19th Annual P3 Phase I RFA FINAL.pdf

COVID-19 Update: EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in Section IV of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses.

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement

Office of Research and Development

People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program

19TH 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 (FONs) and Associated Research Areas:

EPA-G2022-P3-Q1 – Air Quality

EPA-G2022-P3-Q2 – Safe and Sustainable Water Resources

EPA-G2022-P3-Q3 – Sustainable and Healthy Communities

EPA-G2022-P3-Q4 – Chemical Safety

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.516

Solicitation Opening Date: 08/11/2021

Solicitation Closing Date: 10/27/2021: 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. Specific Areas of Interest/Expected Outputs and Outcomes

E. References

F. Special Requirements

II. AWARD INFORMATION

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

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. Evaluation of the Scientific Data Management Plan

E. Funding Decisions

F. 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

For Updates and Additional Information (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities)

Access Standard Forms (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms)

View research awarded under previous solicitations (https://www.epa.gov/P3)

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 environmental protection. The EPA offers the P3 competition in response to the environmental and public health challenges in the

United States, including those in small, rural, tribal and/or underserved communities. Please see the P3 Student Design Competition website 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.

https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms https://www.epa.gov/P3 https://www.epa.gov/P3

EPA recognizes the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting adaptions to in-person learning and laboratory access experienced by colleges and universities. EPA encourages applicants to consider projects that are conducive to conducting research during a pandemic

(social distancing, on-line learning, etc.). EPA is monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and if it is still impacting in-person meetings, a virtual Expo will be planned. PIs will be notified in advance if the National Student Design Expo moves from in-person to virtual.

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.6.c 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.E of this solicitation.

Guidance and training for investigators conducting EPA-funded research involving human subjects may be obtained here:

https://www.epa.gov/osa/basic-information-about-human-subjects-research-0 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title40/40cfr26_main_02.tpl

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 16 awards for Phase I; Approximately four awards for Phase II. To increase the number of Phase I grants awarded to institutions who have not traditionally received awards, EPA intends to use approximately 50% of the total amount of funding available under this announcement for grants to “new awardees.” This percentage is only an estimate and is subject to change based on funding levels, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. See Section V.E. “Funding Decisions” for additional information.

Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $800,000 total for all awards

Potential Funding per Award: Up to $25,000 per Phase I grant including direct and indirect costs.

Applications for Phase I grants requesting an award of more than $25,000 will not be considered.

Applications for Phase I grants must be for one year. Applications with budgets exceeding the total award limits and duration will not be considered.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title40/40cfr26_main_02.tpl

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). Applications 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 https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-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 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 appropriate internet access 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: Kyle Spatz; phone: 202-564-3201; email: spatz.kyle@epa.gov

Eligibility Contact: Ron Josephson; phone: 202-564-7823; email: josephson.ron@epa.gov

Electronic Submissions Contact: Debra M. Jones; phone: 202-564-7839; email:

jones.debram@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms mailto:spatz.kyle@epa.gov mailto:josephson.ron@epa.gov mailto:jones.debram@epa.gov

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the auspices of the Office of Research and Development (ORD), Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement (OSAPE), invites submissions to the 19th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on

People, Prosperity and the Planet. The P3 Program supports science-based projects developed by interdisciplinary student teams at U.S. colleges and universities. Projects must embody the P3 approach: improving the quality of people’s lives, providing economic benefits, and protecting the environment.

The P3 approach is based on the concept of sustainability. 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.” Our

Common Future (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) 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), Engineered Biomimicry (Lakhtakia & Martín-

Palma, 2013) and Biomimicry (Benyus, 2002).

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 applications for innovative research projects/designs to compete for Phase I of the P3 Program. This first phase is a competition for one-year grants of up to $25,000 to test, research and develop innovative scientific projects/designs that use the P3 approach. It is expected that in the spring of 2023, the Phase I grantees awarded from this solicitation will be required to present their projects at the National

Student Design Expo. EPA will provide teams with information about the Expo during the award year. EPA is monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and if it is still impacting in-person meetings, a virtual Expo will be planned. PIs will be notified in advance if the National Student

Design Expo moves from in-person to virtual.

In the spring of 2023, Phase I grant recipients 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 2023 P3 Phase II grants are limited to recipients of Phase I grant awards from this solicitation. Additional instructions for completing the Phase II applications 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 19th 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. P3 supports STEM education through hands-on experience and training that brings students’ classroom learning to life, while also allowing student teams to create tangible changes in their communities. To the extent practicable, applicants should describe the STEM education ecosystem in their project. A STEM education ecosystem consists of partners united by a collective vision of supporting participation in STEM through the creation of accessible, inclusive STEM learning opportunities spanning all education stages and career pathways. A STEM education ecosystem continuously evaluates its activities and adapts as needed, plans for the long-term, and communicates its work to build broad support and advance best-practices.

