rfa_-_national_priorities_pfas-ag_to_ogc_ogdbsb_ll_4_0.pdf

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement Office of Research and Development

NATIONAL PRIORITIES: RESEARCH ON PFAS

IMPACTS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES AND

AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2020-ORD-B1

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.511

Solicitation Opening Date: November 22, 2019 Solicitation Closing Date: February 11, 2020: 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 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

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Peer Review B. Relevancy Review C. Past Performance History Review D. Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS) Review E. Evaluation of the Scientific Data Management Plan F. Funding Decisions G. 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/research-grants/research-grant-areas)

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Synopsis of Program:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking applications to better understand the potential impacts of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on water quality and availability in rural communities and agricultural operations across the United States. The Agency is seeking new information on PFAS occurrence, fate, and transport in water sources used by rural communities and agricultural operations, and new or improved PFAS treatment methods appropriate for small drinking water and wastewater systems including influents, effluents, and biosolids/residuals.

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.7.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.D and V.F of this solicitation.

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

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

Award Information:

Anticipated Type of Award: Grant or cooperative agreement Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately three awards Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $4,832,256 total for all awards Potential Federal Funding per Award: Up to a total of $1,610,752 in federal funds, including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of 3 years. Each applicant must contribute a minimum 25% non-federal cost share/match of the federal funds awarded which may include in-kind contributions (see Section III.B. for more detail).

Cost-sharing is required. Applications with budgets including a federal contribution exceeding the total maximum federal award limit will not be considered. Each applicant must contribute a minimum non-federal cost share/match of 25% of the federal funds awarded. This is equivalent at a minimum to 20% of the total project costs. Cost share may include in-kind contributions. In order to be eligible for funding consideration, applicants must demonstrate in their applications how they will meet the required minimum 25% cost share/match in accordance with 2 CFR §200.306. The minimum 25% non-federal cost share/match, equal to a minimum of $402,688 (assuming the applicant requests $1,610,752 in EPA funds) must be included. Including matching, projects can exceed $2,013,440 (if the applicant proposes more than the minimum required non-federal cost share/match), however the federally funded portion of the budget must not exceed $1,610,752.

Eligibility Information:

Public and private nonprofit institutions and public and private universities and colleges located in the United States are eligible. Foreign entities, States, including the District of Columbia, and State and local government departments, territories, possessions, and Tribal nations of the U.S., are not eligible to apply under this Request for Applications (RFA). Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from 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 https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms), all necessary forms are included in the electronic application package. Make sure to include the current and pending support form in your Grants.gov submission.

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

If you do not have the technical capability to utilize the Grants.gov application submission process for this solicitation, see Section IV.A below for additional guidance and instructions.

Agency Contacts:

Technical Contact: Ben Packard; phone: 202-564-7673; email: packard.benjamin@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

A high-priority research area identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to expand the understanding of the environmental risks posed by per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances and identify practical approaches to manage their potential environmental impacts. EPA is issuing this RFA to support research to better understand the behaviors and potential impacts of PFAS in rural communities and agricultural operations. PFAS are a broad group of compounds that have unique properties which have resulted in their widespread use in industrial, commercial and consumer applications and products.

The EPA is committed to supporting the public (states, tribes, and local communities) in understanding PFAS impacts and reducing PFAS risks to the public through implementation of the PFAS Action Plan which calls for research into toxicity, exposure, fate and transport, treatment and remediation, as well as, science and risk communication, see EPA's Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan.

