Grantee Research Project Results

**Please Note**

Due to inclement weather in parts of the country, the RFA closing date is extended to Dec. 13, 2018.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Research
P3 Award Program

CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY

Recipients List

16th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.

Funding Opportunity Numbers and Associated Research Areas:

EPA-G2019-P3-Q1 – Air Quality
EPA-G2019-P3-Q2 – Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
EPA-G2019-P3-Q3 – Sustainable and Healthy Communities
EPA-G2019-P3-Q4 – Chemical Safety

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.516

Solicitation Opening Date: October 24, 2018
Solicitation Closing Date: December 13, 2018, 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time

Table of Contents:
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
	Synopsis of Program
	Award Information
	Eligibility Information
	Application Materials
	Agency Contacts
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
	A. Introduction
	B. Background
	C. Authority and Regulations
	D. Expected Outputs and Outcomes
	E. Research Areas
	F. References
	G. Special Requirements
II. AWARD INFORMATION
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
	A. Eligible Applicants
	B. Cost Sharing
	C. Other
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
	A. Grants.gov Submittal Requirements and Limited Exception Procedures
	B. Application Package Information
	C. Content and Form of Application Submission
	D. Submission Dates and Times
	E. Funding Restrictions
	F. Submission Instructions for Phase I Applications and Other Submission Requirements
	G. Submission Instructions for Phase II Applications
V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
	A. Review Process for Phase I Applications
	B. Review Process for Phase II Applications
	C. Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS) Review
	D. Funding Decisions
	E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation
VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
	A. Award Notices
	B. Disputes
	C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Access Standard STAR Forms (How to Apply and Required Forms)
View research awarded under previous solicitations Past Research Funding Opportunities

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – as part of its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award Program – is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, design, and demonstrate solutions to real world challenges. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative technology-based projects that achieve the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity, and protection of the planet – people, prosperity, and the planet. The EPA offers the P3 competition to respond to the needs of people in the United States (U.S.)—e.g., those in small, rural, tribal, and disadvantaged communities. Please see the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition for more details about this program.  Proposed projects must embody the P3 approach, which is that they have the intention and capability to simultaneously improve the quality of people’s lives, provide economic benefits, and protect the environment.

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.C.5.b of this solicitation), 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:
Basic Information about Human Subjects Research
Basic EPA Policy for Protection of Subjects in Human Research Conducted or Supported by EPA

The P3 Program is intended to address domestic U.S. needs.  For this reason, P3 projects should primarily perform their research in the U.S. and the benefits of the research should primarily accrue to the U.S.  Applications that do not meet these requirements may not be evaluated as highly during the relevancy review, and therefore may not be recommended for an award.

Award Information:
Anticipated Type of Award: Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 20 awards for Phase I; Approximately 3 awards for Phase II.
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $800,000 total for all Phase I & II grant awards.
Up to $25,000 per Phase I grant including direct and indirect costs. 
Proposals for Phase I grants requesting an award of more than $25,000 will not be considered.  
Proposals for Phase I grants must be for one year. Proposals with a duration of more than one year will not be considered.

Upon the successful completion of Phase I, grant recipients will have the opportunity to apply for a P3 Phase II grant of up to $100,000 total with a two-year duration, including direct and indirect costs (see Background section for more information). Proposals for Phase II grants requesting an award of more than $100,000 or with a duration of more than two years will not be considered.

Cost-sharing is not required for either Phase I or Phase II grants.

Eligibility Information:
Public and private institutions of higher education (limited to degree-granting institutions of higher education) located in the U.S. (includes eligible institutions of higher education located in U.S. territories and possessions) are eligible to apply to be the recipient of a grant to support teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.  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.F. “Submission Instructions for Phase I Applications and Other Submission Requirements”).  Note: With the exception of the current and pending support form (available at How to Apply and Required Forms), all necessary forms are included in the electronic application package. Make sure to include the current and pending support form in your Grants.gov submission.