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(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and

Universities;

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. §

1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). 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)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions;

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; and

5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20

U.S.C. 1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions.

B. Background

The P3 Program encourages a shift towards more environmentally benign products, processes, and systems with the aim of improving quality of life, promoting economic prosperity, and protecting the planet. Innovative research can take the form of wholly new applications or applications that build on existing knowledge and approaches for new uses. The proposed https://www.epa.gov/P3 https://www.epa.gov/P3 https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4 research aligns with current EPA priorities included in the FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, Goal

3: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness, Objective 3.3: Prioritize Robust Science.

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 understanding and using the P3 approach.

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.

EPA strongly encourages 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, for purposes of this RFA, 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 nor expected 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), applications 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 applications from science and technology-based firms (not universities).

EPA’s SBIR program has funded companies that were formed by individuals who participated in P3 projects and acted upon the commercial potential of the innovative technology that they created in their projects. 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 applications for innovative research projects/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 in preparation for competing for a P3 Phase II grant award to demonstrate their proposed projects. Institutions are encouraged to include faculty and students in their project from their educational and social science departments and from other relevant disciplines who can help meet the educational and outreach requirements for the projects.

https://www.epa.gov/sbir https://www.epa.gov/sbir https://www.epa.gov/sbir https://www.sbir.gov/

The proposal process for the Phase II grant awards is expected to begin in the spring of 2023, 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 application for further development and demonstration. The EPA will fund approximately four Phase II research applications. A panel of qualified experts will review the applications and score them based on the evaluation criteria described in Section V.

C. Authority and Regulations

The authorities for this RFA and resulting awards are contained in the Safe Drinking Water

Act, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1, Section 1442; the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1254, Section 104(b)(3);

the Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. 2609, Section 10; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C. 136r, Section 20; the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7403, Section 103(b)(3); and the Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 U.S.C. 6981, Section 8001.

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

Additional applicable regulations include: 2 CFR Part 200, 2 CFR Part 1500, and 40 CFR Part 40

(Research and Demonstration Grants).

D. Specific Areas of Interest/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 activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan

(https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan). Activities to be funded under this announcement support Goal 3: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness, Objective 3.3:

Prioritize Robust Science, of EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan. All applications must be for projects that support the goal and objective identified above. Awards made under this announcement will further EPA’s priorities supporting robust science for: Air Quality; Safe and

Sustainable Water Resources; Sustainable and Healthy Communities; or Chemical Safety.

The P3 Program supports these priorities by funding multi-disciplinary, faculty-led student teams that use the best available scientific knowledge and research results to address environmental https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan problems identified by EPA’s program offices, states and tribal partners as being important to the public, including small, rural, tribal and underserved communities. As a result, the P3 Program provides tested innovative solutions that stakeholders can use to help solve these problems.

The P3 Program is committed to using science and innovation to support EPA programs, regions, states, and tribes in accomplishing their top priorities for improved air quality, safe and sustainable water resources, sustainable and healthy communities, and chemical safety. This is accomplished in part by supporting the development and demonstration of emerging technologies. The proposed awards will develop innovative methods and technologies that should contribute to improved social, environmental, and economic well-being; demonstrate P3-developed technologies to prove their effectiveness and value; and foster the development of enterprises that will disseminate the technologies. The proposed awards will engage and educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and the greater academic and external communities in understanding and using the P3 approach to tackle real world environmental issues. These award outcomes address P3’s goals—improve quality of life, promote economic prosperity, and protect the planet.

EPA also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements). Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the priorities described above.

Specific Areas of Interest

Applicants must address one of the research areas listed below in their Phase I applications. 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 the topics listed under the research areas below, 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 applications will be evaluated are presented in Section V.A.2. To fulfill

Agency requirements for a research grant, all applications 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. Applications should also consider the lifecycle environmental impacts of the project, including (if applicable) materials management, minimizing pollution, minimizing toxicity of materials, efficient use of water and energy and minimizing the impacts of disposal.