In 2018, the EPA issued two RFAs on PFAS. The first, titled “National Priorities: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances,” included research on PFAS toxicity, fate, transport, and PFAS contaminated drinking water exposure. The second, titled “Practical Methods to Analyze and Treat Emerging Contaminants (PFAS) in Solid Waste, Landfills, Wastewater/Leachates, Soils, and Groundwater to Protect Human Health and the Environment,” focused on PFAS in solid waste, landfills, landfill leachate, soil and groundwater. This RFA complements these and other EPA research efforts by soliciting research on PFAS occurrence, fate, and transport in water sources used by rural communities and agricultural operations to include PFAS from land applied biosolids, industrial products/sludges, and wastewater reuse in agriculture. It also solicits research on new or improved validated PFAS treatment methods for small drinking water systems and small wastewater treatment systems including impacts related to influents, effluents, and biosolids/residuals.

mailto:packard.benjamin@epa.gov mailto:josephson.ron@epa.gov mailto:jones.debram@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-02/documents/pfas_action_plan_021319_508compliant_1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-02/documents/pfas_action_plan_021319_508compliant_1.pdf https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/640/records_per_page/ALL https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/640/records_per_page/ALL https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.rfatext/rfa_id/643 https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.rfatext/rfa_id/643 https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.rfatext/rfa_id/643

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 not have previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in SECTION III, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity.

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

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1061). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities;

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities;

3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions;

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(a)(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

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of manufactured chemicals that have been produced since the 1940s which are designed to resist heat, water, and oil. The February 2019 EPA PFAS Action Plan indicated that there were 1,223 individual PFAS compounds on the Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory and of those, 602 were classified as “active” (i.e., in commerce at some point between June 2006 and June 2016), of a potential several thousand possible PFAS structures (U.S. EPA, 2019). The PFAS chemical family is diverse and has many applications as components of surfactants, waxes, fluids, polymers and other materials (Buck et al., 2008). Used in a variety of consumer and industrial products, PFAS are highly water soluble, persistent, and some may be bioaccumulative. Toxicological evidence suggests that sufficiently high dose levels may result in cancer, liver damage, high cholesterol, endocrine disruption, and immune suppression (ATSDR, 2018). While perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are no longer produced domestically by the companies participating in the PFOA Stewardship Program, these substances may still be imported and used by companies not participating in the PFOA Stewardship Program.

Four major sources of PFAS in the environment include i) fire training and fire response sites, ii) industrial and manufacturing sites, iii) landfills, and iv) wastewater treatment plants (ITRC, https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://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=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4 https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epas-pfas-action-plan

2018). Fire training and fire response sites are a major source of PFAS due to PFAS released from aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF). AFFFs have been shown to contaminate groundwater with both original compounds and transformation products around firefighter training facilities and sites that have used AFFF to extinguish fires (Houtz et al., 2016; Ahrens et al., 2015). Industrial and manufacturing sites are also sources of PFAS and include printing of newspapers, production of textiles, the electrical industry and the metal industry (Clara, 2008).

Because PFAS have been used in a wide and broad range of consumer goods and in industrial products and applications, these chemicals are likely to be in diverse and different types of waste streams from manufacturing, industrial applications, and end-of-life commercial and consumer products. Thus, another major source of PFAS is solid waste, landfills and surrounding environmental media (soil, groundwater), leachates, and landfill gas (Benskin et al, 2012).

Wastewater treatment processes also commonly contain PFAS as a result of down-the-drain disposal from sources such as food and laundry wastewaters and disposal of products treated with PFAS. Other inputs to municipal wastewater include landfill leachate and industrial wastewater. Depending on the type and concentration of PFAS entering wastewater treatment systems, wastewater treatment processes may concentrate and transform PFAS to degradation products (ITRC, 2018; Venkatesan and Halden, 2013), which can end up in sludge and biosolids where (depending on the disposal practice) they can be introduced into the local environment (Schultz et al., 2006). Currently, about 50 percent of all biosolids are land applied (U.S. EPA, 2017), where they have the potential to affect surface water, groundwater, or edible crops and animal products. In some cases, sites previously amended with biosolids or industrial sludges may have measurable PFAS concentrations years after land application has stopped which may result in continuing surface water and groundwater contamination (Washington et al., 2010; Yoo et al., 2010). Along with biosolids, agricultural reuse of wastewater for irrigation may contaminate soils, groundwater, and produce, depending on the wastewater input and treatment technologies applied prior to land release (Scher et al., 2018).