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 unique entity identifier (e.g., ‘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, see Section IV.A below for additional guidance and instructions.

Agency Contacts:
Technical Contact: Angela Page (page.angelad@epa.gov); phone: 202-564-7957
Eligibility Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 202-564-7823
Electronic Submissions: Debra M. Jones (jones.debram@epa.gov); phone: 202-564-7839

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the auspices of the Office of Research and Development (ORD), National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), invites submissions to the 16th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet. The P3 Program supports science-based projects and designs developed by interdisciplinary student teams at colleges and universities.  These projects must embody the P3 approach, which is that they have the intention and capability to simultaneously improve the quality of people’s lives, provide economic benefits, and protect the environment.

The P3 approach has its roots in the concept of sustainability.  The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 states that the goal of sustainability is to “create and maintain conditions, (sic) under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.”  Use of the term “sustainability” was widely adopted following the publication of Our Common Future (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987), which defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  Successful sustainable design recognizes the needs, available resources, and boundaries of the intended user.  See for instance: Cradle to Cradle (Braungart & McDonough, 2002), The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability--Designing for Abundance (McDonough & Braungart, 2013), Engineering Biomimicry (Lakhtakia & Martín-Palma, 2013) and Biomimicry (Benyus, 2002).  An overview of the meaning of sustainability for application in P3 research proposals is located here: (EPA Sustainability Primer)

The P3 Program is composed of two phases that award grants on a competitive basis.  The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit proposals for innovative research projects and designs to compete for Phase I of the P3 Program. The first phase is a competition for one-year grants of up to $25,000 to test, research, and develop innovative scientific projects or engineering designs that use the P3 approach.  In the spring of 2020, the Phase I grantees awarded from this solicitation are required to present their projects/designs at the National Student Design Expo.  EPA will provide teams with information about the Expo during the award year.

At the end of Phase I, teams will submit a Project Report that will serve as an application for a Phase II grant award of up to $100,000. The Phase II grant awards are intended to support the further development and demonstration of the projects/designs created in Phase I.  The competitors for 2020 P3 Phase II grants are limited to recipients of Phase I grant awards from this solicitation.  Additional instructions for completing the Phase II proposals, which will be due approximately seven months after the Phase I grants are awarded, will be distributed to Phase I recipients.  Those projects identified for receipt of a Phase II grant will be recognized as P3 Award recipients on the P3 website.  If a team elects not to compete for a Phase II grant award, its faculty advisor (the Principal Investigator [PI] for the grant) must inform the EPA Project Officer and a Final Report must be submitted per the award’s Terms and Conditions.

This RFA represents the 16th National P3 Awards competition. Previously awarded projects funded through this program can be viewed at the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition website

EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in Section III, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity.

For purposes of this solicitation, the following are considered MSIs:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1061). A list of these schools can be found at White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities;
2. Tribal Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059(c)). A list of these schools can be found at American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities;
3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)). There is no list of HSIs. HSIs are institutions of higher education that, at the time of application submittal, have an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25% Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application for this grant; and
4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(a)(2)). There is no list of AANAPISIs. AANAPISIs are institutions of higher education that, at the time of application submittal, have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is not less than 10 % students who are Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander.
5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), incorporated into the Higher Education Act in 2008 (codified in Section 318(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 1059e.). PBIs are defined as institutions that: serve at least 1,000 undergraduate students; have at least 50% low-income or first-generation degree-seeking undergraduate enrollment; have a low per full-time undergraduate student expenditure in comparison with other institutions offering similar instruction; and, enroll at least 40% African-American students. A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions.

B. Background
The P3 Program promotes a shift towards more environmentally benign products, processes, and systems. It is essential that all involved in the design, discovery, and demonstration of technical innovations understand the fundamental techniques and principles that underlie the P3 approach.  Innovative research can take the form of wholly new applications or applications that build on existing knowledge and approaches for new uses.

