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Attached to: 13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet
Opportunity number: EPA-G2016-P3-Q1
Issued by: Environmental Protection Agency

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You are here: EPA Home » Research Grants » 13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet

13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet

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Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Research and Development National Center for Environmental Research P3 Award Program

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.

Funding Opportunity Numbers (FON) and Associated Research Areas:

EPA-G2016-P3-Q1 – Energy EPA-G2016-P3-Q2 – Built Environment EPA-G2016-P3-Q3 – Materials and Chemicals EPA-G2016-P3-Q4 – Water

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.516

Solicitation Opening Date: October 06, 2015

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Solicitation Closing Date: December 08, 2015, 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time

Eligibility Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-0442

Electronic Submissions Contact: Debra M. Jones (jones.debram@epa.gov); phone:

703-347-8081

Technical Contacts: Cynthia L. Nolt-Helms (nolt-helms.cynthia@epa.gov); phone:

703-347-8102

Gregory Lank (lank.gregory@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8128

Anne Sergeant (sergeant.anne@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8105

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 and Other Submission Requirements

G. Submission Instructions for Phase II Applications

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Review Process for Phase I Applications mailto:josephson.ron@epa.gov mailto:jones.debram@epa.gov mailto:nolt-helms.cynthia@epa.gov mailto:lank.gregory@epa.gov mailto:sergeant.anne@epa.gov

B. Review Process for Phase II Applications

C. Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS) Review

D. Funding Decisions

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices

B. Disputes

C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Access Standard P3 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 the P3-People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet -- people, prosperity, and the planet – the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.

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. Additional information can be found in Section I.A of the full announcement.

http://www2.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/new/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.archive/RFATypeList/ http://www.epa.gov/P3

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

Basic Information about Human Subjects Research Electronic Code of Federal Regulations

Award Information:

Anticipated Type of Award: Grant Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 35 awards for Phase I; Approximately 6 awards for Phase II.

Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $975,000 total for all Phase I & II grant awards.

Potential Funding per Award: Up to $15,000 per Phase I grant including direct and indirect costs. Proposals for Phase I grants must be for only one year. Proposals for Phase I grants requesting an award of more than $15,000 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 $75,000 total for two years including direct and indirect costs (see Background section for more information). Proposals for Phase II grants requesting an award of more than $75,000 will not be considered.

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

Eligibility Information:

Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (limited to degree-granting public institutions of higher education) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (limited to degree-granting private 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 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 and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of http://www2.epa.gov/osa/basic-information-about-human-subjects-research http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title40/40cfr26_main_02.tpl http://www.grants.gov/ http://www2.epa.gov/research-grants/funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms http://www.grants.gov/

13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet | Research Grants | US EPA http://www2.epa.gov/research-grants/13th-annual-p3-awards-national-student-design-competition-sustainability-focusing[10/6/2015 11:58:04 AM] 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 Contacts: Cynthia L. Nolt-Helms (nolt-helms.cynthia@epa.gov); phone:

703-347-8102

Gregory Lank (lank.gregory@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8128

Anne Sergeant (sergeant.anne@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8105

Eligibility Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: 703-308-0442

Electronic Submissions Contact: Debra M. Jones (jones.debram@epa.gov); phone:

703-347-8081

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction The United States 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 13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet. P3 focuses on scientific projects and engineering designs that address the three components of sustainability:

people, prosperity and the planet. The P3 Program is intended to support science-based projects and designs developed by interdisciplinary student teams that benefit people by improving their quality of life, promote prosperity by developing local economies, and protect the planet by conserving resources and minimizing pollution. An overview of the meaning of sustainability for application in NCER research proposals is located here:

Sustainability Primer (PDF) (2 pp, 195 K).

The concept of sustainable development became widely promoted following the 1987 publication of Our Common Future by the World Commission on Environment and Development (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). That document defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Earlier, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 introduced the concept of sustainability and the definition used there was reiterated in Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, stating that the goal of sustainability is to, “create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:nolt-helms.cynthia@epa.gov mailto:lank.gregory@epa.gov mailto:sergeant.anne@epa.gov mailto:josephson.ron@epa.gov mailto:jones.debram@epa.gov http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/sustainability_primer_v9.pdf

The concept of sustainable development as encompassing activities that address people, prosperity and the planet continues to have international support as indicated by the United Nations 2012 Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20 outcome document. This document states “Eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development;” followed by “We recognize that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development.” That report went on to state “We therefore acknowledge the need to further mainstream sustainable development at all levels, integrating economic, social and environmental aspects and recognizing their interlinkages, so as to achieve sustainable development in all its dimensions.” (United Nations, 2012)

In an article entitled Sustainability science and engineering: The emergence of a new metadiscipline, Mihelcic et al. (2003) provided a useful definition of sustainability for scientists and engineers as the “design of human and industrial systems to ensure that humankind’s use of natural resources and cycles do not lead to diminished quality of life due either to losses in future economic opportunities or to adverse impacts on social conditions, human health and the environment.” Fundamentally, sustainability requires the balancing of economic prosperity, environmental responsibility, and social fairness. It is imperative to recognize the key role scientific, engineering, and policy innovations can play in addressing the sustainable development challenge. 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).