Air Quality (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2022-P3-Q1)

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

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

Innovations in measurement and information technologies can provide solutions for reducing emissions of harmful pollutants or provide more detailed and timely information on ambient air quality. These innovations can help address pressing issues such as climate change and underserved communities suffering from environmental injustices. EPA seeks projects that support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topic areas (not listed in priority order):

1. Assess human and ecosystem exposures and effects associated with air pollutants on individual, community, regional, and global scales

2. Develop and evaluate approaches to prevent and reduce air pollution, particularly sustainable, cost-effective, and innovative multipollutant and sector-based approaches

3. Provide human exposure and environmental modeling, monitoring, metrics, and information needed to inform air quality decision making at the state, tribal and local level

Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2022-P3-

Q2)

EPA supports research for developing innovative and cost-effective solutions to current, emerging and long-term water resource challenges for complex chemical and biological contaminants for the following topic areas (not listed in priority order):

1. Research on assessing the distribution, composition, remediation and health impacts of known and emerging chemical and biological contaminants in drinking water

2. New methods and approaches for fast and efficient waterborne pathogen monitoring in recreational waters

3. Investigate impacts from exposure to harmful algal/cyanobacteria toxins, and develop innovative methods to monitor, characterize and predict blooms for early action

4. Projects addressing stormwater and wastewater infrastructure needs through innovative technologies, social science, and outreach approaches for small, rural tribal, and/or underserved communities

5. Projects that investigate novel processes and technologies (such as non-brine technologies) to support adoption of water reuse in small communities

6. Technologies to detect and reduce exposure to lead in drinking water systems, such as developing simple, inexpensive tests for use in homes to detect lead in tap water

Sustainable and Healthy Communities (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2022-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 topic areas (not listed in priority order):

1. Development of building materials (e.g. water pipes, interior walls) that are less toxic or recycling methods for potentially toxic contaminants in existing materials

2. Innovative methods and technologies to characterize and to remove contaminants from environmental media (e.g., soil, water, air)

3. Life cycle analysis and solutions to reduce the volume of waste (e.g. food waste recycling and disposal technologies), toxicity of waste (e.g. electronic components that are less toxic and/or easier to reuse and recycle) and facilitate reuse, recycling and disposal of waste.

4. Research to support community revitalization following contaminated site remediation and restoration as well as to build community resilience to potential pollution resulting from natural disasters and extreme events

5. Research to characterize and remediate the impacts of pollution on vulnerable groups of children, underserved communities, and other susceptible populations

Chemical Safety (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2022-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 support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topic areas (not listed in priority order):

1. New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to help reduce or replace animal testing, as well as tools to assess their feasibility. EPA defines NAMs as technologies and approaches

(and combinations of both) including in vitro and in silico testing methods. They also include methodologies that can integrate and calculate data from various sources, and serve to reduce, refine or replace vertebrate animal testing.

2. Advance information technology and software tools to mine ever-expanding data sources for information on chemical exposures and toxicities to build the usable knowledge infrastructure

It is recognized that some applications 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.

Expected Outputs and Outcomes

Research outputs expected from the research funded under this RFA may include innovative, inherently benign, integrated and interdisciplinary designs that will advance the scientific, technical and policy knowledge necessary to enhance the human condition in communities – including those in small, rural, tribal and/or underserved communities. Examples of these research outputs include innovative technologies and new methods that address knowledge, software and data gaps. These outputs can be presented in publications, at the P3 Expo, and conferences.

The desired outcomes of the research conducted via this program address the three components of the P3 approach. Through the use of P3-supported 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 toxic 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 I.B of this solicitation.

Environmental Justice

To the maximum extent practicable, applicants should demonstrate how they will incorporate environmental justice and underserved community considerations into their applications.

Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies.

Meaningful involvement means people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health; the public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; community concerns will be considered in the decision making process; and decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected. For purposes of this competition and the evaluation of applications, “underserved communities” means people/communities of color, low income, tribal and indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Disproportionate and adverse environmental, human health, climate-related and other cumulative impacts, as well the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts, may result when greater pollution burdens and/or consequences, and the impact of them, are more likely to affect or have affected the underserved communities described in this solicitation. The impacts may result from various factors including but not limited to being a function of historical trends and policy decisions.

Factors that may indicate disproportionate and adverse impacts as referenced above include:

differential proximity and exposure to adverse environmental hazards; greater susceptibility to adverse effects from environmental hazards (due to causes such as age, chronic medical conditions, lack of health care access, or limited access to quality nutrition); unique environmental exposures because of practices linked to cultural background or socioeconomic status (for example, subsistence fishing or farming); cumulative effects from multiple stressors;

reduced ability to effectively participate in decision-making processes (due to causes such as lack of or ineffective language access programs, lack of programs to make processes accessible to persons with disabilities, inability to access traditional communication channels, or limited capacity to access technical and legal resources); and degraded physical infrastructure, such as poor housing, poorly maintained public buildings (e.g., schools), or lack of access to transportation.