EPA’s P3 Program has identified the following four strategic program goals.

Goal 1: Engage and educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and the greater academic and external communities in the principles of sustainability.

Goal 2: Support the development of innovative technologies that will contribute to improved social, environmental, and economic well-being, especially in communities with the greatest needs.

Goal 3: Support the demonstration of P3-developed technologies to prove their effectiveness and value.

Goal 4: Foster the development of enterprises that will disseminate technologies in the target communities and elsewhere.

We strongly encourage projects to include partnerships with industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other educational and research institutions to increase their capacity to meet the goals of the project.  A partnership is defined as an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.  No matter the arrangement, project partners should, for example, help further develop the design, demonstrate the project in the field, and/or move the design to the marketplace. Matching contributions are not required from partners or others in either the Phase I or the Phase II competition. If the applicant does not intend to partner with other groups in the performance of the project, the applicant must demonstrate how it will be able to effectively perform and complete the project without such partnership.

Although P3 grant funding must be used for research and cannot be used for commercialization and for-profit initiatives (such as business creation), proposals with commercial potential are encouraged to apply to EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.  Since its inception, EPA's SBIR Program has provided incentive funding to small businesses to translate their innovative ideas into commercial products that address environmental problems.  The EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR Program established by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982. EPA issues annual solicitations for Phase I and Phase II research proposals from science and technology-based firms (not universities).  EPA’s SBIR program has funded companies that were formed by people who participated in P3 projects and acted upon the commercial potential of the innovative technology that they created in their projects.

Many institutions have entrepreneurship centers where adjunct faculty are practicing entrepreneurs.  SBIR applicants are encouraged to consult with their university’s business or management school or department and entrepreneurship center faculty for advice about how best to design their proposed research and to include those faculty and their students in their project teams.  For more information on EPA’s SBIR Program see Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.  For more information about the federal SBIR Program see SBIR.

This announcement addresses the first phase (Phase I) of the P3 competition by requesting proposals for innovative research projects or designs from eligible institutions.  The Phase I grants are intended to support an interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and/or graduate students to develop their projects/designs in preparation for competing for a P3 Phase II grant award to demonstrate their proposed projects/designs. The EPA will fund approximately 20 Phase I research proposals from around the country during the 2019-2020 academic years.

The proposal process for the Phase II grant awards will begin in the spring of 2020, when the student teams and their faculty advisor (the Principal Investigator [PI] on the grant) submit a Project Report describing the Phase I project activities and the Phase II proposal for further development and demonstration. The EPA will fund approximately three Phase II research proposals.  A panel of qualified experts will be convened to review the applications and score them based on the evaluation criteria described in Section V.

Institutions are also encouraged to include in their project team’s faculty and students from their education and social science schools and departments and from other relevant disciplines who can help meet the education and outreach requirements for the projects.

C. Authority and Regulations

1. Statutory Authorities

   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 below.  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. Further note applications dealing with any aspect of or related to hydraulic fracking will not be funded by EPA through this program.

   The authorities for awarding research grants under this RFA are contained in the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. 7403, Section 103(b)(3); Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. 1254, Section 104(b)(3); the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 42 U.S.C. 300j-1, Section 1442; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136r, Section 20; the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), 42 U.S.C. 6981, Section 8001; and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), 15 U.S.C. 2609, Section 10.

   For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 102(2)(F). 

   Specific descriptions of the areas of research that are authorized by each statute are described 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, 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.  Water pollution is defined as man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological integrity of water, including freshwater aquatic ecosystems.

