PKG00264085-instructions.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

18TH 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-G2021-P3-Q1 – Air Quality EPA-G2021-P3-Q2 – Safe and Sustainable Water Resources EPA-G2021-P3-Q3 – Sustainable and Healthy Communities EPA-G2021-P3-Q4 – Chemical Safety

Assistance Listing Number: 66.516

Solicitation Opening Date: November 13, 2020 Solicitation Closing Date: February 9, 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

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

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

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 protection of the planet – people, prosperity, and the planet. The EPA offers the P3 competition to respond to the environmental and human health protection needs of people in the United States, including those in small, rural, tribal and/or disadvantaged 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.

EPA recognizes the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting adaptions to in-person learning and laboratory access experienced by colleges and universities. P3 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 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 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 20 awards for Phase I; Approximately five awards for Phase II.

Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $1 million 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. 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 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 https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms are included in the electronic application package. Make sure to include the current and pending support form in your Grants.gov submission.

If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, you need to allow approximately one month to complete the registration process. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a unique entity identifier (e.g., ‘DUNS number’) and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through Grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline. This registration, and electronic submission of your application, must be performed by an authorized representative of your organization.

If you do not have the 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: Angela Page; phone: 202-564-7957; email: page.angela@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

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 18th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet. The P3 Program supports science-based projects and designs developed by interdisciplinary student teams at colleges and universities. Projects must embody the P3 approach, combining intention and capability to improve the quality of people’s lives, provide economic benefits, and protect 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.” Use of the term “sustainability” was widely adopted following the publication of Our Common Future (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987), which defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Successful sustainable design recognizes the needs, available resources, and boundaries of the intended user. See for instance: Cradle to Cradle (Braungart & McDonough, 2002), The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability--Designing for Abundance (McDonough & Braungart, 2013), Engineered Biomimicry (Lakhtakia & Martín-Palma, 2013) and Biomimicry (Benyus, 2002). An overview of the definition of sustainability for application in P3 research applications is provided in the EPA Sustainability Primer.

The P3 Program is composed of two phases that award grants on a competitive basis. The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit applications for innovative mailto:josephson.ron@epa.gov mailto:jones.debram@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/sustainability_primer_v9.pdf research projects and designs to compete for Phase I of the P3 Program. The first phase is a competition for one-year grants of up to $25,000 to test, research, and develop innovative scientific projects or engineering designs that use the P3 approach. In the summer of 2022, the Phase I grantees awarded from this solicitation are required to present their projects/designs at the National Student Design Expo. EPA will provide teams with information about the Expo during the award year. 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 summer of 2022, 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 2022 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 18th 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.

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/

§ 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. It is essential that all involved in the design, discovery, and demonstration of technical innovations understand the fundamental techniques and principles that underlie the P3 approach. Innovative research can take the form of wholly new applications or applications that build on existing knowledge and approaches for new uses. The proposed 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 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 https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/hsi-eligibles-2016.pdf 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=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 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4

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.

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

This announcement addresses the first phase (Phase I) of the P3 competition by requesting applications for innovative research projects or designs from eligible institutions. The Phase I grants are intended to support an interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and/or graduate students to develop their projects/designs in preparation for competing for a P3 Phase II grant award to demonstrate their proposed projects/designs. The EPA will fund approximately 20 Phase I research applications from around the country during the 2021-2022 academic years.

The proposal process for the Phase II grant awards will begin in the summer of 2022, 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 five Phase II research applications. A panel of qualified experts will be convened to review the applications and score them based on the evaluation criteria described in Section V.

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

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.

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

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.

EPA identifies, assesses, conducts, and applies the best available science to address current and future environmental hazards, develop new approaches, and improve the scientific foundation for environmental protection decisions. EPA conducts problem-driven, interdisciplinary research to address specific public health and environmental risks. 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 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. 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. All applications must be for projects that support the goal and objective identified above.

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 problems identified by EPA’s program offices, states and tribal partners as being important to the public, including small, rural, tribal and disadvantaged communities.

As a result, the P3 Program provides tested innovative solutions that stakeholders can use to help solve these problems.

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 https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan 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-G2021-P3-Q1)

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

Innovation in air monitoring technologies can significantly reduce monitoring costs, provide more detailed and timely information on ambient air quality and provide opportunities for businesses to address leaks and emissions before they become significant problems. EPA seeks projects that would support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics (not listed in any priority order):

1. Approaches to prevent and reduce air pollution, particularly in a multipollutant context

2. Emission reduction strategies for stationary sources

3. Emission control technologies to reduce mobile-source-related pollution

4. Measurement and monitoring methods to enable informed air quality decision-making at the state and local level

5. Technologies to measure low ambient concentrations of air pollutants

6. Technologies and approaches to reduce the level of personal exposure to air pollutants or indoor concentrations of pollutants