Higher concentrations of PFAS have been discovered in groundwater, drinking water, and wastewater near these four major sources. Once present in the environment, PFAS are transported via water and air. Soil may be contaminated from air and water, or from the application of commercial or industrial products, biosolids, and sludges (ITRC, 2018). Given these transport characteristics, PFAS sources have the potential to impact drinking water systems (including smaller utilities serving <10,000 individuals), private wells, and agricultural operations (Hu et al., 2016). Significant EPA actions regarding protection from PFAS in drinking water include Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS, a PFOA and PFAS Drinking Water Health Advisories Fact Sheet, and a Technical Brief on PFAS methods and guidance for sampling and analyzing water and other environmental media.

C. Authority and Regulations

The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is 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 Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 U.S.C. 6981, Section 8001, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, P.L. 116-6.

https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/drinkingwaterhealthadvisories_pfoa_pfos_updated_5.31.16.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/drinkingwaterhealthadvisories_pfoa_pfos_updated_5.31.16.pdf https://www.epa.gov/water-research/pfas-methods-and-guidance-sampling-and-analyzing-water-and-other-environmental-media https://www.epa.gov/water-research/pfas-methods-and-guidance-sampling-and-analyzing-water-and-other-environmental-media

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

Note that a project’s focus is to consist of activities within the statutory terms of EPA’s financial assistance authorities; specifically, the statute(s) listed above. Generally, a project must address the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction and elimination of air pollution, water pollution, solid/hazardous waste pollution, toxic substances control or pesticide control depending on which statute(s) is listed above. Further note applications dealing with any aspect of or related to hydraulic fracking will not be funded by EPA through this program.

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

D. Specific Areas of Interest/Expected Outputs and Outcomes

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

The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan (https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html). Activities to be funded under this announcement support Goal 1: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment, Objective 1.2: Provide for Clean and Safe Water, of EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan. The Agency is seeking new information on PFAS occurrence, fate, and transport in water sources used by rural communities and agricultural operations, and new or improved PFAS treatment methods appropriate for small drinking water and wastewater systems including influents, effluents, and biosolids/residuals. All applications must be for projects that support the goal and objective identified above.

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.

The proposed research should support strategies for evaluating PFAS occurrence and treatment for PFAS in rural communities and agricultural operations. The proposed research should result in information that will enable states, tribes and local communities to assess the occurrence, evaluate and implement treatment technologies, and communicate the risks from PFAS contamination, in support of safe and clean drinking water nationwide. Note that the research should be national in scope; it should also focus on water quality (by looking at the impact of PFAS in source waters and drinking water) and water quantity (to the extent that https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements improving water quality increases the amount of safe drinking water to the public.) There are two distinct areas of research covered by this solicitation. Applicants should address one of the research areas described below and be national in scope. The proposed research project should be as responsive as possible to as many of the research questions listed under the selected research area. Applications should clearly indicate which research area is being addressed.

Research Area #1 – Better understanding of PFAS occurrence, fate, and transport in water sources used by rural communities and agricultural operations.

• Nationally, what are the major sources of PFAS contamination in rural drinking water systems and public and privately-owned wells? What are the levels of PFAS in rural wastewater treatment influent and effluents used in agricultural operations for crops and animals? Are there sources more prevalent in rural areas because of previous potential use of fluorinated surfactants in pesticide application or other agricultural practices?

Using methods such as targeted, non-targeted, and new or novel analysis, what variety of PFAS compounds and degradation products are present in rural communities and agricultural operations? How do they contribute to PFAS exposure? In rural areas, what is the contribution of PFAS exposure from drinking water and food compared with exposure from other sources (e.g., food packaging, commercial products, inhalation/aerial deposition)? Locally, how can the extent of PFAS contamination be estimated from the various sources (households vs treated effluent vs biosolids vs aerial deposition, vs contamination from airports and military sites using AFFF)?