   SDWA: Safe Drinking Water Act--Section 1442:
   Section 1442 of the Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for research, training, studies, and demonstrations relating to the causes, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and other impairments of man resulting directly or indirectly from contaminants in water, or to the provision of a dependably safe supply of drinking water, including (A) improved methods: (i) to identify and measure the existence of contaminants in drinking water (including methods which may be used by State and local health and water officials), and (ii) to identify the source of such contaminants; (B) improved methods to identify and measure the health effects of contaminants in drinking water; (C) new methods of treating raw water to prepare it for drinking, so as to improve the efficiency of water treatment and to remove contaminants from water; (D) improved methods for providing a dependably safe supply of drinking water, including improvements in water purification and distribution, and methods of assessing the health related hazards of drinking water; and (E) improved methods of protecting underground water sources of public water systems from contamination.

   FIFRA: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act--Section 20:
   Section 20 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for pesticide-related research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations, and studies.

   SWDA: Solid Waste Disposal Act--Section 8001:
   Section 8001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs, and studies relating to: (1) adverse health and welfare effects from solid waste; (2) solid waste management programs; (3) resource recovery and conservation, and hazardous waste management systems; (4) production of usable forms of recovered resources; (5) waste reduction; (6) improved solid waste collection and disposal methods; (7) identification of solid waste components; (8) small scale and low technology solid waste management systems; (9) methods to improve performance of recovered solid waste; (10) improvements in land disposal practices; (11) methods for sound disposal of resources, including sludge and coal slurry; (12) methods of hazardous waste management; and (13) air quality impacts from the burning of solid waste.

   TSCA: Toxic Substance Control Act--Section 10:
   Section 10 of the Toxic Substance Control Act authorizes the EPA to make grants for research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations, and studies directed toward the development of the fundamental scientific basis of screening and monitoring techniques used to detect toxic chemical substances and quantify the effects of toxic chemical substances and mixtures in the environment.

   NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)--Section 102(2)(F):
   For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 102(2)(F) which authorizes support to foreign recipients and international work/travel by domestic recipients.  (NEPA cannot be the sole supporting statute for a proposed project.)

2. Applicable regulations
   Additional applicable regulations include: 2 CFR Part 200, 2 CFR Part 1500, and 40 CFR Part 40 (Research and Demonstration Grants).

D. Expected Outputs and Outcomes
Note to applicant:  The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work products related to an environmental goal or objective, that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date.  The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective.

The P3 program aims to generate research outputs in the form of innovative, inherently benign, integrated, and interdisciplinary designs that will advance the scientific, technical, and policy knowledge necessary to enhance the sustainability of human society on the planet. The desired outcomes of the research conducted via the P3 program address the three aspects of sustainability.  Through the use of sustainable technologies this research aims to simultaneously: (1) maintain or improve human health and well-being; (2) advance economic competitiveness; and (3) protect and preserve the environment by effectively and efficiently using water, materials, and energy and minimizing the generation or emission of pollution or minimizing the use of hazardous substances.

The outputs and outcomes of the research efforts conducted via the individual P3 grants contribute directly to accomplishing the P3 Program goals presented in Section B of this solicitation.

E. Research Areas

Research Areas and Topics

Applicants should address one of the research areas listed below in their Phase I proposals. Note that each application must be submitted using a single Funding Opportunity Number (FON).  Within the selected research area, applicants should select one of the listed topics to be the focus of their project.  If applicants propose a project that does not address one of these topics, they may not be evaluated as highly during the relevancy review, and therefore may not be recommended for an award.

Review criteria specific to the P3 Program and against which the Phase I proposals will be evaluated are presented in Section V.A.2.  To fulfill Agency requirements for a research grant, all proposals should clearly articulate how the proposed project/design will result in pollution prevention and/or control.  The link to pollution prevention should be direct such as reduction in air emissions from a more efficient engine design.  Proposals should also consider the lifecycle environmental impacts of the project, including (if applicable) materials management, minimizing toxicity of materials, efficient use of water and energy, minimizing pollution, and minimizing the impacts of disposal.

Air Quality (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2019-P3-Q1)

EPA supports research that advances the science and provides the information critical to improving air quality.