7. Technologies that reduce the level of air toxics in communities, which may include small, rural, tribal and/or disadvantaged communities

8. Technologies to provide more low-cost, easily implemented mitigation of radon contamination, especially in older homes or in low income communities

Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2021- P3-Q2)

EPA supports research for developing innovative, cost-effective solutions to current, emerging, and long-term water resource challenges for complex chemical and biological contaminants. EPA seeks projects that would support the development and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics (not listed in any priority order):

1. Technologies for the rehabilitation of water infrastructure

2. Sampling devices to detect, collect and quantify microplastics in surface water, drinking water, sludge/biosolids and/or discharges from wastewater treatment systems

3. Novel technologies for point-of-use removal of Per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from Drinking Water

4. Methods for detecting and monitoring waterborne pathogens such as legionella and/or mycobacteria

5. Innovative technologies and processes for stormwater management in small, rural, tribal, and/or disadvantaged communities

6. Non-brine producing technologies and processes for water reuse implementation in small communities

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

8. Innovative and potentially low-cost technologies for the rapid detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater

9. Technologies or methods to rapidly detect and distinguish between sources of pollutants in stormwater runoff or surface waters

10. Methods for analyzing and summarizing continuous water quality monitoring data utilizing user-friendly open-source software packages, statistical methods or technologies

Sustainable and Healthy Communities (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2021- P3-Q3)

EPA supports research for developing and demonstrating technologies to prevent contamination by toxic materials and to reduce solid waste that goes to landfills. EPA seeks projects that support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics (not listed in any priority order):

1. Development of replacements for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) water pipes which currently have a high probability of being discarded to landfills

2. Remediation of PFAS-contaminated soil and sediment

3. Development of construction materials that are less toxic, lighter, more compact, stronger, more durable, longer-lasting, more affordable, reusable and recyclable than currently used materials

4. Development of less toxic building materials for indoor spaces such as in floors, walls, and ceilings

5. Solutions to reduce the amount of food waste including food waste prevention, recycling and disposal technologies

6. Electronic components that are less toxic and/or easier to reuse and recycle

7. Management of disaster debris and waste

a. decision support tools that incorporate information and best practices that encourage post-disaster recycling

b. reuse of waste materials to support sustainable materials management practices

8. Research on how extreme events like pandemics may influence contaminant exposures and exacerbate associated health disparities in small, rural, tribal and/or disadvantaged communities.

9. Development of natural shoreline materials or designs to protect coastal communities from pollutant/contaminant migration under extreme events.

Chemical Safety (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2021-P3-Q4)

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

EPA seeks projects that would support research and demonstration of innovative and cost-effective solutions for the following topics (not listed in any priority order):

1. Non-toxic chemicals that can replace toxic chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics (green chemistry)

2. Plastic children’s products made from non-toxic materials

3. Non-toxic paints and coatings/cleaner manufacturing of coloration technologies:

Cleaner manufacturing means development and use of pigment, dye, paint, and ink manufacturing processes, as well as the development of new coloration technologies such as biomimicry and structural color, that do not coincidentally produce polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

4. Inherently flame-retardant materials—i.e., that do not use a flame-retardant coating or any PFAS

5. New chemicals that cause less depletion of stratospheric ozone than currently-used substances

6. New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to help reduce or replace animal testing, as well as tools to assess their feasibility. EPA defines NAMs as technologies, approaches and combinations of them, including in vitro and in silico testing methods, and methodologies that can integrate and calculate data from various sources, and serve to reduce, refine or replace vertebrate animal testing.

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, for example, those in small, rural, tribal and/or disadvantaged communities.

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.

Please note the following Agency requirements 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 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).

Review criteria specific to the P3 Program 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) https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P1002X8M.txt https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780124159952

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-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-https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements 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 $1 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received and other applicable considerations. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 20 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.

Phase II applications should further develop and demonstrate the project/design created in Phase I. EPA will select approximately five 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 they will be representing at the time the application is submitted. Institutions are allowed to submit more than one application where each application represents a unique design concept and student team. For the purposes of grant administration, the team's faculty advisor will be designated the Principal Investigator throughout the P3 grant award and competition process.

Non-profit organization, as defined by 2 CFR 200.70, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. Note that 2 CFR 200.70 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a non-profit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR 200.70, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. State, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments are not eligible to submit applications under this program. Under this competition, eligible nonprofit organizations are limited to research institutes and foundations that are part of or affiliated with a U.S. institution of higher education. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible to apply.

Foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental international organizations/institutions are not eligible to apply.

National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, "FFRDCs") may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. The institution, organization, or governance receiving the award may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the EPA to an FFRDC for supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research. However, salaries for permanent FFRDC employees may not be provided through this mechanism.

Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement. Federal employees may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations through awards made under this program unless authorized by law…