• What are the fate, transport, and transformation characteristics of PFAS when soil amendments such as land applied biosolids and industrial materials (e.g., pulp and paper mill sludge, industrial wastewater treatment sludges) are applied? To what extent does PFAS contaminated soil interact with surface/subsurface constituents such as clays, soil minerals, natural organic matter, metal oxides, and cationic metal ions? How do these interaction factors impact PFAS mobility and attenuation in unsaturated hydrogeological soil systems?

• What is the efficacy of applying different sorbent materials (e.g., biochar) on contaminated soils? How do these materials affect PFAS mobility to water resources?

• How does contaminated groundwater impact drinking water treatment decisions for rural communities and agricultural operations? Are there best practices that can be developed to reduce PFAS contamination to crops and animals?

• What is the best way to translate scientific results into easily understandable PFAS risk communication materials?

Since projects should be national in scope (and to the extent that EPA or other published methods are available), projects should use analytical techniques and methods that will allow data and models to be scaled up to the national level and scaled down to local levels.

Sampling protocols should also attempt to capture the variety of PFAS compounds (including precursors and degradation products) that are present in a variety of matrices (air, soil, sediment, biosolids, surface water, groundwater, crop/animal tissue, and source water quality).

Research Area #2 – Novel or improved PFAS treatment methods appropriate for small drinking water and wastewater systems including influents, effluents, and biosolids/residuals.

• Are there promising (cost-effective, robust, reliable, and sustainable) technologies and operational factors available for small, rural and agricultural drinking water treatment systems (both community and privately-owned operations) that can treat PFAS contaminated source waters? What innovative and cost-effective technologies can be developed, piloted and implemented to remove PFAS from waters used during growth and harvesting of agricultural products? How can the treatment of residual streams be better managed or treated?

• What promising pretreatment technologies and pollution prevention for manufacturing processes are available to mitigate and potentially remove PFAS before it contributes to wastewater treatment system effluents and biosolids? How do pretreatment costs compare to costs for improved treatment methods in small water and wastewater treatment systems?

• What is the fate of PFAS in wastewater and solids treatment trains applicable to rural communities and agricultural operations and processes including facilities that recycle wastewaters for agriculture and aquifer recharge?

• What are the fate, transport, and transformation characteristics of PFAS in small drinking water and wastewater systems during treatment, storage (as solid residuals or in lagoons), or groundwater infiltration basins? What is the fate and transport of PFAS during water reuse (e.g., irrigation with wastewater effluent)?

• What are the impacts of operational factors (e.g., biosolids application rate and frequency, chemical mixtures) on the efficacy of management strategies for PFAS? How do serial biosolids applications impact PFAS concentrations and accumulation over time?

What are the impacts of factors such as soil type, crop type, and landscape traits, such as topography, that may influence PFAS concentration and accumulation?

Expected Outputs and Outcomes The proposed research will provide the best available science needed to manage PFAS in rural communities and agricultural operations.

Expected Outputs: Some examples of desirable outputs are listed below:

• Reviews of U.S. and international research and testing to date on PFAS occurrence in surface water, groundwater, municipal wastewater influent, effluent, and biosolids, and other land applied wastes in rural communities and agricultural operations.

• Reports and peer reviewed publications pertaining to the research areas listed above.

Example outputs for Research Area #1:

• Information on relative risk/source contribution from various sources in rural areas and agricultural operations.

• Risk communication materials and tools that translate scientific results into easily understandable outreach and education materials for wastewater professionals and the public.

Example outputs for Research Area #2:

• Results of pilot and/or full-scale testing of:

o Promising and cost-effective processes for PFAS removal from wastewater and biosolids.

o Promising and cost-effective processes for PFAS removal from rural and agricultural small drinking water treatment systems.

• Resources for small systems for PFAS treatment:

o Pretreatment strategies at PFAS source locations such as industrial sites and airports.

• Disposal management options and costs for handling PFAS laden residuals from water and wastewater treatment processes. Economic analyses evaluating the feasibility of processes, treatment technologies, and interventions and consider communities’ willingness to pay for such processes and treatment technologies.

