washington. ISBN 978-0-039-26468-6.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012. Implementation of ORD Strategic Research Plans: A Joint Report of the Science Advisory Board and ORD Board of Scientific Counselors (PDF) (60 pp, 334K) (28 Sept 2012) EPA-SAB-12-012.
Presentations
Stahl, R.G., M.J. Hooper, J.M Babus, W. Clements, A. Fritz, T. Gouin, R. Helm, C. Hickey, W. Landis, S.J. Moe. The influence of global climate change on the scientific foundations and applications of environmental toxicology and chemistry: Introduction to a SETAC international workshop. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 32(1):13-19 (2013).
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.
Multiple Investigator applications may be submitted as: (1) a single Lead Principal Investigator (PI) application with Co-PI(s) or (2) a Multiple PI application (with a single Contact PI). If you choose to submit a Multiple PI application, you must follow the specific instructions provided in Sections IV. and V. of this RFA. For further information, please see the EPA Implementation Plan for Policy on Multiple Principal Investigators (Research Business Models Working Group).
Please note: Early career awards will not accommodate a Multiple PI application. Early career awards shall be submitted as a single Lead PI application. Special eligibility criteria apply to the early career portion of this RFA. Please see Section III of this RFA for details on the early career eligibility criteria. The application must include an early career verification (see “Early Career Verification” in Section IV.B.5.e).
This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research. There are many scientific and ethical considerations that must be addressed in such studies by the study sponsor and research team, including, but not limited to, those related to recruitment, retention, participant compensation, third-party issues, researcher-participant interactions, researcher-community interactions, communications, interventions, and education. All such research must comply with the requirements of 40 CFR Part 26, and any human observational exposure studies must also adhere to the principles set forth in the Scientific and Ethical Approaches for Observational Exposure Studies (SEAOES) (EPA/600/R-08/062) (PDF) (133 pp, 1.21 MB) document. SEAOES, which was published by researchers in EPA and which discusses the principles for the ethical conduct of human research studies, serves as a resource for applicants interested in applying under this solicitation. References to “SEAOES Principles” in this solicitation refers, in general, to the issues of interest in conducting human subjects research studies that maintain the highest scientific and ethical standards and safety during the conduct of these studies. All applications must include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS; described in Section IV.B.5.c) and if the project involves human subjects research, it will be subject to an additional level of review prior to funding decisions being made as described in Sections V.C and V.D of this solicitation.
The application shall include a plan (see “Data Plan” in section IV.B.5.d) to make available to the NCER project officer all data generated (first produced under the award) from observations, analyses, or model development used under an agreement awarded from this RFA. The data must be available in a format and with documentation such that they may be used by others in the scientific community.
These awards may involve the collection of “Geospatial Information,” which includes information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the Earth or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, a Geographic Positioning System (GPS), remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data.
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $4 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 6 awards (4 regular, 2 early career) under this RFA. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $800,000 for regular awards and $400,000 for early career awards, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. The total project period requested in an application submitted for this RFA may not exceed 3 years.
The EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards, or make fewer awards than anticipated, under this RFA. The EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.
In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals/applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund a proposal/application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal/application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.
EPA may award both grants and cooperative agreements under this announcement.
Under a grant, EPA scientists and engineers are not permitted to be substantially involved in the execution of the research. However, EPA encourages interaction between its own laboratory scientists and grant Principal Investigators after the award of an EPA grant for the sole purpose of exchanging information in research areas of common interest that may add value to their respective research activities. This interaction must be incidental to achieving the goals of the research under a grant. Interaction that is “incidental” does not involve resource commitments.
Where appropriate, based on consideration of the nature of the proposed project relative to the EPA’s intramural research program and available resources, the EPA may award cooperative agreements under this announcement. When addressing a research question/problem of common interest, collaborations between EPA scientists and the institution’s principal investigators are permitted under a cooperative agreement. These collaborations may include data and information exchange, providing technical input to experimental design and theoretical development, coordinating extramural research with in-house activities, the refinement of valuation endpoints, and joint authorship of journal articles on these activities. Proposals may not identify EPA cooperators or interactions; specific interactions between EPA’s investigators and those of the prospective recipient for cooperative agreements will be negotiated at the time of award.
A. Eligible Applicants
Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the U.S., state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.
Eligible nonprofit organizations include any organizations that meet the definition of nonprofit in OMB Circular A-122, located at 2 CFR Part 230. However, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible to apply.
Foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental international organizations/institutions are not eligible to apply.
National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, “FFRDCs”) may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. The institution, organization, or governance receiving the award may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the EPA to an FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research. However, salaries for permanent FFRDC employees may not be provided through this mechanism.
Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement, and may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations in other ways through awards made under this program.
The applicant institution may enter into an agreement with a Federal Agency to purchase or utilize unique supplies or services unavailable in the private sector to the extent authorized by law. Examples are purchase of satellite data, chemical reference standards, analyses, or use of instrumentation or other facilities not available elsewhere. A written justification for federal involvement must be included in the application. In addition, an appropriate form of assurance that documents the commitment, such as a letter of intent from the Federal Agency involved, should be included.