In addressing the specific areas of interest described above in applications, applicants should demonstrate how their project will address the disproportionate and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related and other cumulative impacts, as well as the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts, resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial and/or other actions that have affected and/or currently affect the underserved communities.

Applicants should also demonstrate how the project benefits the underserved communities including those that have experienced a lack of resources or other impediments to addressing the impacts identified above that affect their community and how the project addresses engagement with these communities, especially local residents in these communities who will be affected by the project, to ensure their meaningful participation with respect to the design, project planning, and performance of the project.

Application Considerations

Please note the following Agency considerations for P3 research applications:

• All applications 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. 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, an application 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. Applications 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 maximum extent practicable, research applications 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 applications must include a discussion on how the proposed research is innovative (see Section IV.C.6.a). 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 applications 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.6.a). Reviewers will draw from all of the above-mentioned innovation and sustainability definitions in the review/evaluation process of research applications (see Section V.A).

• Please note the Environmental Justice considerations described above.

Review criteria specific to the applications submitted under this RFA are presented in Sections

V.A. and V.B.

E. References

Reports

1. United Nations. Rio +20 United Nationals Conference on Sustainable Development Outcome

Document. United Nations (The Future We Want), 2012.

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Sustainability Research Strategy, EPA

600/S 07/001. (Sustainability Research Strategy [PDF]) (72 pp, 1.14 MB), 2007.

Books

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

4. Braungart, M. & McDonough, W. Cradle to Cradle. North Point Press, 2002. ISBN

978- 0865475878.

5. Lakhtakia, A. & Martín-Palma, R.J. (Eds.) Engineered Biomimicry. Elsevier, 2013.

ISBN: 978-0-12-415995-2.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780124159952 (E-book)

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

7. World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. Oxford:

Oxford University Press, 1987.

F. Special Requirements

It is EPA Policy to ensure that the results of EPA-funded extramural scientific research are accessible to the public to the greatest extent feasible consistent with applicable law; policies and

Orders; the Agency’s mission; resource constraints; and U.S. national, homeland and economic security. This entails maximizing, at no charge, access by the public to peer-reviewed, scientific research journal publications or associated author manuscripts, and their underlying digital research data, created in whole or in part with EPA funds, while protecting personal privacy;

recognizing proprietary interests, confidential business information and intellectual property rights; and avoiding significant negative impact on intellectual property rights, innovation and

U.S. competitiveness. EPA’s Policy for Increasing Access to Results of EPA-Funded Extramural

Scientific Research may be accessed at: https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P1002X8M.txt https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780124159952 https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements requirements. Terms and conditions implementing this policy may be accessed at:

https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements.

Applications submitted under this announcement shall include a Scientific Data Management

Plan (SDMP) that addresses public access to EPA-funded scientific research data. See the SDMP clause in Section IV for details on the content of an SDMP. Applicants will also be asked to provide past performance information on whether journal publications or associated author manuscripts, and the associated underlying scientific research data and metadata, under prior assistance agreements were made publicly accessible. These items will be evaluated prior to award.

Reasonable, necessary and allocable costs for data management and public access as discussed in

EPA’s Policy for Increasing Access to Results of EPA-Funded Extramural Scientific Research, may be included in extramural research applications and detailed in the budget justification described in Section IV.

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.

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.6.c 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.E 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.

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.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

It is anticipated that a total of approximately $800,000 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 16 awards for Phase I under this RFA. The 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 from this RFA may not exceed one year.

To increase the number of Phase I grants awarded to institutions who have not traditionally received awards, EPA intends to use approximately 50% of the total amount of funding available under this announcement for grants to “new awardees.” This percentage is only an estimate and is subject to change based on funding levels, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. See Section V.E. “Funding Decisions” for additional information.

Phase II applications should further develop and demonstrate the project/design created in Phase I. EPA will select approximately four P3 Award winners from among recipients of Phase I funding, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received and other applicable considerations. These P3 Phase II awardees will be eligible to receive up to $100,000 each. Applications 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. Additional submission instructions for the Phase II competition will be provided to the Phase I awardees in the award terms and conditions.

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 applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the 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 rather than substantial to achieving the goals of the research under a grant. Interaction that is “incidental” does not involve resource commitments by EPA.

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…