Expected Outcomes: Outcomes include increased ability to identify public health and ecosystem risks from PFAS contamination, and better planning to mitigate the sources of PFAS found in groundwater, surface water, drinking water and wastewater in rural communities and agricultural operations.

Collaboration and Engagement Plan Collaboration and cooperative partnerships are strongly encouraged in the design and execution of the proposed research. Therefore, applications must include a Collaboration and Engagement Plan. Applications should, at minimum, describe how: a) applicants will work in partnership with appropriate partners (states, tribes, academia, industry groups, non-profit organizations, associations, and local communities/community-based organizations) to effectively design and implement the proposed project; b) to the extent possible, coordinate with and/or complement other projects or activities being performed by others that will result in a greater positive impact;

and c) demonstrate how the proposed project will address the needs and concerns of local communities including how community-based organizations (as defined below) and/or other appropriate parties will be engaged to enhance the project’s effectiveness and/or efficiency.

For the purpose of this announcement, a “community-based organization” generally means a nongovernmental organization that has demonstrated effectiveness as a representative of a community or a significant segment of a community and that helps members of that community obtain environmental, educational, or other social services. A community-based organization must be a nonprofit or not for profit corporation in good standing under state or tribal law with authority to enter into binding legal agreements. The community-based organization need not be tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code but may use documentation of tax-exempt status to demonstrate that it is a nonprofit.

The collaboration and engagement plan should:

• Describe the type of collaboration/support proposed and what role it will play in the overall project including the degree of partner and community input or engagement in the conceptualization, design, methods, analyses and implementation of the research.

• Describe how the collaboration will enhance the capacity of the project to more effectively communicate risk and translate scientific results into easily understandable outreach and education materials and address the needs and concerns of local communities.

• Describe how you will coordinate activities of the project with related or complementary projects and studies.

• Describe how you will ensure that the collaboration will materialize during project performance. Describe the partner(s)’ intent to participate in the proposed research including evidence of support of an active partnership with states, tribes, academia, industry groups, non-profit organizations, associations, and/or local communities/community-based organizations (e.g., letter(s) of intent or support from community-based organizations, community leaders, state or local government agencies, non-government organizations, water utility managers, site managers or operators). Any letters demonstrating evidence of collaboration and support should be included as part of section IV.C.11.a. Letters of Intent/Letters of Support.

Applicants that do not plan on collaborating with other groups in project performance must still include a collaboration and engagement plan in their application describing how they will be able to effectively perform and complete the project without such collaboration.

To the extent practicable, research applications must embody 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.” 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.7.a). Reviewers will draw from the above-mentioned sustainability definition in the review/evaluation process of research applications (see Section V.A).

E. References

Ahrens, L., K. Norstrom, T. Viktor, A.P. Cousins, S. Josefsson. (2015). Stockholm Arlanda Airport as a source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to water, sediment and fish.

Chemosphere. 129:33-38.

ATSDR, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2018). Toxicological profile for Perfluoroalkyls. (Draft for Public Comment). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

Benskin, J.P., B. Li, M.G. Ikonomou, J.R. Grace, L.Y. Li. (2012). Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in landfill leachate: patterns, time trends, and sources. Environmental Science and Technology. 46:11532-11540. 10.1021/es302471n https://doi.org/10.1021/es302471n

Buck, R.C., J. Franklin, U. Berger, J.M. Cousins, P. de Voogt, A.A. Jensen, K. Kannan, S.A.

Mabury, and S.P. van Leeuwen. (2008). Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment: terminology, classification, and origins. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. 7:513-541. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.258

Houtz, E.F., R. Sutton, J.S. Park, M. Sedlak. (2016). Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in wastewater: Significance of unknown precursors, manufacturing shifts, and likely AFFF impacts.

Water Research. 95:142-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.02.055

Hu, X.C., D.Q. Andrews, A.B. Lindstrom, T.A. Bruton, L.A. Schaider, P. Grandjean, R.

Lohmann, C.C. Carignan, A. Blum, S.A. Balan, C.P. Higgins, E.M. Sunderland. (2016).