EPA seeks projects that would support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics:

1. emission reduction strategies for stationary sources
2. approaches to prevent and reduce pollution, particularly for multi-pollutants
3. measurement and monitoring methods to enable informed air quality decision-making at the state and local level
4. emission control technology to reduce mobile-source-related air pollution
5. technology that converts emissions from mobile sources that use internal combustion engines into harmless substances and/or materials and products that have economic value

Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2019-P3-Q2)

EPA supports research for developing innovative, cost-effective solutions to current, emerging, and long-term water resource challenges for complex chemical and biological contaminants.

EPA seeks projects that would support the development and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics:

1. technological solutions for preventing or mitigating harmful algal/cyanobacteria toxins in recreational waters and drinking water sources
2. technology for point-of-use removal of Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) families of Per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water for homes and/or from wastewater
3. methods for detecting and monitoring waterborne pathogens
4. technologies that address stormwater and wastewater infrastructure needs in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities
5. prevention and mitigation approaches to increase reuse of potable and non-potable water supplies, such as desalination units for small communities that are not based on reverse osmosis
6. basic sanitation and drinking water for homes in tribal and disadvantaged communities
7. echnologies to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water systems, such as
   1. developing simple, inexpensive tests for use in homes to check for lead in tap water
   2. developing water pipes that do not contain lead, that prevent the growth of biofilms, and that prevent corrosion and scaling
8. innovative and low-cost technologies for the rapid detection and treatment of antibiotic resistant bacteria in wastewater
9. novel sampling devices to collect and quantify microplastics in surface water, drinking water, sludges/biosolids and discharges from wastewater treatment systems

Sustainable and Healthy Communities (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2019-P3-Q3)

EPA supports research for developing and demonstrating technologies to prevent contamination by toxic materials and to reduce solid waste that goes to landfills.

EPA seeks projects that support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics:

1. replacement for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) water pipes which currently have a high probability of being discarded to landfills
2. remediation of PFAS-contaminated soil and sediment
3. construction materials that are less-toxic, lighter, more compact, stronger, more durable, longer-lasting, at least as affordable, and can more easily be reused and recycled than currently-used materials
4. less toxic materials for use in floors, walls, and ceilings
5. electronic components that are less toxic and/or easier to reuse and recycle
6. technologies that divert food waste from landfills and recover valuable resources

Chemical Safety (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2019-P3-Q4)

EPA supports research for evaluating and predicting impacts from chemical use and disposal and providing states and industries with information, tools, and methods to make better informed and more timely decisions about the thousands of chemicals in the United States.

EPA seeks projects that would support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics:

1. non-toxic chemicals that can replace toxic chemicals that are now used in the manufacture of plastics
2. plastic products that are totally made from non-toxic materials
3. dyes and inks from non-toxic components
4. non-toxic paints and coatings
5. inherently flame-retardant materials—i.e., that do not use a flame-retardant coating
6. new chemicals that cause less depletion of stratospheric ozone than currently-used substances

It is recognized that some proposals may be appropriate for more than one FON/research area, but the applicant must identify a primary FON/research area for application submission purposes.  The primary FON/research area is used to determine the appropriate peer review panel.  Applicants should also select one of the topics in that research area as the focus for their P3 project.

Please note the following Agency requirements for P3 research proposals:

• All proposals should clearly articulate how the proposed project/design will result in pollution prevention and/or control or describe how the proposed project/design proposes research within the scope of the statutes described in Section I.C.1. above. (NEPA is a secondary supporting statute for projects with an international component and cannot be the sole supporting statute for a proposed project.)
• The P3 Program is intended to address domestic U.S. needs.  For this reason, P3 projects should primarily perform their research in the U.S. and the benefits of the research should primarily accrue to the U.S.  Applications that do not meet these requirements may not be evaluated as highly during the relevancy review, and therefore may not be recommended for an award.
• Generally, a proposal to this solicitation should address the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of air pollution, water pollution, solid/hazardous waste pollution, toxic substances control, or pesticide control. Proposals should not focus on fixing an environmental problem via a well-established method, but instead highlight their innovative research aspects. The first instance of the application of a pollution-control technique or an innovative application of a previously used method would be considered appropriate for the P3 Program.
• To the extent practicable, research proposals must embody innovation and sustainability.  Reviewers will draw from the following definitions of innovation and sustainable solutions in the review/evaluation process of applications (see sections V.A and V.B). Research proposals must include a discussion on how the proposed research is innovative (see Section IV.C.5.a). 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.  The goal of sustainability, derived from the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 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.C.5.a).