The early career awards will support research performed by PIs with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. Principal investigators from applicant institutions applying for the early career portion of the RFA must meet the following additional eligibility requirements:
- Hold a doctoral degree in a field related to the research being solicited by the closing date of the RFA;
- Be untenured at the closing date of the RFA;
- By the award date, be employed in a tenure-track position (or tenure-track-equivalent position) as an assistant professor (or equivalent title) at an institution in the U.S., its territories, or possessions. Note: For a position to be considered a tenure-track-equivalent position, it must meet all of the following requirements: (1) the employing department or organization does not offer tenure; (2) the appointment is a continuing appointment; (3) the appointment has substantial educational responsibilities; and (4) the proposed project relates to the employee's career goals and job responsibilities as well as to the goals of the department/organization.
Senior researchers may collaborate in a supporting role for early career awards. Early career applications should not propose significant resources for senior researchers and may not list senior researchers as co-PIs. The application must include an early career verification (see “Early Career Verification” in Section IV.B.5.e).
Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov) in NCER, phone: 703-308-0442.
B. Cost-Sharing
Institutional cost-sharing is not required.
C. Other
Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or they will be rejected. In addition, where a page limitation is expressed in Section IV with respect to parts of the application, pages in excess of the page limit will not be reviewed. Applications must be 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. Also, applications exceeding the funding limits or project period term described herein will be returned without review. Further, applications that fail to demonstrate a public purpose of support or stimulation (e.g., by proposing research which primarily benefits a Federal program or provides a service for a Federal agency) will not be funded.
Applications deemed ineligible for funding consideration will be notified within fifteen calendar days of the ineligibility determination.
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to confidential business information, contracts and subawards under grants, and proposal assistance and communications, can be found at Fiscal Year 2010 Competitive Grant Awards.
These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.
Formal instructions for submission through Grants.gov follow in Section E.
A. Internet Address to Request Application Package
Use the application package available at Grants.gov (see Section E. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements”). Note: With the exception of the current and pending support form (available at Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page), all necessary forms are included in the electronic application package.
An email will be sent by NCER to the Lead/Contact PI and the Administrative Contact (see below) to acknowledge receipt of the application and transmit other important information. The email will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov; emails to this address will not be accepted. If you do not receive an email acknowledgment within 30 days of the submission closing date, immediately inform the Eligibility Contact shown in this solicitation. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed. See Section E. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements” for additional information regarding the application receipt acknowledgment.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
The application is made by submitting the materials described below. Applications must contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described.
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Standard Form 424
The applicant must complete Standard Form 424. Instructions for completion of the SF424 are included with the form. (However, note that EPA requires that the entire requested dollar amount appear on the SF424, not simply the proposed first year expenses.) The form must contain the signature of an authorized representative of the applying organization.
Applicants are required to provide a “Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System” (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. Organizations may receive a DUNS number by calling 1-866-705-5711 or by visiting the web site at Dun and Bradstreet
.Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” does not apply to the Office of Research and Development's research and training programs unless EPA has determined that the activities that will be carried out under the applicants' proposal (a) require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or (b) do not require an EIS but will be newly initiated at a particular site and require unusual measures to limit the possibility of adverse exposure or hazard to the general public, or (c) have a unique geographic focus and are directly relevant to the governmental responsibilities of a State or local government within that geographic area.
If EPA determines that Executive Order 12372 applies to an applicant's proposal, the applicant must follow the procedures in 40 CFR Part 29. The applicant must notify their state's single point of contact (SPOC). To determine whether their state participates in this process, and how to comply, applicants should consult Intergovernmental Review (SPOC List). If an applicant is in a State that does not have a SPOC, or the State has not selected research and development grants for intergovernmental review, the applicant must notify directly affected State, area wide, regional and local entities of its proposal.
EPA will notify the successful applicant(s) if Executive Order 12372 applies to its proposal prior to award.
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Key Contacts
The applicant must complete the “Key Contacts” form found in the Grants.gov application package. An “Additional Key Contacts” form is also available at Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page. The Key Contacts form should also be completed for major sub-agreements (i.e., primary investigators). Do not include information for consultants or other contractors. Please make certain that all contact information is accurate.
For Multiple PI applications: The Additional Key Contacts form must be completed (see Section I.F. for further information). Note: The Contact PI must be affiliated with the institution submitting the application. EPA will direct all communications related to scientific, technical, and budgetary aspects of the project to the Contact PI; however, any information regarding an application will be shared with any PI upon request. The Contact PI is to be listed on the Key Contact Form as the Project Manager/Principal Investigator (the term Project Manager is used on the Grants.gov form, the term Principal Investigator is used on the form located on NCER’s web site). For additional PIs, complete the Major Co-Investigator fields and identify PI status next to the name (e.g., “Name: John Smith, Principal Investigator”).
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Table of Contents
Provide a list of the major subdivisions of the application indicating the page number on which each section begins.