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ITRC, Interstate Technology Regulatory Council. (2018). Environmental Fate and Transport for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Fact sheet. https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/pfas_fact_sheet_fate_and_transport__3_16_18.pdf (accessed 21 October 2019)

Scher, D.P., J.E. Kelly, C.A. Huset, K.M. Barry, R.W. Hoffbeck, V.L. Yingling and R.B.

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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.

Multiple Investigator applications may be submitted as: (1) a single Lead Principal Investigator (PI) application with Co-PI(s) or (2) a Multiple PI application (with a single Contact PI). If you choose to submit a Multiple PI application, you must follow the specific instructions provided in Sections IV. and V. of this RFA. For further information, please see the EPA Implementation Plan for Policy on Multiple Principal Investigators (https://rbm.nih.gov/toolkit.htm).

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 https://doi.org/10.1021/es100390r 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

Statement (HSRS; described in Section IV.C.7.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.D and V.F 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.

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 $4,832,256 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 three awards under this RFA. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $1,610,752 in federal funds, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. In addition, a minimum 25% non-federal cost share/match of the federal funds awarded, which may include in-kind contributions (see Section III.B. for more details) equal to a minimum of $402,688 (assuming the applicant requests $1,610,752 in EPA funds) must be included. Applications which do not demonstrate how the minimum 25% non-federal cost share/match will be met will not be considered. The total project period requested in an application submitted for this RFA may not exceed 3 years.

The EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards, or make fewer awards than anticipated, under this RFA. The EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund 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 may award both grants and cooperative agreements under this announcement.

Under a grant, EPA scientists and engineers are not permitted to be substantially involved in the execution of the research. However, EPA encourages interaction between its own laboratory scientists and grant Principal Investigators after the award of an EPA grant for the sole purpose of exchanging information in research areas of common interest that may add value to their respective research activities. This interaction must be incidental rather than substantial to achieving the goals of the research under a grant. Interaction that is “incidental” does not involve resource commitments by EPA.

Where appropriate, based on consideration of the nature of the proposed project relative to the EPA’s intramural research program and available resources, the EPA may award cooperative agreements under this announcement. When addressing a research question/problem of common interest, collaborations between EPA scientists and the institution’s principal investigators are permitted under a cooperative agreement. These collaborations may include data and information exchange, providing technical input to experimental design and theoretical development, coordinating extramural research with in-house activities, the refinement of valuation endpoints, and joint authorship of journal articles on these activities. Applications may not identify EPA cooperators; specific interactions between EPA’s investigators and those of the prospective recipient(s) for cooperative agreement(s) will be negotiated at the time of award.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

This solicitation is available to public and private nonprofit institutions and public and private universities and colleges located in the United States. Foreign entities, States, including the District of Columbia and State and local government departments, territories, possessions, and Tribal nations of the U.S., are not eligible to apply under this RFA. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.

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. Hospitals that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR 200.70 are also eligible to apply as nonprofits.

Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that are instrumentalities of the unit of government depending on the applicable law are not eligible to apply. 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.

National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, “FFRDCs”) may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. The institution, organization, or governance receiving the award may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the

EPA to an FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research. However, salaries for permanent FFRDC employees may not be provided through this mechanism.

Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement and may not receive salaries or augment their Agency's appropriations in other ways through awards made under this program.

The applicant institution may enter into an agreement with a Federal Agency to purchase or utilize unique supplies or services unavailable in the private sector to the extent authorized by law. Examples are purchase of satellite data, chemical reference standards, analyses, or use of instrumentation or other facilities not available elsewhere. A written justification for federal involvement must be included in the application. In addition, an appropriate form of assurance that documents the commitment, such as a letter of intent from the Federal Agency involved, should be included.

Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact Ron Josephson in the Office of Research and Development (ORD), phone: 202-564-7823, email:

josephson.ron@epa.gov.

B. Cost sharing

Each applicant must contribute a minimum non-federal cost share/match of 25% of the federal funds awarded. This is equivalent at a minimum to 20% of the total project costs. Cost share may include in-kind contributions.