Review criteria specific to the P3 Program are presented in Sections V.A. and V.B.

F. References

Journals

Mihelcic, J.R., Crittendan, J.C., Small, M.J., Shonnard, D.R., Hokanson, D.R., Zhang, Q. 2003. Sustainability science and engineering: The emergence of a new metadiscipline. Environmental Science and Technology, 37, 5314-5324.  4.

Reports

United Nations. 2012.  Rio +20 United Nationals Conference on Sustainable Development Outcome Document. United Nations (The Future We Want)

United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2007.   Sustainability Research Strategy.  EPA 600/S 07/001 (Sustainability Research Strategy (PDF) (72 pp, 1.14 MB)

Books

Benyus, J.  2002.  Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.  William Morrow Paperbacks.  ISBN 978-0060533229.

Braungart, M. & McDonough, W.  2002.  Cradle to Cradle.  North Point Press.  ISBN 978-0865475878.

Lakhtakia, A. & Martín-Palma, R.J.  (Eds.)  2013.  Engineered Biomimicry.  Elsevier.ISBN: 978-0-12-415995-2.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780124159952  (E-book)

McDonough, W. & Braungart, M.  2013. The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability—Designing for Abundance.  North Point Press.  ISBN 978-086547748

World Commission on Environment and Development.  1987.  Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

G. 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.

P3 Award projects (both Phase I & II) will not accommodate a multiple PI application.  P3 Award projects should be submitted as a single lead PI application.

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.  

This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research. All applications must include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS; described in Section IV.C.5.b of this solicitation). 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.

A P3 project may involve intellectual property (IP). If that is the case, P3 teams are encouraged to ensure that their institution’s technology transfer office reviews any IP-related materials before making them public. This is to ensure that any concerns related to patent filings or adjustments to IP strategies, if needed, can be addressed prior to any public display.

Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a consortium and submit a single application for this assistance agreement.  The application must identify which organization will be the recipient of the assistance agreement and which organizations(s) will be subawardees of the recipient.

II. AWARD INFORMATION
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $800,000 will be awarded under this announcement for Phase I and Phase II grant awards, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.  The EPA anticipates funding approximately 20 grants for Phase I under this RFA.  The projected EPA award amount for each Phase I grant is up to $25,000 for its one-year duration.  Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $25,000, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. The total project period for an application submitted for a Phase I grant may not exceed one year.

Phase II proposals should further develop and demonstrate the project/design created in Phase I.  EPA will select approximately three P3 Award winners from among recipients of Phase I funding, depending on the availability of funds and other applicable considerations. These P3 Phase II awardees will be eligible to receive up to $100,000 each. Proposals for Phase II grants with total budget requests exceeding $100,000, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered.  The total project period for a Phase II grant may not exceed two 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 intends to award only grants 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.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants
Public and private institutions of higher education (limited to degree-granting institutions of higher education) located in the U.S. (includes eligible institutions of higher education located in U.S. territories and possessions) are eligible to apply to be the recipient of a grant to support teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.

The students on the teams supported by the institution receiving the grant must be enrolled in the college, university, or post-secondary educational institution they will be representing at the time the proposal is submitted. Institutions are allowed to submit more than one application where each application represents a unique design concept and student team. For the purposes of grant administration, the team's faculty advisor will be designated the Principal Investigator throughout the P3 grant award and competition process. In addition to the Principal Investigator, each team selected for award will also be asked to provide contact information for a student lead.