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Abstract (1 page)
The abstract is a very important document in the review process. Therefore, it is critical that the abstract accurately describes the research being proposed and conveys all the essential elements of the research. Also, the abstracts of applications that receive funding will be posted on the NCER web site.
The abstract should include the information described below (a-h). Examples of abstracts for current grants may be found on the NCER web site.
- Funding Opportunity Title and Number for this proposal.
- Project Title: Use the exact title of your project as it appears in the application. The title must be brief yet represent the major thrust of the project. Because the title will be used by those not familiar with the project, use more commonly understood terminology. Do not use general phrases such as “research on.”
- Investigators: For applications with multiple investigators, state whether this is a single Lead PI (with co-PIs) or Multiple PI application (see Section I.F.). For Lead PI applications, list the Lead PI, then the name(s) of each co-PI who will significantly contribute to the project. For Multiple PI applications, list the Contact PI, then the name(s) of each additional PI. Provide a web site URL or an email contact address for additional information.
- Institution(s): In the same order as the list of investigators, list the name, city and state of each participating university or other applicant institution. The institution applying for assistance must be clearly identified.
- Project Period and Location: Show the proposed project beginning and ending dates and the performance site(s)/geographical location(s) where the work will be conducted.
- Project Cost: Show the total funding requested from the EPA (include direct and indirect costs for all years).
- Project Summary: Provide three subsections addressing: (1) the objectives of the study (including any hypotheses that will be tested), (2) the experimental approach to be used (a description of the proposed project), and (3) the expected results (outputs/outcomes) of the project and how it addresses the research needs identified in the solicitation, including the estimated improvement in risk assessment or risk management that will result from successful completion of the proposed work.
- Supplemental Keywords: Without duplicating terms already used in the text of the abstract, list keywords to assist database searchers in finding your research. A list of suggested keywords may be found at: Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page.
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Research Plan, Quality Assurance Statement, Human Subjects Research Statement, Data Plan, Early Career Verification and References
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Research Plan (15 pages)
Applications should focus on a limited number of research objectives that adequately and clearly demonstrate that they meet the RFA requirements. Explicitly state the main hypotheses that you will investigate, the data you will create or use, the analytical tools you will use to investigate these hypotheses or analyze these data, and the results you expect to achieve. Research methods must be clearly stated so that reviewers can evaluate the appropriateness of your approach and the tools you intend to use. A statement such as: “we will evaluate the data using the usual statistical methods” is not specific enough for peer reviewers.
This description must not exceed fifteen (15) consecutively numbered (bottom center), 8.5x11-inch pages of single-spaced, standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins. While these guidelines establish the minimum type size requirements, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the proposal.
The description must provide the following information:
- Objectives: List the objectives of the proposed research and the hypotheses being tested during the project, and briefly state why the intended research is important and how it fulfills the requirements of the solicitation. This section should also include any background or introductory information that would help explain the objectives of the study. If this application is to expand upon research supported by an existing or former assistance agreement awarded under the STAR program, indicate the number of the agreement and provide a brief report of progress and results achieved under it.
- Approach/Activities: Outline the research design, methods, and techniques that you intend to use in meeting the objectives stated above.
- Innovation: Describe how your project shifts current research or engineering paradigms by using innovative theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions applicable to one or more fields of research.
- Sustainability: Describe how your project embodies the principles of sustainability and seeks sustainable solutions that protect the environment and strengthen our communities. The sustainability primer provides examples of research activities that promote and incorporate sustainability principles.
- Expected Results, Benefits, Outputs, and Outcomes: Describe the results you expect to achieve during the project (outputs) and the potential benefits of the results (outcomes). This section should also discuss how the research results will lead to solutions to environmental problems and improve the public’s ability to protect the environment and human health. A clear, concise description will help NCER and peer reviewers understand the merits of the research.
- Project Management: Discuss other information relevant to the potential success of the project. This should include facilities, personnel expertise/experience, project schedules with associated milestones and target dates, proposed management, interactions with other institutions, etc. Describe the approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner and detail how project objectives will be successfully achieved within the grant period. Describe how progress toward achieving the expected results (outputs and outcomes) of the research will be monitored and measured. Applications for multi-investigator projects must identify project management and the functions of each investigator in each team and describe plans to communicate and share data.
- Appendices may be included but must remain within the 15-page limit.
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Quality Assurance Statement (3 pages)
For projects involving environmental data collection or processing, conducting surveys, modeling, method development, or the development of environmental technology (whether hardware-based or via new techniques), provide a Quality Assurance Statement (QAS) regarding the plans for processes that will be used to ensure that the products of the research satisfy the intended project objectives. Follow the guidelines provided below to ensure that the QAS describes a system that complies with ANSI/ASQC E4, Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs. Do not exceed three consecutively numbered, 8.5x11-inch pages of single-spaced, standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins.
NOTE: If selected for award, applicants will be expected to provide additional quality assurance documentation.
Address each applicable section below by including the required information, referencing the specific location of the information in the Research Pl
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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.