The P3 Award Program is composed of two phases that award grants on a competitive basis. The purpose of this RFA is to solicit proposals for innovative research projects and designs to compete for the first phase of the P3 Award Program. The first phase is a competition for one-year grants of up to $15,000 to test, research and develop innovative scientific projects or engineering designs that will promote sustainable development. In the spring of 2017, the Phase I grantees awarded from this solicitation will be required to present their projects/designs in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and submit a Project Report that will serve as an application for a Phase II grant award of up to $75,000.

The Phase II grant awards are intended to support the further development and demonstration of the sustainability projects/designs created in Phase I. The competitors for 2017 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

This RFA represents the thirteenth National P3 Awards competition. Previously awarded projects funded through this program can be viewed at P3 website.

Please note that surveys, interviews, and focus groups with individuals may constitute human subjects research.

The additional level of review is conducted by the EPA Human Subjects Research Review Official (HSRRO). In making a determination about conditional and later final approval, the HSRRO will apply both EPA Regulation 40 CFR 26 and EPA Policy Order 1000.17 Change A1, where human exposure research is interpreted as any intervention that manipulates subjects’ environment (i.e., modifies subjects’ exposure).

For more specific information including guidance and training, see:

Basic Information about Human Subjects Research Electronic Code of Federal Regulations

B. Background Increased awareness and understanding of sustainability are critical components for promoting a systematic shift towards more environmentally benign and sustainable products, processes, and systems. It is essential that all involved in the design, discovery, demonstration, and implementation of sustainable innovations understand the fundamental techniques and principles that underlie sustainability. 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.

http://www.epa.gov/P3 http://www2.epa.gov/osa/basic-information-about-human-subjects-research http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title40/40cfr26_main_02.tpl

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: Spark innovation and sustainable technologies through research and development conducted by the P3 projects.

Goal 3: Support the demonstration of sustainable technologies around the world.

Goal 4: Foster the development of enterprises rooted in sustainability.

Specific outputs and outcomes from the Phase I and II grant awards are described in Section I.D. below.

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 35 Phase I research proposals from around the country during the 2016- 2017 academic year.

The proposal process for the Phase II grant awards will begin in the spring of 2017, 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. A panel of qualified experts will be convened to review the applications and score them based on the evaluation criteria described in Section V.

Partnerships with industry or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are strongly encouraged, particularly in Phase II. These partners are expected to help further develop the design, demonstrate the project in the field, and/or move the design to the marketplace. Matching contributions are not required in either the Phase I or the Phase II competition; however, anticipated partnerships should be identified.

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). 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 and entrepreneurship center faculty about how best to design their proposed research. 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/STTR.

http://www.epa.gov/sbir http://www.sbir.gov/

The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from the EPA’s Strategic Plan that relate to this solicitation are Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development, Objective 3.1: Promote Sustainable and Livable Communities.

More information can be found in EPA’s FY 2014-2018 Strategic Plan

C. Authority and Regulations

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 depending on which statute(s) is identified to support the research proposal. Activities should relate to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing the state of knowledge. Proposals should emphasize this “learning” concept, as opposed to “fixing” an environmental problem via a well-established method. Proposals relating to other topics which are sometimes included within the term “environment” such as recreation, conservation, restoration, protection of wildlife habitats, etc., must describe the relationship of these topics to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control. 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), Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254; the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r;

the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), Section 8001, 42 U.S.C. 6981; and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609. For 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 http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014-2018-strategic-plan

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

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 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 they are 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 Applicants should address one of the research areas listed below in their Phase I proposals.

Note that each application must be submitted using the appropriate single Funding Opportunity Number (FON) described below. (Proposals can include, but are not limited to, technical challenges within the examples following each research area below.) Review criteria specific to the P3 Program and against which the Phase I proposals will be evaluated are presented later 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.

Energy (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2016-P3-Q1 – Energy)

1. Green Energy This includes but is not limited to:

a. Innovative strategies for conservation and efficiency as well as energy production and distribution,

b. Inherently benign energy through green chemistry, biomimicry, green engineering and development of alternative energy sources.

Built Environment (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2016-P3-Q2 – Built Environment)

1. Green Buildings Green building practices that promote health include reducing exposure to environmental contaminants as well as maximizing resource, energy, water and material efficiency throughout the complete building life cycle—from siting, design, and construction to operation, renovation, and reuse. Areas of interest include but are not limited to research on:

a. Innovative processes for minimizing waste generation from the construction, renovation and demolition of buildings while boosting safe recycling of materials with low recycling rates (e.g. carpet, asphalt shingles, plastics, tile, and insulation).

b. Devices, technologies, and materials that reduce energy needs or strengthen disaster resilience resulting from climate change in existing buildings.

c. Application of biomimicry in building design.