Non-profit organization, as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. Note that 2 CFR Part 200 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of “non-profit organization” because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education; and (ii) state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. While not considered to be a “non-profit organization(s)” as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this program.  State, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments are not eligible to submit applications under this program. Under this competition, eligible nonprofit organizations are limited to research institutes and foundations that are part of or affiliated with a U.S. institution of higher education. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible. 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 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.  Federal employees may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations through awards made under this program unless authorized by law to receive such funding.

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.

Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov) in NCER; phone: 202-564-7823.

B. Cost Sharing
Institutional cost-sharing is not required for Phase I or Phase II grants.

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.  In addition, applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement (see Section IV.F. “Submission Instructions for Phase I Applications and Other Submission Requirements” for further information) to ensure that their application is timely submitted. Applications submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission.

Also, applications exceeding the funding limits or project period term described herein will be rejected 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.

As mentioned above, the competitors for the P3 Phase II grants for further development and demonstration will be limited to those selected to receive support as a result of the competition under this RFA (Phase I).

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 EPA Solicitation Clauses

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 are in Section F.

A. Grants.gov Submittal Requirements and Limited Exception Procedures
Applicants, except as noted below, must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the Grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If an applicant does not have the technical capability to apply electronically through Grants.gov because of limited or no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials to Grants.gov, the applicant must contact OGDWaivers@epa.gov or the address listed below in writing (e.g., by hard copy, email) at least 15 calendar days prior to the submission deadline under this announcement to request approval to submit their application materials through an alternate method.

Mailing Address:
OGD Waivers
c/o Jessica Durand
USEPA Headquarters
William Jefferson Clinton Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.
Mail Code: 3903R
Washington, DC 20460

Courier Address:
OGD Waivers
c/o Jessica Durand
Ronald Reagan Building
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Rm # 51278
Washington, DC 20004

In the request, the applicant must include the following information:
Funding Opportunity Number (FON)
Organization Name and Unique Entity Identifier (e.g., DUNS)
Organization’s Contact Information (email address and phone number)
Explanation of how they lack the technical capability to apply electronically through Grants.gov because of: 1) limited internet access or 2) no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials through Grants.gov.

EPA will only consider alternate submission exception requests based on the two reasons stated above and will timely respond to the request -- all other requests will be denied. If an alternate submission method is approved, the applicant will receive documentation of this approval and further instructions on how to apply under this announcement. Applicants will be required to submit the documentation of approval with any initial application submitted under the alternative method. In addition, any submittal through an alternative method must comply with all applicable requirements and deadlines in the announcement including the submission deadline and requirements regarding proposal content and page limits (although the documentation of approval of an alternate submission method will not count against any page limits).

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2017, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through December 31, 2017). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through Grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on December 1, 2017 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2018, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2018.

Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods. All other inquiries about this announcement must be directed to the Agency Contact listed in Section VII of the announcement. Queries or requests submitted to the email address identified above for any reason other than to request an alternate submission method will not be acknowledged or answered.

B. Application Package Information
Use the application package available at Grants.gov (see Section IV.F. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements”). Note: With the exception of the current and pending support form (available at How to Apply and Required Forms), all necessary forms are included in the electronic application package. Make sure to include the current and pending support form in your Grants.gov submission.

An email will be sent by NCER to the 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 acknowledgement within 10 calendar days of the submission closing date, immediately inform the Electronic Submissions Contact shown in this solicitation.  Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.  See Section IV.F. “Submission Instructions for Phase I Applications and Other Submission Requirements” for additional information regarding the application receipt acknowledgment.

C. 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.

1. 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 unique entity identifier (e.g., ‘DUNS number’) when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements.  Organizations may receive a unique entity identifier, at no cost, by calling the dedicated toll-free request line at 1-866-705-5711, or visiting the website at: Dun & Bradstreet Exit.

   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