2. Smart Growth Smart growth covers a range of development and conservation strategies that help protect our natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, resilient and more socially diverse. Areas of interest include but are not limited to research on:

a. Innovative transportation and mobility strategies.

b. Information technologies for pollution prevention.

c. Systems that improve community disaster resilience resulting from climate change.

Materials and Chemicals (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2016-P3-Q3 – Materials and Chemicals)

1. Sustainable Materials Sustainable material science develops new materials and products with minimal

a. Biomimicry-inspired materials.

b. Electronics waste reduction, recycling and/or material recovery.

c. Improved production practices that conserve materials.

d. Inherently benign materials to address aquatic bio-fouling.

2. Sustainable Chemistry Sustainable chemistry principles are used to design chemical products and processes that prevent pollution by reducing or eliminating the use or generation of hazardous substances. Sustainable chemistry applies across the life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, and use. Areas of interest include but are not limited to research on:

a. Non-fluorinated wetting agents.

b. Less-persistent, less-toxic preservatives.

c. Safer “solubilizers.”

d. Less-toxic flame retardants.

e. Substitutes for rare earth metals.

f. Safer storage to prevent releases in case of storms or flooding (i.e., disaster resilience resulting from climate).

Water (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2016-P3-Q4 – Water)

1. Drinking Water Considerations include cost, ease of use, and environmental impacts including resource and energy use. Areas of interest include but are not limited to research on:

a. Small drinking water systems.

b. Increasing disaster resilience by preventing pollutant release into drinking water sources during flood events.

2. Water Quality Research areas of interest for ensuring long-term sustainability include the prevention and/or control of the man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological integrity of water, including freshwater and estuary aquatic ecosystems.

3. Wastewater and Water Reuse Areas of interest include but are not limited to:

a. Treatment technologies to capture energy/resources.

b. Treatment technologies to enable a closed loop residential system.

The applicant must identify a primary FON/research area for application submission purposes; this will be used to determine the appropriate peer review panel.

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 international projects and cannot be the sole supporting statute for a proposed project.)

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. For example, a proposal to plant some trees in an economically depressed area in order to prevent erosion, or a proposal to start a routine recycling or composting program would not be considered appropriate for the P3 Program. However, 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. Innovation for the purposes of this RFA is defined as the process of making changes; a new method, custom or device. Innovative research can take the form of wholly new applications or applications that build on existing knowledge and approaches for new uses. Research proposals must include a discussion on how the proposed research is innovative (see Section IV.C.5.a). The concept of sustainability is based on language in the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This definition is reiterated in Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environment, Energy, and Economic Performance, stating that the goal of sustainability is to, “create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.” Research proposals must include a discussion on how the proposed research will seek sustainable solutions that protect the environment and strengthen our communities (see Section IV.C.5.a). ORD will draw from all of the above-mentioned innovation and sustainability definitions in the review/evaluation process of recommending research proposals (see Sections V.A and V.B).

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. Engineered Biomimicry (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 http://uncsd2012.org/thefuturewewant.html http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P1002X8M.PDF http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780124159952

13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet | Research Grants | US EPA http://www2.epa.gov/research-grants/13th-annual-p3-awards-national-student-design-competition-sustainability-focusing[10/6/2015 11:58:04 AM] 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.

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.

This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research. There are many scientific and ethical considerations that must be addressed in such studies by the study sponsor and research team, including, but not limited to, those related to recruitment, retention, participant compensation, third-party issues, researcher-participant interactions, researcher-community interactions, communications, interventions, and education. All such research must comply with the requirements of 40 CFR Part 26, and any human observational exposure studies must also adhere to the principles set forth in the Scientific and Ethical Approaches for Observational Exposure Studies (SEAOES) (PDF) (132 pp, 1.79 MB) "document. SEAOES, which was published by researchers in EPA and which discusses the principles for the ethical conduct of human research studies, serves as a resource for applicants interested in applying under this solicitation. References to “SEAOES Principles” in this solicitation refers, in general, to the issues of interest in conducting human subjects research studies that maintain the highest scientific and ethical standards and safety during the conduct of these studies. All applications must include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS; described in Section IV.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.

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 $975,000 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 35 grants for Phase I under this RFA. The projected EPA award amount for each Phase I grant is up to $15,000 for its one year duration. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $15,000, 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.

http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P10012LY.PDF?Dockey=P10012LY.PDF

Based on the completed Phase I project/design, the Phase II proposal to further develop and demonstrate the sustainability project/design created in Phase I, and the reviews from the reviewers, EPA will select approximately six P3 Award winners from among recipients of Phase I funding, depending on the availability of funds and other applicable considerations.

These P3 Award winners will be eligible to receive additional Phase II funding of up to $75,000 each. Proposals for Phase II grants with total budget requests exceeding $75,000, 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 nonprofit institutions/organizations (limited to degree-granting public institutions of higher education) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (limited to degree-granting private 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

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